第 30 节
作者:
谁与争疯 更新:2021-02-19 00:36 字数:9322
your wife learned to be a drunkard。 Wives have been nursing their
drunken husbands for years; now the chickens have come home to roost;
and you are nursing your drunken wives。〃
Poor man! He; indeed; seemed distracted; and he is not alone;
there are hundreds of cases。
I met a lovely creature on the train; who had been married a few
months。 Her husband was a lumber merchant in Chicago。 She sat by
me and told me her sad story。 She had been a poor girl and dearly loved
a man whose mother opposed the match and prevented the marriage。
The young lumber merchant; left rich by the death of his father; proposed
and she married him。 In a month; the mother of the man she
loved first; died and the obstacle was removed。 In telling me this story
I smelled liquor on her breath。 She would say a few sentences and then
say: 〃Oh; Carry Nation I am so miserable! If Charlie would only be
true to me I would not grieve for the man I love; but Charlie drinks
and he goes with other women; and leaves me alone。 He gives me all the
money I want。 I have everything that money can buy; but; Oh! I
almost hate these things! I had rather have a hut with someone to love
me。〃 She kept talking this way until it was enough to break my heart。
She said: 〃Charlie will be in from the smoking car; and please Mrs。
Nation speak to him。 I want to be a good wife and I will do all I can
to make him a good man。 But he laughs at me when I talk to him; he
never takes me in earnest。 Go speak to him。〃
So I did。 I found him to be a young man about twenty…three; with
the marks of dissipation on his face。 I said: 〃I have something to say to
you privately。 You have a beautiful young wife。 If you wish to make
her happy you can do so。 There is one thing that will ruin the happiness
of both。 That is intoxicating drink。 Did you know your wife is under
the influence of some drug? He said: 〃Oh; don't say a word to her
about that; I am the cause of it。 I drink and have persuaded her to;
because she has a right to do what I do。〃
I told him of the fatal results and asked him to quit or it would be
the ruin of both。 Here were these two on the brink of ruin; so young;
so attractive。 I never shall forget the pathos of that woman's story。
The yearning of that heart for love。 Of course in her unhappiness she
would turn to the benumbing fascination of the poisonous drug。
On every hand I see the desolation of homes and hearts。 There are
no five things that make so much enmity between the sexes as this one
the licensed saloon。 The home life is destroyed。 Men and boys are taken
from home at the very time they ought to be there; after their work is
done。 Families should gather in the evening to enjoy each other's society。
It is said that Germans are the cruelest husbands on earth。 Their beer
gardens have taken the place of firesides。 There are more insane and
suicides in Germany than any nation on earth。 Alcoholism is a disease。
Men go to the Keeley cure and take different treatments to get cured。
This disease is killing more every year than the deadliest epidemic; and
still not one of the senators or representatives will discuss this。 Roosevelt
toured this country moralizing on different questions。 The nearest
he ever touched on the subject was 〃race suicide;〃 but he did not wish
to intimate that drinking intoxicating liquors was the cause。 He wished
to reproach women for not raising larger families。 What protection has
a mother if she does? She has to produce the grist to make these murder…mills
grind; and I for one; say to women; refuse to be mothers; if the
government will not close these murder…shops that are preying on our
hearts; for our darling sons are dearer to us than life。
If I had a family to raise and had to live in a city; I know of no place
as desirable as Topeka。 I was once lecturing in Lincoln; Neb。; and made
this remark。 A wife said to her husband; 〃Let us take our boy and go
to Topeka。 So they came。 The husband was D。 L。 Whitney; manager
of the Oxygenor Company; and both he and his wife have been a great
help to me。 I say to fathers and mothers; move to Kansas; where your
sons are taught that it takes a SNEAK to sell; and a SNEAK to drink;
intoxicating liquors in that state。
I was arrested in Topeka for going into the dives。 The officials
were determined to keep them open; and the police arrested me for even
going in。 They did not arrest the keepers。 I was thrown out and called
names by the proprietors; in the hearing of the police; still they were let
go。 This was during the time that Parker was mayor。
The voting citizens of Kansas will soon find out that no one
but prohibition officers can be trusted to enforce prohibition statutes。 I
am glad at the present writing there is said to be not a dive in the beautiful
city of Topeka; and that she has passed the Rubicon。 God grant
that no more criminal dens be opened by Republicans; Democrats or any
other Anarchists。
I was arrested in Wheeling; West Virginia; winter of 1902; for going
in a saloon and telling the man he was in a business that would send him
to hell as well as others。 The facts are that the police never knew what
I was going to do and they were so frightened and rattled that they of
course thought they would arrest me to prevent trouble。 I have been a
terror to evil doers。 I was in jail there two nights。 No pillow。 The
bed bugs bad。 Col。 Arnett; my lawyer; said I had a good case of malicious
prosecution。 I have begun several suits but the 〃laws delay〃 and
the condition of dishonest courts has prevented me。 I desire to compel
Murat Halstead to be shown as he is; a liar; almost equal to the 〃Murdocks
of Wichita。〃
I was arrested in Bayonne; N。 J。; the summer of 1903; because I was
talking to a poor drunkard。 A policeman came up and ordered me to
〃walk on〃。 I said: 〃I have a right to speak to any one on the street。〃
He said: 〃I will arrest you if you do not move on。〃 I said: 〃You do
not wish this poor man to have one warning word to keep him out of
a drunkards hell。〃 He arrested me; took me to the police headquarters;
where I was sentenced for disturbing the peace。 I was put in a cell with
a hard board; no cover。 There were only two other prisoners; both put
there for getting drunk。 The partition door was by accident left unlocked
and I heard someone creeping; looked up and there was one of the poor
creatures in my cell。 I called loudly。 He ran back。 The turnkey came
and fastened the door。 All night through I was handing water to these
poor creatures。 The bed bugs were thick and kept me quite busy knocking
them out of my face。 I lay on the plank but could not sleep a wink。
Next morning I was called in court。 That police officer in order to make
it a case of disturbing the peace said there were one hundred and fifty
people around。 There was but five and I so testified。 I never have seen
such false swearing as there is with the police。 I got a fine of ten dollars。
Of course this judge was a republican。
Here is a list of the times and places I have been in jail:
In Wichita three times。 Sentenced December; 1900; thirty days; January
21st; 1901; twenty…one days and January 22nd two days。
Topeka seven times; once thirty days; twice each eighteen days; then
twelve days; fifteen days; seven days and three days。
Kansas City once; part of a day; also once; part of a day at Coney
Island; once at Los Angeles; once at San Francisco; Scranton twice; one
night and part of two days; Bayonne; New Jersey a day and night; Pittsburg
three times; one night and part of two days; Philadelphia once; one
night。
I was also put in jail in Cape Breton; and in 1904; when five of us
attacked the Wholesale House of Mahan Bros。; in Wichita; of which I
speak elsewhere; making a total of twenty three times。
I spoke at Sacramento; Cal。; to the legislature when in session。 I
got a letter from one of the officers in the capitol; telling of the joints
run
in the capitol building and patronized by the members of the legislature。
A reporter went with me。 He tried to get me an opportunity to speak;
but he was told I could not do so; and that I had better leave as the crowd
prevented them doing business。 I did not leave。 The reporter said: 〃You
will not be able to speak。〃 I said: 〃I will speak。〃 I waited until the
speaker adjourned for noon; and as quick as a flash I took the stand; and
began my address。 I saw impatience in the faces of many; but there was
a great cheer from visitors and pages。 I spoke about as follows: 〃I
am glad to speak to the law…makers of California。 I not only believe
in making laws; but enforcing them。 I called their attention to the most
needed legislation on the lines of prohibition of evil。 I could see that all
seemed rather pleased at this point; I drew out the letter which read as
follows: 〃Dear Madam: I see you are to visit the capitol tomorrow; I
wish to call your attention to the flagrant violations under the dome of
California's capitol。 In the Bill filing room is a place where liquors are
kept; also in the Sergeant…at…Arms room in the senate chamber; behind
a screen; is stored beer and whiskey; in room 56 there is a safe where bottles
of beer and whiskey are kept。 These unlicensed