第 31 节
作者:
谁与争疯 更新:2021-02-19 00:36 字数:9321
of beer and whiskey are kept。 These unlicensed bars are patronized
by the members; and with their full knowledge and consent。 It was certainly
a sight to see the faces of these men。 After reading each charge;
I would stop and say: 〃Now gentlemen this must be a grave slander; and
I want you as a body to rise and down this outrage。〃 I waited; no one
rose up。 I said: 〃certainly there must be a mistake; is it possible that the
law…makers of this state are the law…breakers; if so; then who is capable
of punishing the criminals?〃 I continued; 〃I hope that at least there are
some of the members of this body that are ignorant of this and that some
one if only one will rise and say; 〃I know nothing of this;〃 not one arose;
Both the houses were adjourned and the aisles and lobbies were packed。
These men looked at each other grinning and looking silly; some heartily
enjoying it; reminding me of a lot of bad boys that were caught stealing
watermelons。 The pages and visitors yelled and waved and clapped
their hands; but was this not a shame? This is but a sample of the
legislatures
of the states。 Washington's capitol is a reproach to common
decency; this government like a fish; 〃stinks worse at the head。〃
I spoke in Austin; Texas; at the state university。 When I arrived in
the city I was met by 〃Uncle Tom〃 Murrah。 〃Uncle Tom〃 is a true type
of the old fashion gentleman。 Had it not been for the chivalry of this
dear friend I expect I would have had some trouble with the police of
Austin。
I went into a saloon and was led out in very forcible manner by the
proprietor; who was one of the city council。 I stood in front of this
man's man…trap and cried out against this outrageous business。 The man
kept a phonograph going to drown my voice。 The police would have
interfered but 〃Uncle Tom〃 told me to say what I pleased; and he would
stand by me。 I went up to the state university with students who tried
to get a hall for me to speak to them but they could not。 I spoke from the
steps。 In the midst of the speech and the cheers from the boys I heard a
voice at my side。 I looked and there stood the Principal; Prexley Prather。
He was white with excitement; saying: 〃Madam; we do not allow
such。〃 I said: 〃I am speaking for the good of these boys。〃 〃We
do not allow speaking on the campus。〃 I said: 〃I have spoken to the
students at Ann Arbor; at Harvard; at Yale; and I will speak to the boys
of Texas。〃 The boys gave a yell。 The mail man was driving up at this
time。 The horse took fright; the letters and papers flew in every direction。
The man jumped from the sulky; the horse ran up against a tree and
was stopped。 I offered to pay for the broken shafts but the mail carrier
would take nothing。 There was no serious damage and all had a
good laugh; except; perhaps; the dignified principal。
When I visited the students at Ann Arbor; Mich。; I was given a banquet
by the Woolley club of the university。 It gave me new life to look
at such men of intellectual and moral force。 Oh! for such men to be the
fathers of the rising generation。 Just such men as these will save the
Nation。 THESE are the hatchets that will smash up evil and build up
good。
One cannot help but compare the tobacco smoking dull brained sot…
tish students with these giants of moral and physical manhood。 These
young I men were the greatest argument in favor of prohibition。 God
will bless the Woolley club of Ann Arbor and all such as they。
AT HIGH MASS; BUFFALO; OCT。 27
I attended High Mass in St。 Joseph Cathedral。 One of the priests;
Mr。 Percell; was taking up the collection。 He came to where I was sitting
but the smell of cigarette smoke was so strong about him that I could
not refrain from a rebuke; so I said: 〃You smell so bad from cigarette
smoke。〃
He said: 〃Who?〃
I said: 〃You!〃
He said: 〃You are a liar!〃
I said: 〃No I am not; you do smell bad!〃
He said: 〃I will have you put out of this church!〃
I said: 〃I dare you! You are the one that should be put out!〃
He passed on and after Mass I went into the house of the priest's
and asked for him。 He could not be found but two priests tried to make
excuses and treated me well。 Said they smoked。 I told them God said
for them to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh。 That they
were making provisions for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof。 I said:
〃What a shame for a man to dress like a saint and to smell like a devil!〃
One thing I have noticedthat the Catholic schools taught by the
Brothers are saturated with vile tobacco smoke。 I would not like to
send a son to such a place for that reason alone。 There are many things
I like about the Catholic church; but why; oh; why is it so silent as a
general
thing on the liquor traffic? Why are so many of its members in this
devil's work? Oh! what a retribution will be theirs when it will be
proven that instead of clothing the naked they have robbed children of
clothes。 Instead of feeding the hungry they have allowed them to starve
because their bread was taken to buy drink。 They sent souls to prison
and did not minister to them!
CHAPTER XII。
WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE
In all ages woman has taken an active part in the defense of man。 She
is the best defender he ever had on earth; because she is his mother。
True mothers think more of the interest of their children than of their
own。 God intended it so; All animals have a care for their offspring。
The hen will fight the hawk or dog; even man; to defend her little chicks。
The farmer's wife will not set a hen the second time that will not fight
for her little chickens。 Such hens are taken to market。 I have heard
my mother say: 〃I must set that hen again for she is such a good
mother。〃 The mother bear will die fighting for her cubs。 The hunters
say they dislike to kill her; because of her mother love; that never yields
up those two little cubs that she places behind her; and then fights until
she dies。 This is the mother love of a brute;what ought to be that of
the human family?
If a man starts a ranch to raise cattle he protects the females in
raising their young。 He will kill the animals that will destroy his stock;
and if he produces the pelt or scalp of these animals the state pays him a
bounty。 How is it with the human mothers? They produce the most
valuable offspring; but this licensed traffic is defended; while children
are murdered before our eyes and our hands are tied so we cannot rescue
them。 No one will say but that woman represents more morality than man;
also that the mother is more interested in the children than the father;
then of course; the party who has the most care and love should be allowed
the largest privilege to exercise it。
America claims more civilization than any other nation on earth。 In
the main this is so。 But certainly she is not true to the motherhood; and
THIS is her peril。。 Some of the best reigns have been those of queens。
All nations have had their women rulers; but the mothers of America
are not allowed to say who shall be the ones to help them make good
citizens of their own children; while their bitter foes prey upon their
offspring as cannibals。 A widow with six sons has a little home。 She
is taxed the same in proportion as the brewer; who carries on the human
butcher…shop that grinds up the six sons of the widow。 He and his crowd
(republicans and democrats) have the ballot that smashes the poor
widow's boys and takes her substance to prosecute her boys after they
are made criminals; to pay for their arrest; to build a jail for them。 Her
heart is broken; home is gone; and disgrace is hers。 To accomplish this
she is rendered helpless by having no voice or ballot to protect herself。
God never made an animal that he did not give it some means of defense。
While I am writing this I am in Bridgeport; Connecticut。 I find this a
city of eighty…two thousand。 The PRESIDENT of the board of education is
P。 W。 Wren; who is president of the Connecticut Breweries and owner
of one of the largest wholesale whiskey houses in the state。 This is as
consistent as if one were to start a ranch to raise chickens; ducks; pigs
and calves and then place a wolf to guard them from harm; The business
of the brewer is to sell beer。 No animal but mankind will use this
rotten slop; for the others by instinct know it is poison。 No man would
let his horses drink it; for they would be dangerous instead of being
useful。 The only way to make the brewer's business profitable is to have
boys and girls as consumers。 The brewer is not the worst to blame。 It
is the voter。 Mothers would never vote for such a man to be the public
guardian of the morals of their children。 All liquor men; or liquor
license men; are opposed to woman's suffrage; for the reason that should
women vote; we would have prohibition or abolition of the vice。 The
women saved prohibition in Topeka in the year 1903 by five hundred
majority; while it would have been lost by two hundred if men only had
voted。 The contest was between the WET and DRY mayors。 Where women
have the ballot; even in municipal affairs; no state has resubmitted or
brought back the saloon。 God said: 〃It is not good for man to be alone。
I will make him