第 47 节
作者:
谁与争疯 更新:2021-02-19 00:36 字数:9322
man Weltmer had a large institution in Nevada; Mo。; for humbugging
the people。 I always like to investigate these things myself; as I did
Dowie; who I found out to be a false prophet。 This Weltmer's papers
were a complete treatise on witchcraft; spiritualism and hypnotism。 I
exposed this in every way I could。 The Bible fully prepares people to
expect such 〃lying wonders and miracles。〃 The 〃Christian Science〃 is
a witchcraft but very subtile。 The most dangerous counterfeit bill is
nearest like the genuine。
IN JAIL IN PHILADELPHIA。
The last jail I was in was in Philadelphia。 I went down to lecture
between the acts of 〃The Heart of a Hero。〃 There was a very vile
saloon kept by a Mr。 Donoghue。 This man stationed police to arrest
me if I went in his place。 In going home from the theatre at night I
would look in and call to the poor victims not to be drugged and robbed。
This man had five or six bartenders handing out this poisonous drink to
our boys; our mothers treasures。 This man has amassed a fortune at
this vile business and tries to pose as respectable; because he has a lot
of this blood money。 I was passing there on the 14th of January; 1904。
I just opened the door when a two legged beer keg in the form of a
policeman grabbed me and almost dragged me over the streets to the
station。 I was locked in and I spent the night in jail。 Next morning I
was discharged。
The next day when I went to the Pennsylvania railway depot to
take the train a little ragged boy came to me and asked for a hatchet; the
depot police shook the little fellow and hurled him away。 The little boy
began to cry and I said to the police: 〃Let that child alone! he is doing
no harm to any one。〃 He told me in a very angry tone to mind my business;
and would not let the little boy take the hatchet from me。 After
this I was sitting on the bench waiting for my train; and a person came
to me saying: 〃Let me see one of your hatchets。〃 I opened my grip
to show the little souvenirs; several came up to look at them。 This same
policeman was watching his chance to arrest me。 He came up and said:
〃You will have to stop that。〃 I said: 〃I am making no trouble; I have
a right to meet people and talk to them and show my souvenirs too。 You
are the only one; making a disturbance here。 Two policemen came up
and caught me one by each arm; dragging me through the depot and
down the elevator; and I was carried to the police station in a 〃black
maria〃。 This was done for spite and to show his authority。 I spent a
night in prison; and next morning I was fined ten dollars。 I was my own
lawyer。 The magistrate before whom I was tried would not compel the
officer to answer the questions I asked him。
In a few days I returned to Pittsburg and was invited by the Providence
Mission to go out on the streets。 Quite a crowd gathered and
while I was speaking; I was arrested again by an officer who refused to
tell me what I was arrested for。 I was taken to the police headquarters。
The kind hearted matron wanted to give me a pillow and some bedding
for I had nothing but a hard board in the cell。 The Chief of Police forbade
the matron to give me anything to make myself comfortable。 He
said: 〃That woman is giving us a great deal of trouble and we want
to get rid of her。〃 The matron came to me when no one was looking
and advised me to give a bond of thirteen dollars and get out so that I
might have a bed。 I did this and went to my boarding house。 I secured
the services of a lawyer; Mr。 Buckley。 I was fined ten dollars which was
afterwards remitted。 This republican; rum…soaked police force make it
a point to arrest me on every pretext。 They have told me that if I win
they will lose their jobs。 Eighteen months before this I had been put in
jail at Pittsburg; making three times all for doing my duty in that city。
CHAPTER XX。
WHY I WENT ON THE STAGE。THE VICE OF TOBACCO。
I got hundreds of calls to go on the stage before I did。 Gradually
I got the light。
This is the largest missionary field in the world。 No one ever got
a call or was ever allowed to go there with a Bible but Carry Nation。
That door never was opened to any one but me。 The hatchet opened it。
God has given it to me。 My managers have said: 〃This is a variety
house at; Watsons and the Unique; of Brooklyn; or the Boston on the
Bowery。 You do not wish to go there。〃 Yes; those need me more than
the rest; never refuse a call even from the lowest。 If Jesus ate with
publicans and sinners I can talk to them。 Francis Willard said the pulpit
and stage must be taken for God。
Persons often say: 〃Why do you take the money of such?〃 I say
〃I can do more good with the money than they can。〃 After the battle
the victor takes the spoils and is entitled to them。 I will take all I can
get in a good way。 Money is a blessing; if used as such。 I go on the
stage to do good; I take their money for the same reason。 The curse of
it is when it is desired above the good of humanity。 I am fishing。 I go
where the fish are for they do not come to me。 I thank God for this
unspeakable gift。 I take my Bible before every audience。 I show them
this hatchet; that destroys or smashes everything bad and builds up everything
that is good。 I tell them of their loving Deliverer who came to
break every yoke and set the Captive free。 When I look upon the hundreds
of faces before me; I say: 〃Oh; these poor aching hearts! God
give me a loving message。〃 Words can not tell of the love I would like
to bestow upon them。 I often weep。 〃Oh; Jerusalem; Jerusalem; how oft
would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings。〃 Then I say: 〃There is one that loves more than you。 He can
make all things right。〃
There are but a handful comparatively that try to obey the commands
of Jesus: 〃A remnant shall be saved。〃 Caleb and Joshua were only two
in six hundred thousand but they alone of this great multitude lived to
see and inherit the promised land。 Christ said。 〃Go out into the highways
and hedges and compel them to come in that my home may be full。〃
Where are the highways and hedges: They are places where men and
women are the most lost。 How can they be compelled to come in? Love
is the only compelling influence。 If no one goes with love; how are these
lost ones to know they are loved。 Christ brought love down to us; He
came down to do it。 We must take His love to the low places〃Condescend
to men of low estate。〃 I praise my God for opening a door to
me never opened to anyone else。 I find the theatre stocked with boys
of our country。 They are not found in churches。 I have not sought to
get into the so…called 〃respectable set〃 but I have told my managers to
get me into the worst class。 They need me most。 They are as brands
snatched from the burning。
I am not only a reformer on the line of the licensed or unlicensed
saloon; but on other evils。 I believe that; on the whole; tobacco has done
more harm than intoxicating drinks。 The tobacco habit is followed by
thirst for drink。 The face of the smoker has lost the scintillations of
intellect and soul it would have had if not marred by this vice。 The odor
of his person is vile; his blood is poisoned; his intellect is dulled。
A smoker is never a healthy man; either in body or mind; for nicotine
is a poison。 Prussic acid is the only poison that is worse。 Nicotine
poisons the blood; dulls the brain; and is the cause of disease。 The lungs
of the tobacco user are black from poison; his heart action is weak; and
the worst thing to contemplate in the whole matter is that these tobacco
users transmit nervous diseases; epilepsy; weakened constitutions; depraved
appetites and deformities of all kinds to their offspring。
Deterioration of the race is upon us; and unless there is some reform;
idiocy; imbecility and extinction will be the legacy of the future
generations。
A man that uses tobacco cannot have the nice moral perceptions on
any point that he should have。 I find him to be dulled and sluggish。 The
Bible says: 〃If thine eye be single; thy whole body is full of light。 If
thine eye be evil; thy whole body is full of darkness。〃 The use of tobacco
is a vice; and to the extent of that one vice; it degrades a mail。 It opens
the gate for other vices; for it is the gratification for one form of lust。
It is a filthy habit; and I care not how often the smoker changes his
clothes or washes his person; he is filthy。 The stench from his breath
indicates that his body repudiates such uncleanliness。
The tobacco user can never be the father of a healthy child。 Therefore
he is dangerous for a woman to have as a husband。 If I were a
young woman; I would say to the men who use tobacco and who would
wish to converse with me: 〃Use the telephone; come no closer!〃 I
would as soon kiss a spittoon as to kiss such a mouth。 When a man
begins to smoke he is taking his first lessons in drink。 The two habits
travel together。
A man never can attain his majority and use tobacco。 He never can
realize his full capabilities or his possibilities。 He can always attain to a
better standard without nicotine。
There is one objection that; from a business standpoint; every business
man ought to make to tobacco。