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