第 39 节
作者:谁与争疯      更新:2021-02-19 00:36      字数:9322
  who are free from any fault in this matter; but are the greatest sufferers。
  I have been asked by my friends not to call it a 〃Home for
  Drunkards' Wives and Mothers〃; for it would be a reflection on the
  inmates。 Not at all。 The condemnation is on the party which makes
  a demand for such a home; by voting for saloons。 The question; Why?
  will arise in the minds of all who see on the arch over the entrance to
  this place; 〃Home for Drunkards' Wives and Mothers〃。 Why? 〃Because
  of the saloon。 Let us smash the saloon and not these women's homes
  and hearts。〃 Miss Edith Short is the secretary and is at the home all
  the time; and she is the right woman in the right place。
  There are many persons who would like to donate to such a place。
  We are waiting for funds to enlarge the place; making rooms or flats
  for these dear ones。 A letter directed to 〃Drunkards' Wives Home〃;
  Kansas City; Kansas; will reach the place; for there is no other of the
  kind in the world。 It was such a relief to me when I saw that what
  means I could control was used in a manner God would bless; and it was
  a great source of joy to me to do something for this class。 I have been
  a drunkard's wife myself and I know the desolation of heart they have。
  This is a worse sorrow than to have one's husband die。 A wife always
  feels that she might have done something to cause her husband to drink
  or to quit。 I believe that some men have been led to drink by women;
  but it is a cowardly resort; or excuse; and the man who would make this
  as an excuse is as bad as the woman that caused him to drink; if not
  worse。 The thief; the murderer; or any other class of criminals could
  just as well blame others for their own wrong doings。
  {illust。 caption =
  Mrs。 Carry Nation's 〃Home for Drunkards' Wives and Children〃
  One of two fine properties in Kansas purchased by Mrs。 Carry Nation with the
  money she earned on her lecturing tours。 In this way she believes she can
  bring comfort into the lives now darkened and saddened by the saloon curse。}
  When I was at Coney Island; I was asked; what I thought of William
  McKinley's administration? I said: 〃I was glad when McKinley
  was elected for I had heard that he was opposed to the liquor traffic。
  I did not know then that he rented his wife's property in Canton; Ohio;
  for saloon purposes; and after his election he had been a constant
  disappointment to me; that he was the Brewers' president and did their
  biddings; that we as W。 C。 T。 U。 workers; sent petitions; thousands of them
  to Mr。 McKinley to have him refuse to let the canteen run。 That we
  were willing to give our boys to fight the battles of this nation; to die
  in a foreign land; but we were not willing that a murderer should follow
  them from their home shores to kill their bodies and souls。〃 This
  was said at the time that he was thought to be convalescent from his
  death…wound。 I said: 〃I had no tears for McKinley; neither have I any
  for his assassin。 That no one's life was safe with such a murderer at
  large。〃 This roused hisses; some left the hall and there was a murmer
  of confusion。 One man threw a wad of paper at me; but I said: 〃My
  loyalty to the homes of America demand that I denounce such a president
  and his crowd。〃 It was a common thing to be hissed。 Once I
  spoke in Sioux City; Iowa; in the church where the martyred Haddock
  preached。 The crowd was so large; the church was filled and emptied
  three times。 I had cheers and hisses at the same time。 At the first
  meeting I was talking at the top of my voice; the audience was clapping
  and hissing and a good evangelistic brother by my side kept pounding
  his fist of one hand into the palm of the other and shouting: 〃She is
  right! She is right!〃 That was a great meeting; and I shall never forget
  it; neither will anyone who was there。 I spoke three times to audiences
  that night。 I have been hissed; and after giving the people time
  to think; have been applauded by the same parties。 〃Oh; fools and slow
  of heart to understand;〃 Jesus said。
  Murat Halstead; who wrote the book called; 〃Our Martyred President
  or the Illustrious Life of William McKinley〃; wrote some positive
  falsehoods concerning me。 This Halstead has always been a defender
  of anarchy or the licensed saloon。
  William McKinley was no martyr。 He was murdered by a man who
  was the result of a saloon and could not tell why he murdered the President。
  I could tell of many amusing incidents; indeed。 I could fill a book
  of interesting anecdotes。 Once when I was among the Thousand Islands
  of the St。 Lawrence; in the summer of 1902; a characteristic woman with
  a very low dress; with a very long train; the whole a mixture of paint;
  powder; lace; flashy jewelry and corset stays; with as much exposure
  of person as she dare; came to me in an affected manner; handed me a
  roll saying: 〃I am a temperance lecturer; here is one of my bills。〃 I
  replied: 〃If you are such; you had better make a practical application
  of temperance and cover up yourself。〃 The change of her countenance
  was instantaneous and she with a queer almost startled look said: 〃You
  go to Hel。〃
  Once in Elmira; N。 Y。 the streets were so crowded that we had to
  leave the Salvation Army Hall。 I climbed in a farmer's two horse wagon。
  He came out of a saloon and gathered up the reins and laid the whip
  to his horses; which were caught so as to let me out。
  Mr。 Furlong; my manager; had a keen sense of the ridiculous and
  would let me alone when I started out。 He said he knew I could take
  care of myself。 Often when I would rise to speak to the thousands in
  the parks; there would be yells and groans; and a manager at Youngstown;
  Ohio; said to Mr。 Furlong: 〃She will not get a chance to speak。〃
  Mr。 Furlong said: 〃You watch how she will handle them。〃 I would
  always quiet them for at least a time。 Once they were determined not
  to let me talk。 I at last went to one side of the stage and began talking
  very explanatory to some parties in front。 The rest wanted to hear;
  so they were quiet。 Then I gave them the hot…shots of truth。 I always
  invited interruptions by questions。 I had no set speech and these questions
  would bring out what the crowd wanted to hear。 I like especially
  the questions from those who oppose me。 I have bad men to shake their
  fists at me saying: 〃You are an anarchist and ought to be in the lunatic
  asylum。〃 One agent of a brewer in Hartford; Conn。; kept on disturbing
  the meeting; at last he said: 〃Why did Christ make wine?〃 I said:
  〃the wine that He made did not rot。 His was the unfermented juice of
  the grape。 God made healthy fruit and grain。 The devil rots them and
  makes alcohol; which rots the brain; rots the body and rots the soul; and
  that is what is the matter with you。〃
  When I first began my lectures I was not taken seriously by the
  people。 They did not see the great principle back of the work。 My
  manager said: 〃We must make all the dates this year; for next year
  it will not be so easy。〃 I said: 〃You will find it easier; for I will be
  more popular。〃 He shook his head; but sure enough it was easier。 We
  could not fill the dates; and now the calls are more and more all over
  the country。
  In the winter and spring of 1903; I was in California。 I was employed
  by the theatrical manager of the 〃Chutes。〃 Beer was sold at this resort。
  Some W。 C。 T。 U。 were very much horrified that I would go to such a
  place。 Mrs。 Hester T。 Griffith; the president of the Federation of Unions
  in Los Angeles; came to see me。 She had been a staunch friend of mine
  from the first and she went with me to the 〃Chutes〃 and introduced me。
  This she did time and again saying: 〃If she had the opportunity to
  speak at the 〃Chutes〃 she would do as Carry Nation does。〃 This woman
  was a blessing to me。 She helped me to see that the stage was a mission
  field。 I was severely criticised by the newspapers; and especially by some
  of the ministers。 One from Rockford; Ill。; a Rev。 Dr。 Van Horn wrote
  a very slanderous article which I heard of through my friends there。
  I was arrested in Los Angeles for some advertising my manager did
  which was contrary to a city ordinance。
  In Los Angeles I saw what was called the 〃Cribs〃; one of the most
  disgraceful conditions。 No one stayed there during the day; they were
  there just for the night only。 These poor degraded girls would pay two
  dollars a night to the owners。 I said to the women: 〃These city officials
  are at the bottom of this。 Let us go to the Chief of Police;〃 whose
  name was Elton。 He would not talk to me at first。 He said: 〃If we
  close these places; these degraded girls will be over the town; when in
  fact the girls only stayed there at night。 I have seen so much of the
  corruption of the officials that when conditions are bad in any place I
  know it to be their fault。
  We went as a band of missionaries to these dens of vice。 At first
  an officer would go before us and have the girls pull their blinds down
  to prevent us from seeing or speaking to them。 We found hundreds
  of them who could not speak the English language; they had been brought
  over by procurers for the purpose of swelling the ranks of this vice。
  Mrs。 Charlton Edholm who wrote 〃Traffic in Girls〃; was there helping
  to rid the city of this disgra