the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第28节

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In　Kansas　every　liquor　selling　place　is　not　only　a　declared　nuisance；
but　a　constitutional　outlaw。　And　in　the　case　from　Pennsylvania
where　a　private　individual　had　abated　a　nuisance；　the　court　held：　〃We
consider　it　also　well　settled；　as　is　claimed　by　this　defendant；　that　a　common
nuisance　may　be　removed；　or；　in　legal　language；　abated　by　any　individual。
Any　man；　says　Lord　Hale；　may　justify　the　removal　of　a　common
nuisance；　either　by　land　or　by　Nyater；　because　every　man　is　concerned　in
it。〃

It　is　not　only　the　privilege　of　the　patriotic　citizen　to　abate　a　dangerous
nuisance　but　it　is　commendable。　Bishop　on　Criminal　Law；　paragraph
1081；　says：　〃This　doctrine　（of　abatement　of　a　public　nuisance　by　an
individual）　is　an　expression　of　the　better　instincts　of　our　natures；　which
lead　men　to　watch　over　and　shield　one　another　from　harm。〃

〃The　buildings；　premises　and　paraphernalia　of　a　nuisance　are　not
legitimate　property　and　have　no　rights　in　law。　Damages　cannot　be　recovered
for　their　destruction　by　an　individual。　The　question　of　malice　does
not　enter　into　the　case　at　all。〃

I　Bishop's　Criminal　Law　828；　I　Hilliard　on　Torts；　605。

〃At　common　law　it　was　always　the　right　of　a　citizen；　without　official
authority；　to　abate　a　public　nuisance；　and　without　waiting　to　have　it
adjudged　such　by　legal　tribunal。　His　right　to　do　so　depended　upon　the
fact　of　its　being　a　nuisance。　If　be　assumed　to　act　upon　his　own　adjudication
that　it　was；　and　such　adjudication　was　afterwards　shown　to　be
wrong；　he　was　liable　as　a　wrong…doer　for　his　error；　and　appropriate　damages
could　be　recovered　against　him。　This　common　law　right　still　exists
in　full　force。　Any　citizen；　acting　either　as　an　individual　or　as　a　public
official　under　the　orders　of　local　or　municipal　authorities；　whether　such
orders　be　or　be　not　in　pursuance　of　special　legislation　or　charter　provisions；
may　abate　what　the　common　law　deemed　a　public　nuisance。　In
abating　it；　property　may　be　destroyed；　and　the　owner　deprived　of　it
without　trial；　without　notice　and　without　compensation。　Such　destruction
for　public　safety　or　health　is　not　a　taking　of　private　property　for
public　uses　without　compensation；　or　due　process　of　law；　in　the　sense
of　the　constitution。　It　is　simply　the　prevention　of　its　noxious　and　unlawful
use；　and　depends　upon　the　principle　that　every　man　must　so　use　his
property　as　not　to　injure　his　neighbors；　and　that　the　safety　of　the　public
is　the　paramount　law。　These　principles　are　legal　maxims　or　axioms
essential　to　the　existence　of　regulated　society。　Written　constitutions
presuppose　them；　are　subordinate　to　them；　and　cannot　set　them　aside。〃

These　great　principles　of　civil　jurisprudence　and　popular　government
apply　alike　in　every　state　in　the　Union。　An　eminent　jurist；　Judge
James　Baker；　of　Evanston；　Ill。；　formerly　a　resident　of　Missouri；　gives
his　professional　opinion　of　the　late　crusading　by　the　women　there。　He
maintains　that　it　was　legal；　he　points　out　that　the　saloons　raided；　at
Denver　and　Lathrop；　were　unlawful　and　that　they　were　〃nuisances　at
common　law。〃　He　quotes　Illinois　law　as　follows：　〃As　the　summary
abatement　of　nuisances　is　a　remedy　which　has　ever　existed　in　the　law；
its　exercise　cannot　be　regarded　as　in　conflict　with　constitutional　provisions
for　the　protection　of　the　rights　of　private　property　and　giving
trial　by　jury。　Formal　legal　proceedings　and　trial　by　jury　are　not　appropriate
and　have　never　been　used　in　such　cases。〃　Judge　Baker　sums　up
the　case　thus：　〃The　women　who　destroyed　such　property　are　not　criminals。
They　have　the　same　right　to　abate　such　common　nuisances　as　men
have　to　defend　their　persons　or　domiciles　when　unlawfully　assailed。　As
the　women　of　that　state　are　denied　the　right　to　vote　or　hold　office；　I
think　they　are　fully　justified；　morally　and　legally；　in　protecting　their
homes；
their　families；　and　themselves　from　the　ravages　of　these　demons　of　vice
in　the　summary　manner　which　the　law　permits。〃

More　citations　might　be　given　proving　the　legality　of　joint　smashing
by　the　crusaders；　but　the　foregoing　is　ample；　for　all　fairminded；　loyal
people。　Had　the　joint　smasher's　cases　been　tried　on　their　merits；　not　one
would　have　been　convicted　of　a　misdemeaner。　They　were　arrested；　tried；
convicted；　imprisoned　and　fined　for　disturbing　the　〃peace〃　of　a　common
nuisance；　and　〃malicious〃　destruction　of　rebel　paraphernalia。　Their　only
intent　was　against　the　treasonable　liquor　traffic。　Had　there　been　no　liquor
dispensing　there　had　been　no　smashing。　This　the　liquorized　courts　would
not　admit　for　a　moment。　Every　ruling　was　a　burlesque　on　civil　law；　a
travesty　on　justice　and　a　contemptible　farce。　The　whole　proceedings
from　beginning　to　end　were　a　miserable　outrage。


DECAY　AND　DECLINE　OF　THE　AMERICAN　REPUBLIC。


Today　the　country　is　ringing　with　the　cry　of　political　bribery；　boodle
and　official　corruption；　from　the　highest　to　the　lowest。　The　rum　traffic
is　the　principal　factor　in　demoralizing　and　destroying　the　dignity；　honor
and　integrity　of　civic　life。　It　is　the　insidious　foe　that　is　hatching　and
nursing　crime。　Startling　complication　of　statistics；　obtained　from　the
replies　of　over　1；000　prison　governors　in　the　United　States　to　a　circular
letter　addressed　to　them；　and　a　summary　shows　that　the　general　average
of　909　replies　received　from　the　license　states；　gives　the　proportion　of
crime　due　to　drink　at　no　less　than　seventy…two　per　cent；　the　average
from　108　officials　in　Prohibition　states　giving　the　per　centage　at　thirty…
seven。　A　considerable　number　of　the　latter　were　〃boot…leggers〃　in　jail
for　selling　whiskey。　Out　of　the　1；017　jailers；　only　181　placed　their　estimate
below　twenty…five　per　cent；　and　fifty…five　of　these　were　from　empty
jails　in　prohibition　territory。　The　relation　of　drink　to　pauperism　is　much
the　same　as　that　of　drink　to　crime。　Of　73；045　paupers　in　all　the　alms…
houses　of　the　country；　37；254　are　there　through　drink。

According　to　official　statistics　as　gathered　by　Commissioner　Carroll
D。　Wright；　of　the　Bureau　of　Labor；　there　are　140　cities　in　the　country
having　a　population　of　30；000　and　upwards。

In　these　cities　there　were　in　1898；　294；820　people　arrested　for　drunkeness；
almost　ten　times　as　many　as　now　comprise　our　army　in　the　Philippines。

If　this　great　army　of　drunkards　were　marshalled　for　a　parade；　marching
twenty　abreast；　it　would　require　four　and　one…half　days；　marching
ten　hours　a　day；　for　them　to　pass　a　given　point。　And　these　295；000
drunks　do　not　include　the　arrests　for　〃disorderly　conduct；〃　〃assault〃　and
a　dozen　other　offences　which　grow　out　of　the　licensed　rum　business。　The
total　arrests　for　all　causes　in　these　cities　was　915；167。　Counting　the
moderate
estimate　of　three…fourths　of　these　as　being　the　victims　of　the　lawful　saloons；
it　would　require　more　than　a　week's　marching　twenty　abreast；
for　the　great　procession　to　stagger　past　a　reviewing　stand；　and　the　rum
product　of　only　140　cities　heard　from。

These　appalling　statistics　are　the　common　property　of　every　citizen；
and　any　political　party　pretending　to　financial　improvement　that　ignores
the　sixteen　hundred　million　dollars　worse　than　squandered　in　liquor　and
tobacco　annually　in　the　United　states；　is　untrue　to　itself　and　false　to　the
nation。　Gambrinus；　the　god　Bacchus；　the　Rum　Power；　this　Moloch　of
perdition；　must　be　destroyed。　Prohibition　is　the　only　remedy。　Kansas
is　to　be　the　battle　ground。　Her　constitutional　prohibitory　law　and　statutory
enactments　are　all　right；　properly　administered。　But　in　the　hands
of　a　republican　whiskey　〃machine〃　with　the　governor　belonging　to　the
Elks；　a　liquor　fraternity；　a　confessed　defaulter　as　state　treasurer；　a
United　states　senator　under　indictment　for　bribery；　officials　from　the
state　house　to　every　county　in　complicity　with　the　whiskey　rebels；　it
will　not　be　enforced。　The　liquor　men　and　joint　keepers　subscribe　large
sums　to　campaigns　with　the　tacit；　implied　or　open　understanding　of
immunity　from　prosecution　and　punishment　on　the　part　of　candidates
and　officials。　This　has　been　going　from　bad　to　worse　for　twenty　years。
Yet　the　law　is　so　plain　that　he　who　runs　may　read。　How　many　ever　saw
it　in　print。　The　revised　statutes　of　Kansas；　1901；　Article　14；　Section　2462；
reads：　〃It　shall　be　the　duty　of　all　sheriffs；　police　officers；　constables；
mayors；　marshals；　police　judges　and　police　officers　of　any　city　or　town；
having　notice　or　knowledge　of　any　violation　of　the　provisions　of　this
act　to　notify　the　county　attorney　of　the　fact　of　such　violation　and　to
furnish　him　names　of　witnesses　within　his　knowledge　by　which　such
violation　can　be　proven。　If　any　such　officer　shall　fail　to　comply　with　the
provisions　of　this　section；　he　shall；　upon　conviction；　be　fined　in　any　sum
not　less　than　100　or　more　than　500；　and　such　conviction　shall　be　a
forfeiture
of　the　office　held　by　such　person；　and　the　court　before　whom　such
conviction　is　had　shall；　in　addition　to　the　imposition　fine　aforesaid；　order
and　adjudge　the　forfeiture　of　his　said　office。　For　a　failure　or　neglect　of
official　duty　in　the　enforcement　of　this　act；　any　of　the　city　or　county
officers　herein　referred　to　may　be　removed　by　civil　action。〃

Also　Article　6；　Section　2212；　says：　〃Any　officer　of　the　state　or