the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第29节

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Also　Article　6；　Section　2212；　says：　〃Any　officer　of　the　state　or　of
any　county；　city；　district　or　township；　after　his　election　or　appointment；
and　either　before　or　after　he　shall　have　qualified　or　entered　upon　his
official　duties；　who　shall　accept　or　receive　any　money　or　the　loan　of
any　money；　or　any　real　or　personal　property；　or　any　pecuniary　or　other
personal　advantage；　present　or　prospective；　under　the　agreement　or
understanding　that　his　vote；　opinion；　judgment　or　action　shall　be　thereby
influenced；　or　as　a　reward　for　having　given　or　withheld　any　vote；　opinion
or　judgment　in　any　matter　before　him　in　his　official　capacity；　or　having
wrongfully　done　or　omitted　to　do　any　official　act；　shall　be　punished
by　a　fine　of　not　less　than　200　nor　more　than　1；000；　or　by　imprisonment
for　not　less　than　one　year　nor　more　than　seven　years　in　the　penitentiary
at　hard　labor；　or　both　such　fine　and　imprisonment　at　the　direction　of　the
court。〃

Enforce　the　statute　and　thousands　of　officials　in　Kansas　would　soon
be　behind　prison　bars。　When　the　officiary　administrative　of　any　government
become　corrupt；　it　is　on　the　highway　to　disruption　and　ruin。　Greece
and　Rome　are　notable　examples。　The　sworn　government　report　is
that　nearly　eighteen　gallons　of　liquor　to　every　man；　woman　and　child；　is
consumed　by　Uncle　Sam's　subjects　every　twelve　months。　This　republic
cannot　long　survive　half　sober　and　half　drunk。　The　immortal　Abraham
Lincoln　in　a　speech　at　Springfield；　Ill。；　Feb。　22nd；　1842　said：　〃Turn　now
to　the　temperance　revolution。　In　it　we　shall　find　a　stronger　bondage
broken；　a　viler　slavery　manumitted；　a　greater　tyrant　deposedin　it；　more
of　want　supplied；　more　disease　healed；　more　sorrow　assuaged。　By　it；　no
orphans　starving；　no　widows　weeping；　by　it；　none　wounded　in　feeling；
none　injured　in　interest。　And　what　a　noble　ally　this　to　the　cause　of　political
freedom！　With　such　an　aid；　its　march　cannot　fail　to　be　on　and　on；
until　every　son　of　earth　shall　drink　in　rich　fruition　the　sorrow…quenching
draughts　of　perfect　liberty！　And　when　the　victory　shall　be　complete
when　there　shall　be　neither　a　slave　nor　a　drunkard　on　the　earthhow
proud　the　title　of　that　LAND　which　may　truly　claim　to　be　the　birthplace　of
and　the　cradle　of　both　those　revolutions　that　shall　have　ended　in　that
victory！　How　nobly　distinguished　that　people　who　shall　have　planted
and　nurtured　to　maturity　both　the　political　and　moral　freedom　of　their
species！

William　Windom；　when　Secretary　of　the　U。　S。　Treasury　under　the
Arthur　administration；　said：　〃Considered　socially；　financially；　politically
or　morally；　the　licensed　liquor　traffic　is；　or　ought　to　be；　the　overshadowing
issue　in　American　politics；　and　the　destruction　of　this　iniquity
stands　first　on　the　calendar　of　the　world's　progress。〃

By　Bible　authority　and　by　the　common　law　of　our　land　I　have　proved
to　the　satisfaction　of　all　who　will　see　the　right；　that　I　am　a　loyal　American；
a　loving　Home　Defender；　doing　the　will　of　Him　whom　I　serve　and
whose　I　am。



CHAPTER　XI。

MY　TRIAL　FOR　DIVORCE。THE　LICENSED　RUM　TRAFFIC　THE　CAUSE　OF　SO　MANY
DIVORCES。DIFFERENT　TIMES　AND　PLACES　I　HAVE　BEEN　IN　JAIL。AT　THE
CAPITAL　OF　CALIFORNIA。WIDE　OPEN　TREASON。AT　THE　UNIVERSITY　OF
TEXAS。WOOLLEY　CLUB　AT　ANN　ARBOR；　MICHIGAN。CATHOLIC　PRIEST
AND　CIGARETTES。

Mr。　Nation　brought　suit　for　divorce　against　me　while　I　was　in　jail。
I　was　very　much　astonished　at　it；　for　I　never　thought　that　our　disagreement
would　result　in　his　desiring　a　divorce。　We　had　lived　together
twenty…four　years；　and　while　we　could　not　agree；　I　never　wanted　a
divorce。　His　petition　stated　the　reason　for　this　was　〃extreme　cruelty
and　desertion。〃　He　sued　for　all　the　property　and　wanted　the　court　to
have　me　pay　for　the　cost　of　the　trial。　I　shall　always　believe　he　was
induced　to　do　this　by　the　republicans；　thinking　to　hinder　my　work。

The　people　of　Medicine　Lodge　were　shocked　at　this；　for　they　knew
I　had　been　faithful　to　my　duties　as　a　wife；　up　to　the　time　I　went　to
Wichita；　and　when　I　went　to　Topeka　I　told　Mr。　Nation　if　he　would　stay
there　with　me；　I　would　pay　his　board　and　room　rent；　which　I　did。　He
came　to　Topeka　and　the　first　thing　that　he　took　offense　at　was　my　objecting
to　his　opening　my　mail；　for　when　he　did　I　never　saw　a　dollar　sent
for　a　subscription　and　sometimes　would　find　parts　of　letters　destroyed。

On　the　day　of　the　trial；　Mr。　Nation　could　not　produce　a　witness　to
prove　I　was　other　than　kind；　except　the　affidavit　of　a　man　who　could
neither　read　nor　write。　Mr。　Nation　wrote　out　what　he　wanted　this　man
to　swear　to；　and　the　man　signed　it；　for　he　could　just　write　his　name。
This　man　was　in　Oklahoma　at　the　time；　My　neighbors　came　of　their
own　accord　and　testified　to　my　having　done　my　cooking　and　housework；
frequently　cooking　meals　and　taking　them　to　Mr。　Nation；　who　was　still
in　bed。　Judge　Gillette；　the　same　man　who　was　on　the　bench　in　my
slander　suit　presided。　Mr。　Nation　did　not　get　his　divorce　because　of　my
〃extreme　cruelty；〃　but　because　I　testified　that　I　could　not；　nor　would
never　live　with　him　as　a　wife。　I　could　not。　I　was　very　much　grieved　to
bear　this　reproach；　of　a　divorced　wife。　I　made　my　home　during　the　trial
with　my　dear　friend；　Mrs。　Judge　Howe；　who　is　still　living；　and　she　knows
how　bitter　this　was　to　me。

The　home　was　given　me；　and　the　divorce　and　a　small　piece　of　property
in　Medicine　Lodge　to　Mr。　Nation。　I　shortly　after　sold　this　home　for
800。　It　was　part　of　the　payment　for　〃Home　for　Drunkards'　Wives〃　in
Kansas　City。　It　was　as　I　expected；　a　means　used　by　my　enemies　to　hinder
me　in　my　work。　I　was　blamed　for　the　divorce。　It　was　said；　〃I　broke　up
a　home。〃　That　if　I　was　in　a　good　work　I　would　not　do　these　things。
And　while　delivering　my　lectures；　it　was　often　called　out；　〃Why　don't
you　go　back　to　your　husband？　No　wonder　he　got　a　divorce　from
you；〃　and　all　such　sayings。　But　I　learned　to　expect　and　was　prepared　for
such　treatment。

We　hear；　〃A　woman's　place　is　at　home。〃　That　is　true；　but　what　and
where　is　home。　Not　the　walls　of　a　house。　Not　furniture；　food　or　clothes。
Home　is　where　the　heart　is；　where　our　loved　ones　are。　If　my　son　is
in　a　drinking　place；　my　place　is　there。　If　my　daughter；　or　the　daughter
of　any　one　else；　my　family　or　any　other　family　is　in　trouble；　my　place
is　there。　That　woman　would　be　selfish　or　cowardly　who　would　refuse
to　leave　her　home　to　relieve　suffering　or　trouble。　Jesus　said；　〃Go　out
into　the　highways　and　hedges。〃　He　said　this　to　women；　as　well　as　men。
If　the　women　of　Galilee　had　not　left　their　homes　they　would　not　have
followed　Jesus。　If　Phoebe　had　not　left　her　home；　she　would　not　have
gone　on　the　business　of　the　church　to　Jerusalem。　We　would　have　no
woman　missionariesWomen　now；　are　forced　to　go　out　to　save　the
homes。

D。　L。　Moody　once　said；　and　which　I　hardly　understood　at　the　time：
〃When　a　wife　knew　that　the　man　that　should　be　her　husband　was　unfaithful
and　corrupt；　she　was　as　bad　as　he　if　she　lived　with　him。〃　I　have　thought
much　of　the　meaning　of　husband。　He　is　one　who　is　a　man　who　provides
and　cares　for　his　family；　as　much　as　it　is　in　his　power　to　do；　but　when
he　refuses　and　will　not　do　this；　he　breaks　his　marriage　vow　and　becomes
his　wife's　enemy。　A　husband　is　not　an　enemy。　This　will　place　many
women　in　the　roll　of　living　with　men　who　are　not　their　husbands；　and
this　is　so。　I　do　not　favor　divorce；　but　it　is　better　to　separate；　than　bring
up　children　of　drunkards　or　licentious　fathers。　There　is　nothing　which
is　making　so　much　enmity　between　the　sexes　as　intoxicating　drink。　This
is　the　cause　of　so　many　divorces。　Men　who　go　into　saloons　generally
visit　houses　of　prostitution。　The　women　they　meet　there　have　been
deceived　and　lost　their　self　respect；　become　discouraged　because　men　have
made　them　their　victims　through　treachery　and　in　turn　these　women
revenge　themselves　by　taking　all　means　to　drag　these　men　down。　Prostitutes
do　not　like　men；　they　often　hate　them。　The　man　who　goes　there
generally　loses　respect　for　the　virtues　of　women；　and　from　associating
with　bad　women　they　judge　other　women　to　be　vile。　These　men　hate
the　very　women　they　go　to　see。　Married　men　who　drink　are　bad　husbands；
for　they　deceive　their　wives；　who　soon　find　it　out；　and　the　husbands
and　wives　cannot　be　happy。　A　woman　leaves　all　others　for　one
man　and　she　wishes　his　society。　In　the　evening　the　clubs　and　drinking
places　take　up　men's　time　when　their　families　should　have　it。　These
things　destroy　love　and　confidence　between　husbands　and　wives。　'Tis
not　all　men's　fault；　for　there　are　some　drinking　women。

A　man　came　to　me　just　before　I　went　on　the　stage　at　Newport；　and
said：　〃Carry　Nation；　step　aside　here；　I　must　speak　to　you。　I　am　in　so
much　trouble。　Give　me　some　advice。　My　wife　is　at　home　drunk；　she
is　that　way　most　of　the　time。　We　have　six　children　and　they　feel　disgraced。
What　can　I　do？　I　am　almost　wild。〃

I　asked：　〃Did　you　ever　drink　with　your　wife？〃

He　looked　confused。　I　said：　〃Women　do　not　usually　go　to　saloons
but　you　men　bring　it　home　and　use　it　on　the　table　and　women　are　just
as　apt　to　catch　the　disease　of　alcoholism　as　men。　This　may　be　the　way
your　wife　learned　to　be　a　drunkard。　Wives　have　been　nursing　their
drunken　husbands　for　years；　now　the　chickens