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CHAPTER XIII.
ECHOES OF THE HATCHET.
MRS. NATION AND THE SALOON.
The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation |  |
AN APPEAL TO THE NATIONAL PROHIBITION COMMITTEE TO CONCENTRATE THE FORCES IN KANSAS.
(Emmett L. Nichols, Wilkesbarre, Pa.)
It is a fact beyond dispute, that wherever prohibition is carried in a
state, the liquor dealers' association of the nation in a menacing manner
demands the dominant party in such state that she sees to it that liquor
is allowed to be sold in enough places, at least, to make it appear that
prohibition is a failure, they knowing that the people once made to see
the beneficial effects of prohibition will adopt it generally, as the true
solution of the liquor question, as it really is, all other methods having
been proven to be absolute failures. The politicians fearing the influence
of the power of rum, organized as it is, for self defense yield to the
demands of liquorocracy. Mrs. Carrie Nation has shown this to be the
true state of affairs in Kansas in her hatchet raid upon the joints of that
state. She has shown up to public ridicule the officials of that state, in
different places, in demonstrating the fact that they not only refuse to
enforce the prohibition law, but screen and protect the violators thereof,
and arrest any citizen who attempts to perform the duty which they were
sworn to perform. This state of affairs is most exasperating to every
lover of country. I contend that Mrs. Nation's hatchet has been the
means of bringing about the most critical period of the prohibition reform
movement in its history. It has laid open before the world the fact that
prohibition does not prohibit in certain portions of Kansas, simply because
public officials in violation of their oath of office will to have it so. Now
I further contend that unless these officials are forced to prohibit in
Kansas, prohibition will eventually be repealed in that state, and the way
thereby made all the more difficult for the triumph of the truth if the
officials of Kansas are allowed to continue their work of perfidy in refusing
to enforce the prohibition laws there, prohibition will not only be
repealed in that state, but the securing of national prohibition by peaceful
means will be an impossibility. Viewing the conditions in Kansas
as I do, I am moved to make this appeal to the National Committee of
the prohibition party to concentrate its forces in that state, with the view
of arousing sufficient sentiment among the people there to drive every
"joint" from within her borders. "On to Kansas" should be the battle
cry of the prohibitionists of the nation. It is more important that
the will of the sovereign power in Kansas be enforced in the matter of
prohibition than it was on the principle of the squatter sovereignty there
during the days of slavery. It seems to me that it is the bounden duty
of the National Prohibition Committee to make this fight. I fail to see
any work within its grasp comparing in importance to it. The agitation
which Mrs. Nation created with her hatchet is bound to subside unless
some organization, having the cause at heart will take the matter in hand
and add fuel to the fire of righteous indignation which has been sweeping
the state. The National Prohibition Committee can not afford to
look on letting matters take their course. The time has arrived for action
National Prohibition Committee, I repeat, "On to bleeding Kansas!"
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CHAPTER XIII.
ECHOES OF THE HATCHET.
MRS. NATION AND THE SALOON.
The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation | |