Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-18

Tr1p-A summary OF the sermon.
Last evening, in the Thomson M. E.
church, on the Island, the Rev. c. E.
Clarke delivered an interesting dis
course on the subject of Mrs. Carrie
Nation and Other Fanatics" He took
as his text Ecclesiastes 3-16: And
moreover, / saw under the sun the
place of judgment, that wickedness
was there; and the place of righteous
ness, that inieuity was there"
Mr.. Clarke began by saying that he
was not inclined to take a pessimistic
view Of the situation, and if he did it
would be against his will.
cit is not my opinion that our
men in high official positions are all
bad men, but l am of the opinion that
more bad men get into power than we
can afford to see. I differ with the men
in power in their dealings with i'm
portant questions, but they may have
more foresight and better judgment
than l, and so I must not judge them
harshly.
eve cannot be blamed for the fact
that these official positions are SO
desirable and men so interested in the
struggle for supremacy that men get
into them who should not be allowed
to occupy them. Not to speak so much
of the character of these officials, but
of the effect of their actions.
L am to speak this evening on the
subject of Mrs. Nation and Other Fan
atics. The text which / have selected
for this evening accounts for the ex-
istence and publicity of such charac-
tiers as that of Mrs Nation Were
men in high positions to enforce the
laws, these things would not occur,
and if they did occur, they would be
worthy of our consideration, but these
men are recreant to their trusts and
false to their obligations.
Mrs. Nation was born in Kentucky
and it is probable that it was there
that she saw the moonshiners, that
she first inhibited her dislike to the
traffic. When but a girl the family
moved to Grue Farm, a place about
fifteen miles west of Kansas City. The
Nations were in sympathy with the re-
bellion and so did not enjoy life in
Kansas, and were finally driven by
white-caps to Kansas City, where they
received protection. They then moved
to Missouri, and it was here that
the future enemy of the joint grew to
womanhood.
while living here she met and mar
ried a young doctor. Their early life
was a devoted and happy one, but it
did not last long, for in one year she
buried the man whose prospects had
a short time before been so promising.
He died of delirium tremens in a sa-
loon. Over his grave she vowed to God
to devote her life to oppose those
places.
"a number of years later she met
Mr. Nation, who was the editor of a
small paper in Wanes burg, Mo, and
he was of a prohibitory turn, and in
an editorial in one of his issues that
offended the people, they forced him
to flee from the town two days later
To the surprise of every one, the paper
came out regularly, and was more vio-
lent under Mrs Nations editorship
The mob now turned its attention tc
her, and made it impossible for hel
to remain longer in the town.
Eve next find the Nations in Texas
conducting a hotel. and they met with
some success. Later we find them in
Kansas.
About two years ago Mrs Nation
went to Wichita to make raid on the
saloons. Although armed for the pur-
pose, her heart failed her, and she re-
turned home. Later. after much pray
ing, she decided to. and did wreck two
saloons in Jerusalem. and the people
of the town became greatly enraged al
her Later she made a second trip ia
Wichita and broke up two of the lead
ing saloons. The remainder of hel
career is fresh in your minds, and
need not review it.
Mrs Nations sister married a man
worth about $4,000 Shortly after her
marriage he died as Mrs. Nations first
husband had died, leaving his young
wife penniless. Can you wonder that
woman's heart is fired when she has
such outrages forced upon her and
sees them forced upon ner fellow be-
imgs?
II am not in favor of violation Of
law, so l believe that when one vio-
lates the law he must pay til. penalty
I am not personal admirer of Mrs
Nation or her methods. but there are
many who admire her for her courage
and actions. She is said to be fretfu
and feverish, but l do not know
whether this is true or not. l am not