Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-02-12
ROCKS FOR WEAPON
Carrie Nation Advises Their Use
On Saloons of Rock
Island.
LEAVES HER HATuHEr AT HOME
Kansas Crusader Delivers Speech
in the Fifth Avenue
Depot.

Tine over the h0ck lSlaQQ ROAD
shortly before l o'clock this after
| noon and left for Chicago at 2:l5.
The crowd that greeted her was not
up to the standard in numbers. but
she gave an address as earnest and as
long as if there were thousands.
Mrs. Nations lecture at the opera
house in Muscatine last night was not
La great success financially, less than
500 persons being in attendance. As
a consequence four of her co-workers,
with Financial Manager Rankin, de-
serted her and started back for Kan
sas. Left with only the faithf III
Mary Z. White. she resolved to go on
to Chicago in response to a commune
cation from Miss Eva Schontz, of that
city, who promised to act as manager
there.
Train Arrives Late.
The train, which should have ar
rived in Davenport at 1:32, was an
hour-and-a-quarter late, and many of
the Assem- bled multitude had gone
when it finally pulled in. But there
were several hundred OF the curious
left, and as Mrs. Nation alighted on
the platform to hold reception. she
was devoured by jam which almost
lifted her off her feet. Getting back
on the platform after hard fight she
made 5-minute speech that was re-
ceived with enthusiasm, to put it
mildly.
At Davenport Capt. w. K. Brown,
of Ames, and w. Il. Benkert, secre-
tary of the united christian party,
got aboard the train to accom- pany
her through to Chicago.
From Davenport to Rock Island
never pausing in her talk for an in
slant.
In this city there were proba bly,
500 persons at the Fifth avenue depot
when the train drew in. Among the
number were party of students from
Augustana college, who, as soon as
some one shouted There she is" set
up the college yell. This went
straight to the Kansas woman's heart,
and she straightway directed her
main efforts to i'm pressing her views
upon the college students.
Leaves Ratchet in Kansas.
In the ladies' waiting room Mrs.
Nation mounted seat and talked for
half an hour. The audience was very
attentive throughout, and there
were very few interruptions. When
asked by an ARGUS reporter where
her Ratchet was she said: L left
| it in Kansas, but Pm not done
with Kansas yet" The reason she
gave for smashing saloons, and
''smash'' she said is word that just
suits her when referring to saloons,
was that she had come to The conclu-
sion that men are not able to care for
make an effort in their behalf. You
men are our babies" she said, land
we are going to care for you no mat
ter how big you get"
She declared that there is no law un-
der which evil can be licensed, add
that one has the same right to break
bar furniture here as in Kansas.
Boys" she said, ''fill your pockets
with rocks and go out on the street
and smash right and left. advise
you ell to do the same thing and don t
let the grass grow under your feet,
either.
Don't Want Money.
rThey say I'm out for the money"
she uttered at another time. 81
haven't seen nickel that was taken
in at .one of my lectures since /
started. | don't want money. If I
have enough to live on and travel
from one place TO another, am salts
fed" AT another time she said, 81
shall die in the harness."
Several times the speaker essayed
to stop, saying she wanted to save
her voice, but each time she struck a
fresh lead and went on. Finally,
yielding to a sudden inspiration. she
stepped from the seat and called for
some young man to sing a song. At
this iuncture Mr.. Brown, the travel
ing man from Ames, took the stump
and paid Mrs. Nation some glowing
tributes, avowing himself completely
permeated with platonic love for her.
He acknowledged all the faults she
had laid at the feet of man. and Mrs
Natien backed him up with many q
fervent amen"
Then Mr.. Benkert took the iloor
and delivered himself of radical
temperance talk, pointing out that
the root of all evil lay in the lack of
unity among those who call them
selves christians. To this. also, Mrs.
Nation gave hearty assent. A chorus
of college students were prevailed
upon to sing, after which there was a
general handshaking.
Many will be curious to know
something of the appearance of
the Kansas woman. She is about
go years of age, and stout in
build. Her face is broad, her eyes
dark. but not fierce, and her large
mouth, when open. and it generally
is, displays set of teeth so white and
even as to arouse a suspicion as to
their commences. Her voice IS
not rasping nor high keyed, but
rather pleasant to hear. In fact there
is nothing about her to indicate a ner-
yous and aighty temperament. Her
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