The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-08
MRS. NATION IN THE HOUSE
Tells Representatives to Their Faces
They Fail in Their Duty.

4644S 1eopE6SSnGb4VSS TO L4S1E r FACES
They Fail in Their Duty
An attack of nervous jumps seemed to
strike the house Of Representatives when
Mrs Nation made her entree late Thurs
day afternoon. The wise Solons had put
in hard day at law-naking, and highly
nervous organisms were at an exalted
tension.
Mrs Nation entered through the
cloak-roOm at the southeast corner of
the hall She had not taken six PAGES
into the room till the murmur Of recog-
milton Travelled all through the body of
200 people at the desks and along the
walls Her nephew, James Nation, q.
serious-featured young man. who rep
resentS NeoshO county, dropped the gavel
which he had been welding while pre-
siding over the house in committee Of
the whole. Before his ulustrious aunt
had been ushered half way up the hall
he was out of the speakers chair and
down the steps on the 1ar side OF the
rostrum. He Immediately. recovered his
eQuanimity and passed through the
rear hail, through the document room,
and cut upon the floor again to where
Mrs Nation had been given seat
Nephew Nation greeted Aunt Carrie
with a smile and warm handclasp and
a. pleasant exchange OF ordinary HOW
I've dos"
The buzz Of startled excitement con-
tinued all over the house
Let's adjourn" was heard
mo, noi'
A
measured tone. and he broke repeatedly.
He was drOning over a fish bill. It took
three valiant attempts to say fish
hatcheries-'' First he got it fitch hash
cry and then hash fisheries"
AS Mrs. Nation made no hostile dem
Onstrations the representatives settled
back in their seats They We're in no
disposition to adjourn now, and voted
emphaticaIly down one such motion
offered. Representative Richardson,
chairman of the temperance committee,
offered the motion to hear Mrs Nation
speak for ten minutes. Every page
shouted second the motion and con-
sent was voted although there was a
chorus of noes from the ones who want
ed to adjourn. These boilers Mrs. Ma
tion went after the first thing
IT heard those noes, she said, and
7 wondered why. Have offended youE
Why do you object when / only pro-
pose to declare to you my position?
Don't Won know I'm the best friend
you've goti And don't I know that those
noes come from the LIQUOR traf1c2 But
they are decidedly in the minority
thank Godi
Il presume some Of you patronize the
drug store out here on the corner
was told the legislators met there did
20 and found several of them- met q
good many and would have met more II
they hadn't found out I was there"
Her remarks were roundly applauded.
Then she began intimating that the leg
islators had not done their duty, and
hence her crusade.
Don't force women to leave their
homes and do what you ought to do.
Legalizing the sale Of liquor is a con-
spiracy against the constitution of the
United States and a conspiracy against
our families. License Tnurderers. license
mad-dogs, license thieves-but not the
murder shops out On the street.
II want you to fix the law 50 as TO
compel witnesses to testify.
Men you haven't done your duty
I'd never been driven out of my home if
YOU had You have a weapon-your
vote You won't give me that vote, 50
I had to take a rock And I've done
more with my rock than you with your
vote"
Mrs. Nation called on. those who had
voted against her speaking to stand up.
one intoxicated old man, who had wan
dered ansteadily in from one Of the very
dram shops she was lecturing against,
stood up until pulled down by the mem
Der in the next seat. He was a visitor
not a member of the house, and was
elected by the sergeant-at-arms after
ward.
The house adjourned after Mrs, Ma
tfon finished talking. She shook hands
with all that crowded around her. ana
gave each Of the pages q. motherly kiss
before going.