The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-08
WOULDN'T SMASH
Mrs. Nation Balks Her Band Of
Crusaders.
Refuses to Go With Them This
Morning.
A MAN STEPS IN:
Rev. 4. G. Rankin Wants Her
to Lecture.
Calls OF Topeka Joint Destrue-
tiOn Crusade.

Some Of the volunteer members "a
Mrs. Nations band of crusaders claim
that their leader has been induced 10
give up the smashing OF joints and tnat
the largest raid yet planned was NOT
pulled off as advertised
The defenders claim that at three
o'clock this morning they were to move
upon the joints. There was to be a large
party and before assistance coulo De
secured the joints were to be slllasiieo
IN a thorough manner The crusaoers >
claim that A. c. Rankin, Temperance
lecturer has induced Mrs. Nation TO
give up smashing and go to lecturing-
Mrs Nation is expected to speak ln
kansas CITY. Omaha, Sioux City, Des
Moines and Chicago and she re1useeA
raanv other offers The crusadSIS >
charged Mrs. Nation with losing her
courage. She denied IT. A meeting was
held Thursday afternoon. ABOUT Altesti
women and Mrs Nation were present
Mr. Rankin and several ministers ap-
peared and said that the raid should NOT
take place. The women ciallnea lnAt
Rankin had induced Mrs Nation 70 give
up the smashing in order that he might
derive benefit from the lectures shS
- FAR offers Of money have not de-
ferred Mrs. Nation from her determine
ton 10 remain in Kansas and work Tor
prohibition. Rankin is a temperance
orator who is paid for his services ana
the. crusaders claim that he is therefore
not a proper person to look a1ter mrs
Nation
DR. Eva Harding said this morning
that she did not hear anyone call MIS-
Nation a coward but that she told ner
that she WAS ashamed OF her for giving
up. While the band of women were
meeting with DR.. Harding messenger
brought them a dozen nickel plated
hatchets of the very finest and strong
rrfio 81
among the crusaders but before they
could be used Mrs. Nation had called of
the attack and the hatchets were no-
used DR.. Harding said that she did not
intend to do any joint smashing but
that she invited the crusaders to use her
Office as their fortress.
Mrs. Nation said when seen today. II
called the joint smashing business Off
last night because the Lord told me to-
If it had not been for DR. Mcfarland Of
the First Methodist we would have done
some smashing though. do not remem
Der what the women said but it was one
Of the finest crowds Of women ever
saw
1T was beautiful to see how ang1y
they were. Why, do you know they
wanted TO scratch my eyes and pull my
hair for not going out with them? 1t
was delicious half hour. I never was
so happy in my life. I would rather die
at the hands of these Indignant women
than from the saloonkeepers.
Mrs Nation laughed heartily. Then
she said:
7 don't lose anything by the indig-
nation Of these women but Kansas gains
a great deal When I first came here
had to do all the talking, but you know
last night had to stand back and lis
ten TO them scolding me. Why. ii was
the greatest surprise ever had. They
were mad clean mad all the way
through because Il would not help them
smash. That's turning the tables. isn't
it; don't blame them for calling me a
coward confess was almost a cow
ard when saw the Indignation of those
women Verify it was demonstrated
Aell hath no fury like a woman scorned- %
MRS Nation announced last night that
she would go to Kansas City today and
Immediately her band of followers all at
once volunteered to accompany her but
Mrs Nation kindly declined their SER
vices unless they would pay their own
expenses Mrs. Nation said she could
recruit plenty of women to follow her
wherever she went