Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-23
MRS. NATION.

Mrs. Nation, who Is rapidly achley.
ing national reputation by her Violent
anu-saloon crusade IN Wichita, Kansas,
appears TO have been engaged In that
kind Of warfare for a considerable time
According TO accounts. ten years ago
she started 10 make trouble for the
Kansas liquor sellers. and she has kept
It up ever since with more or less regu-
larlty. Sometimes the objects OF her
attack are the highly decorated sa-
looms. and at others the low dives.
When the battle-ground is selected she
generally notifies the proprietor ana or
ders him to close II this order is not
obeyed. she appears with her ammuni-
ton Of bricks and cobblestones and
opens fire,
Her first venture as a reformer was
AZ Medicine Lodge, where saloons were
running In full blast though without a
license She succeeded IN sending sew
eral liquor sellers TO the penitenuary,
but there were others against whom
sufficient evidence could not be OBJ
tanned. For the discontinue Of these
she took the law into her own HANDS
and wrecked the suspected places Of
business.
Recently Mrs. Nation decided that
Wichita needed reform. That city II
Is explained, is the home OF Gov Stan.
ley. who was elected on a platform con-
tanning a prohibition plank But the
saloons have been running openly. the
proprietors merely paying a monthly
fine Her first attack was made on a
swell resortwhere she managed 20 do
about s. 900 worth Of damage before she
was arrested. That she was not pros
ecuted was due to the fact that the
saloon-keeper was afraid of being TAX
en- up for illegal liquor selling.
What TO do with the Infatuated wo-
man was quite a problem. She re-
ceived hundreds Of letters from all
parts OF the country approving Of her
vandalism. Thus encouraged she vowed
TO continue her crusade as soon as she
was released Finally the authorities
auarantlned the San, pretending they
had case OF smallpox there and thus
| Tor time. the liquor sellers were safe.
Bnt she was eventually released, and
ON. Of her first acts was 20 wreck two
/ saloons. In this work she was assisted
ny other Temperance" women. With
the result That she was again arrested,
after o sensational fight with the ofi-
cors
/ Mrs Nation. It seems, Is between hfty
and sixty years old. Her first husband.
| it is said died Of drink. and that may
account Tor her bitter enmity toward
Il0uor sellers Her present husband Is
ssld 70 be a prosperous lawyer. who
takes no interest whatever IN the re-
| form movement
There can be no question that the evil
NJ drink Is q crying one nor that 81
calls for valiant efforts Of both men and
women 10 suppress IT, But Mrs Ma
lions tactics are unlawful and Of
I doubtful effect. She seems 70 have
I mllen into a somewhat common error
OF believing that demons can be cast
olt by the power oud authority % Reel
z,bub. the prince OF evil spirits. BY
this mode ot warfare she Will herself
connie 20 grief without rendering the
cause IN which she is engaged any per-
mancnt service
/ There is only one way whereby right
cousness can secure final victory over
unrghteousness. And that Is by con-
slant sowing Of the good seed in sea-
son and out OF season" Reproof. re-
buke and exhortatlon are legitimate
weapons in the war Tor virtue, but they
must be coupled with longsunerng and