The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-27
MRS. NATION HEARD.
She Delivers Lecture to 5000
People at Memphis.

Memphis, Tenn, Oct 26.-Carrie Ma
ton as a lecturer has smashed all rec
ords in the matter of gathering an audi
ence. This celebrate individual slipped
into Memphis yesterday morning and
went to a boarding house at rs Court
street, where she remained in seclusion
until noon yesterday.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon Mrs Ma
tons presence was not known to hun
dred people, and yet. at o'clock last
night, fully 5000 people were Scrambling
over each other in front of the Tennes-
see club to hear what the saloon smash
er had to say. North Court street was
literally packed, and the crowd extend
ed far back into the park. 1t was an
excited but good-natured throng, and
outside of a number of boys who were
inclined to interrupt the speaker there
was but little bad conduct on the part
of those present.
Previous to her appearance upon the
square, Mrs. Nation, followed by the
crowd, proceeded to the saloon of Mart
jerome, at Second and Jefferson streets
She walked into the building and care
fully surveyed the surroundings. Some
anticipated another Ratchet crusade, but
the Sood-natured looking old lady sim
ply walked up TO the counter and when
was the proprietor. To this inquiry she
received an affirmative reply.
We'll, sir she said, you are too re-
spectacle a looking man to be in such
business. You look like you are honest
and fair minded Why don't you en-
gage in something else?" Without wait
ing for a reply she glanced around the
room and said to Mr.. Jerome that she
was glad to see that his place was con-
Quoted in orderly manner, although
she was sorry to see him in the saloon
business. She then walked out and pro-
ceeded to the Tennessee club, where she
mounted the front steps and proceeded
to talk.
The speaker first removed her cloak
and hat and placed them with some
books she was carrying on the steps be-
side her. She then turned to the I'M
mense crowd which had eongregated
and began to speak.
Il am not here to do any smashing"
she said, but am here to wage war
upon the places of death, the saloons.
In Kansas we had these places of death
and l am told that you have over 500
Of these hell holes in Memphis. You
hear much about the trusts. The great
est trust in the world is the brewers
and distillers' trust. The government
is in this trust and both of the old po
litical parties are in the trust also.
will give anyone IS who will tell me
any difference between THESE two par
ties. Both are in the combine The
only party which fights the saloon is the
Prohibition party. 1t is the only party
that declares against the saloon You
can't find a word in the platforms. OF
either the Republican or Democratic
parties against the saloon.
For over twenty years we have had
prohibition in Kansas, and every man
who sells liquor there is a criminal
Any man who sells LIQUOR is a criminal.
The saloons drug and rob the people.
They drug the head of the family and
rob the little children. You citizens pay
for them. Your children go cold and
hungry because of them"
At this point in her address some
boys who were near her puffed some
cigarette smoke in her face, and she
snatched one of the cigarettes out of a
boys hand with the admonition not to
smoke that filthy thing in her face
The youngster persisted in smoking and
she told him to quit; that he had rooms
to rent in the upper story, and that the
devil would make him smoke very short
ly if he didn't quit smoking cigarettes
Continuing her remarks, she said she
went to Jail to keep people out of he'll
and that the saloon was yearly hurry
ing thousands into fire and birthstone
Some one in the audience asked the
speaker where her Ratchet was. She re-
piled, Il will show you,'' and, bending
down TO the steps beneath her. pulled up
an old Bible. and turning to the crowd
said that the Bible was her Ratchet
now; that she had quit smashing saloons
and was striking at the heart of the
The remainder of the address was dis
connected The speaker was repeating
something she had already said, when a
man in the crowd wanted to know whore
her husband was.
Il have no husbandr' she cried. Il
did what a lot of other women should
do. He got trifling and no account and 1
got a divorce from him"
This remark caught the crowd and the
speaker was applauded quite generously
In concluding she said she knew there
were a lot of old drunkards in the crowd
and that she was not trying to save the
old hogs as much as she was the young
pigs, and that she hoped everybody would
join her in her fight for the little children
At the conclusion of the address Scrgts
Cole and Saint of the police department
asked Mrs Nation to come through the
Tennessee club, but she declined to do so
saying that she wouldn't go in there-that
it had a bar. She then walked off to her
boarding house, escorted by the policemen.
and at the end of the journey she was
again called upon by the crowd for
speech. In Difference to the wishes of
her friends (she always referred to the
crowd her friends) she said she would
say that she was glad to have such \
cordial welcome and would say good
night.
After Mrs. Nation entered the house the
doors were closed and the crowd dis
persed