The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-11-28
CONTEMPORARY COMMENT.

Carrie A. Nations Day in Washington.
When Carrie A. Nation, your loving
home defender" was fined $25 in a
Washington police court for making
nuisance of herself at the capitol, she
produced roll of bills. such as she
would have cached in a stocking or hid
under a mattress in the old days in
Kansas, and paid the fine with a smile
Of satisfaction. The District of Column
bia was a little richer, but for Carrie
A. Nation it was a shrewd investment.
What a strenuous and successful day it
had been! She had called at the White
House to make a scene in the presiden-
tial sanctum sanctorum and had been
admitted to see the fiustered Loeb, who
turned her over to policeman after she
had lectured four Democratic represent
tatives and two Republican represta-
tiyes who happened to be in his office ON
the evils of intemperance. The guard
ian of the peace handled the lady gin
gerly, for she had already obtained
enough free advertising. Besides, she
yearned for, nnartyrdom in the White
House precincts. 81 have been arrested
nineteen times" she cried: "but that's
all right. don't object to being
punished for doing right. I'm ordered
out, am I? Well, reckon I can stay
in the fresh air, can't T. 1t would have
been in poor taste to crafty her, and
she at last found herself on the broad
pavement outside. But the day was
young yet, and visit to Washington
was an event to be exploited.
+ AI,r
Letting the senate as the most likely
arena for notoriety. 1t is a small, deli
berate body, composed mainly Of elder
ly men who do not like a scene and are
staid and meditatiye. Taking con-
spicuous place in the gallery, the saloon
smasher leaned over the rail and In a
voice of penetrating shrillness she pro-
claimed to the grave and reverend
seigneurs below that saloons are
anarchy, treason and conspiracy" The
favorite tipple in the restaurant is tea,
although milk is also in favor. Many of
the senators do not know what a.
I"highball'' is, and only a few Southern
members have clear notion of a mint
Ijulep. The senators could not suppress
anarchy, treason and conspiracy as de-
| fined by Mrs Nation if they would.
One of the capitol policemen led Mrs.
Nation to the guard room. She was
ready to go, for she had done her turn
and the manager in Baltimore would be
delighted. There would be a crowd
ed house that night, or there ought to
be-. There was one thing to give her
pause though-she might be detained in
durance vile and miss the show. Hence
her relief was unmistakable when the
police magistrate onlr imposed a fine,
| 1t was cheap at the money.
| In any other country "the loving
home defender would have been ar
rested as disorderly person as soon as
she appeared at the entrance to the
White House grounds, for her modus
! operandi is now an old story. But we
are. not people who take eccentrics
/ and comics seriously. We are also
tolerant toward humbugs and self
advertisers if they are amusing. Our
sense of humor is strongly developed
and our good nature chronic, so that we
! put up with nuisances that other people
would abate peremptorily. With this
, tolerance goes shrewd idea that If the
freakish are let alone they will take
themselves off after while. The least
said the soonest mended-the easiest
way is to endure and smile. We rather
! expect to have our tolerance capitalized,
but seldom furnish dividends. The
saloon smasher was asked in Baltimore
whether her theatrical production was
a success and she replied in the mega
tive, but said that she hoped it would
| be-NeW York Sun.