The Topeka state journal., 1903-01-16
MRS. NATION TO M'FARLAND
She Defends Her Position With Refer
ence to Joints.
Mrs. Nation has sent the State Jour
nal the following open letter to Dr.. Nc
Farl3nd:

Mrs Nation has sent the State Jour
nal the following open letter to Dr.. Nc
Farland:
In Prison, Topeka. Jan. 1e. 1903.
Dear DR.. Mcfarland: L have read
your editorial in the State Journal and
am grateful to read So much whole
some truth, which was in keeping with
your chivaIry in defending an sold Wo-
neighbOr has suffered just such injustice
in every case I have ever had, every
time tried before just such officials, put
into Office by the votes of parties who
have become the foe to liberty and the
friend to anarchy. Judge Magaw was
put in office to do exactly what he is
doing, could do no better maybe, for
corrupt tree caffOts bring forth good
fruit. When you asserted your protest
at the trial I thought Thank God man
hood is not dead yet" There Is nothing
in the character of man or woman that
is more admiral bic than chivalry. 1 be-
lieve the impulse is Godgiven for it is
Godlike. The Bible says, Blessed is the
man who sWeaf&th to his own hurt
and changeth not" This is what swelled
the heart of Abraham when he pursued
the five kings bringing back Lot and
his family, receiving the great bless
ing of Melchizedek. This is what made
Moses strike the Egyptian on the banks
of the Nile 1t moved Debora, the
prophecies of Israel, to lead the battle
against Jabin's army The holy passion
moved the youthful David to slay the
giant of Gath The three Hebrews,
Shadrach, Meshach and AbednegO,
dared to say TO the tyrant, We are not
careful to answer thee and we will not
bow down to thy golden image" John
the Baptist, who at that absolute and
dissOlute court said, Tt is not lawful for
thee to have her" It is that that made
BrutuS say, I love honor more than
I fear DEATH Others as well as myself
will ever admire and thank you for your
protest against injustice and daring to
do right. Doctor, 1 know you admire
Bible characters. What do you thing
of Gideon who slew his fathers bullock,
smashed the altar of Baal and cut down
his grOVe2 That altar. grove and calf
did not belong to Gideon In what did
this policy of violence" differ from
mine? Only in this. Gideon did destroy
some property; I did not, for nuisance
is never property. You speak of my
policy of violence" which you opposed
If you oppose mine you would GideOn'S s.
But you say God told Gideon to do that
God told me to do it also Moses puT-
sued a policy of violence" when he
chopped up the golden calf. There was
much gold and many jewels. beside the
property did not belong to Moses. Can
you Justify him in such 4 policy of
violence" Then why condemn me?
What would be your criticism of Jae1,
the wife of Eeber2 She took hammer
and drove an iron spike through the
head of Sisera, the captain Of Jabin's $
army. God said of her, Blessed shall
Jael the wife of Heber, be; blessed shall
she be above women in the tent
Would you condemn this woman whom
God blessed2 You will not dare to do
that, and I can say in this world and in
the one to come in the presence of my
father and the holy angels that the
same impulse and direction which led
these holy characters to do these deeds
of violence led me to destroy an evil
greater than all these put together. You
said you prevented many extreme
things from being done" al the time I
started on a crusade in Topeka. Yes.
you did, and that which you prevented
from being done may be the very reason
we have the condition of things in To-
peka now. Had you not rather have my
/ policy Of violence" against wrong than
/ the present policy of violence" against
right? An ounce of preventive is
worth pound of cure" Diseases dan
/ gerous grown, by dangerous remedies
are relieved"
/ Dear Doctor, you closed with a gener-
+ Gus exhOrtatiOn which hope may bring
forth the fruit thereof, when you said
/ If we do not like Mrs. Nations method
of dealing with the joints, we would
better take the matter incur own hands.
Until we are ready to do that we would
I better hold our peace"
May it be said Of you, lrst IN peace,
+ first in war" VIII close with sincere re-
gard. Your grateful Home Defender,
] NATION