Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-11-04
Petticoat Government
Threatened.
MARIETTA L. STOW.
Candidate for the Vice. Presidency.

Public opinion is not ripe for the
constitutional change which would
admit of females filling the Office of
and Vice-P President. Mrs.
Belva A. Lockwood, Of Washington,
Mrs. Marietta L. Stow, of San Fran
;iscO, the candidate for these posi-
tiQn, cannot fill them if, by any pos
sibility, elected. Their nominations
must be considered, therefore, as
protests against masculine tyranny |
and as the means of making the
country acquainted, in a degree, with
what it loses by dcpriving itself of
he public services of the lOvelier and
indisputably wiser half of creation.
That one of the strong-minded
sisterhool who believes she ought to
be Vicc-Presidcnt Of the United States
Mrs. Marietta l.. Stow, was born at
Webster Monroe county, New York,
about fifty years ago. Her parents
were poor and made drudge of her
when she ought to have been in an
infant class. IL would be no won
,ler at all to find that the adult wO-
man loves domestic work even less
than tho most progressive of her Sex
seeing that she had 10 cook, keep
house, sew, knit, iron, spin, weave
a ID perform all other possibilities of
domestic labor, when but a tiny child.
At fifteen she began to teach school
at Webster for one dollar week,
having acquired tho necessary schol-
arship Notwithstanding all the de-
pr.vations of her early life. AT the
aye of nineteen she married Il. Il.
Bell, who lived only four years after
the wedding-day. Their infant son
died before his mother was left a Wild
ow. When this happened the be-
reaved young woman removed to
New York City, and became lecturer
fJr all ASSOCIATION formed for the pro-
lection of shop girls. She prospered
in this vocation, made many friends
and when the call came for females
to take care of wounded soldiers, re-
sponded aflirmatively, as her financial
independence gave her the ability.
During the war and subsequently
she is said to have collected fifty
thousand dollars for fund to found
national home and school for desti-
tute daughters of soldiers. j. w.
Stow, her treasurer in this matter,
became her second husband. lie died
in San Francisco, the city of his resi-
dence, while his wife was absent in
Europe. Upon her return to the city
which is still her residence, Mrs. Stow
gave two years of study to the Pro.
bate Law of the State of California
She published two books OH this in
tcresting subject, and sold them OIL
lecturing tours lasting four years
from . the time Of their publication
In the year 1880, Mrs. Stow was 6
candidate for School Director in Sal
Francisco. She was defeated, butt
ceived a good many votes from wo
men, who, she claims, did not neglec
their domestic duties in promoting
her political aspirations.
In February, 1881, occurred an even
which gives Mrs. Stow distinction
only less than that she now enjoys
The Street Department, having or
dered her TO pave the street in from
of her residence, she refused on tn
| ground that it did not need paving
When, subsequently,, the Department
proceeded to do the work and charg
her for it, she defied them. The con
sequence was, as she describes il
cher house was broken open by tire
armed policemen and she was finally
dragged down stairs and put in cal
riagc, taken to the city prison, an
thrust into a felon's cell, robbed @
$6.l0, and kept in the undergroun,
pit of stencil and dirt until NOR. ing.
She sued for 100000 damages, bu
the Judge refused to let the case g
to the jury, and costs in $j2 were ad
ded to the $6.l0 she had already lost
"Does not this alone, asks Mrs. Stow
"call in thunder tones for equa
rights?" Her book, ga NightBehin
the Bars" owes its existence to thi
disagreeable experience, which mai
: urally enough, increased its subject
appetite for agitation. Since the
she has worked with pen and voit
against what she regards to be abuse
( In politics, in dress and diet, and oil
er matters. Speaking ofthcse effort
she says of them that her "persister
war of pen aud speech has caused til
ick-spittle press of the city franti
; alarm, butno dam is strong enoug
to dam her onward march,"
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