Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-11-15
GOVERNED BY WON EN-.
Views Of Woman Who Has Visited q
City Presided Over by Women.

1OvEnNEO D VoW CN,
Views Of Woman who Has Visited a
City Presided Over by Women.
"I have been to Oskatdosa te look
with my own eyes upon the women Who
Dare to hold the reins of city govern
ment | have been much In the habit
OF saying that hoped women would
generally refrain from ofiicssh5laing.
and when ! heard the result of the eleel
tion in Oskaloosa last spring, ! was
rather sorry. Though felt and was
glad that it showed the general trend
toward widening the circle of woman's
activities, did not look upon the cleo
ton Of women to these Offices as wise
move; but since having seen these wo-
men, and gained AIN idea of the work
they have done in their official capa~
city, I could wish that more of our cit
les, and many other enterprises hitherto
controlled by men alone, could be
'Oskaloosifed,' to use the word coined
by Rev. Joseph Cook.
''In the carriage which took me to
the residence of the mayor, Mrs. Mary
d. Lowman, were two gentlemen, an
editor resident in this county, and one
of the county commissioners. Without
knowing me or my official position or
my mission in Oskaloosa, one of these
gentlemen remarked that the mayor
and council of Oskaloosa were women.
/ replied, so have heard. How does
it worke' Very WELL, replied both
gentlemen, The women have given
the city good government and plenty
of it. They have attended carefully to
all matters calling for their considera-
ton; they have greatly improved the
sidewalks and Streets
II had an opportunity of attending a
meeting of the council, where | met all
except two of the members, AS the la
dies took their seats and proceeded
with the business before them in mat
ter-of-fact, easy fashion, realized how
quietly, after all, great revolutions
actually take place, and how natural
and desirable these innovations seem
when we get face to face with Them
These women looked to me not one bit
out of their sphere, sitting about q te-
BILE, discussing the means of securing
better enforcement of the Sunday law,
and the advisability of building certain
sidewalks.
"When the election of these officials
were pending, gentleman Of the
city remarked: We'll if these women
! are elected, we shall be virtually with
out city government The women
have now been in Office nearly year,
and they have demonstrated their abil.
ity to administer the government ol
their city in very creditable manner
and that their government has in it the
element of strength, think no citizer
of Oskaloosa will deny. Shortly after
their election, they undertook to abatt
a nuisance from which the city had long
suffered. First they made an ordinance
covering the ground, and then they or
dered the removal of the nuisance
This order reused the indignation 0
the owner of the business, and at ,
meeting Of the council, petition wa
presented bearing sixty-two names o
citizens praying for reconsideration
of their action. About seventy mall
citizens filed into the room to listel
to the hearing Here, certainly
was a test OF strength of nerve
and determination to stand firm
to conviction of duty in the fac
of strong opposition. But these wome
were equal to it. They had been sur
they were right before they went int
!, the matter, and they were not to b
, moved. Compliment was resorted tc
and the women declare that this argr
ment was very 'meltin';' it is general
supposed to be an invincible weapo
when used for the conquest of womer
The argument of policy was brougf
into acquisitions; the women were a
, sured that it was well to submit to th
presence of an undesirable establish
ment, even though it had adebasing il
fiuence on the minds of the young, an
, outraged the sense of decency and pr,
!, priety, rather than to lose the trai
I which might thereby come to the cit,
But in the women's minds right WI
right, and no considerations of exped
ency could make them depart from Il
! path of duty, and they adhered to the
: decision. Then the opposition unde
: took to get restraining injunctit
I, served upon the council. on the pl
that their action was illegal, and tn
: they had transcribed their powers
!, taking it; but the injunction was Il
granted. Judge Crozier sustained {
action of the council.
: These ladies are among the mt
: able and highly respected women in I
: city.
q The result of my observations a
y inquiries is the conclusion that won
+ are able to govern a city as well a
: household. and that the eity's MOI
d interests will be better cared for
e tseir hands. while its material intere
; viii not suffer. But notwithstandi
9 the fact that the 0skaloosa experim'
: i q success, | believe that the y