The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-11-09
GOVERNED BY WOMEN.
Views of a Woman Who Has Visited
City Presided Over by Women.

81 have been to Oskaloosa to 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 office-holding,
and when l heard the result of the cleo
ton in OskaloOsa last spring, l was
rather sorry. Though l 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 an idea of the work
they have done in their official capa-
city, l could wish that more of our cit
les, and many other enterprises hitherto
controlled by men alone. could be
'Oskaloosified, to use the word coined
by Rev. Joseph Cook.
''1n the carriage which took me to
the residence of the mayor, Mrs. Mary
-. Lowman, were two gentlemen, an
editor resident in this county, and one
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 l have heard. How does
it work?' 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
81 had an opportunity of attending a
meeting of the council. where l 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 Ia
bic, 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 of
their city in a very creditable manner;
and that their government has in it the
element of strength, think no citizen
OF Oskaloosa will deny. Shortly after
their election, they undertook to abate
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 of
the owner of the business, and at
meeting Of the council, petition was
presented bearing sixty-two names of
citizens praying for a reconsideration
of their action. About seventy male
citizens filed into the room to listen
to the hearing. Here, certainly,
was test of strength of nerve,
and determination to stand firm
to conviction of duty in the face
of strong opposition. But these women
were equal to it. They had been sure
they were right before they went into
the matter, and they were not to be
moved. Compliment was resorted to.
and the women declare that this argu-
ment was very 'meltin';' it is generally
supposed to be an invincible weapon
when used for the conquest Of women.
The argument of policy was brought
into requisition; the women were as
sured that it was we'll to submit to the
presence of an undesirable establish
ment, even though it had a debasing in
fluence on the minds of the young, and
outraged the sense of decency and pro-
priety, rather than to lose the trade
which might thereby come to the city.
But in the women's minds right was
right. and no considerations of expedi-
ency could make them depart from the
path of duty. and they adhered to their
decision. Then the opposition under
took to get a restraining injunction
served upon the council, on the plea
that their action was illegal. and that
they had transcribed their powers in
taking it; but the injunction was not
granted. Judge Crozier sustained the
action of the council.
These ladies are among the most
able and highly respected women in the
city.
1.-The result Of my observations and
inquiries is the conclusion that women
are able to govern a city as well as a
household, and that the city's moral
interests will be better cared for in
their hands. while its material interests
will not suffer. But notwithstanding
the fact that the Oskaloosa experiment
Is success, believe that the true
principle is that city government should
be administered by women and men to-
gether. "-Laura N. Johns, in Woman's
Journal
THE proportion Of good women to
bad ones is 80 overwhelming. the pro-
portion OF native to foreign-bOrn wo-
men is so much larger than that Of ma
tive to foreign-born men, that Ameri-
can laws and customs can be best main
tanned, as 1 earnestly believe. by maxi
ing womanhood a direct factor in the
problem Of government in this land.
where the side always wins that has