Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-04
ONE YEAR OF woMAN's RULE.
What the Feminine Mayor and Council
OF Oskaloosa Have Accomplished.

patch from that down 10 the Chicago Ty-i5,u,,
some days before the election will be read viii
interest:
"A year ago this pretty little prairie hamlet
set the country agog by inaagurating petit.
coat municipal government Such a thing haC
never been dreamed of except by few som
old maids who, failing TO catch a husband. triec
TO complete the wretcbedness of their eNistenc,
by forcing their sex into trousers. That the
Ideas OF these spInsters would ever take a s,,ri
Gus form did not occur to any one until the
legislature OF Kansas apparently made itself
laughing stock by passing a bal that gave e
women the right not only 10 vote but TO hole
MUNICIPAL offices as well. and Oskaloosa sim.
ply gave the world a forcible INTERPRETATION
OF the suffrage act by eiecting a female MAYOR
and council entirely composed OF women
AS soon as they were elected. without anN
flourish of trumpets, the mayor and counci.
began their official duties. That they have
discharged them without fear or favor is clearly
manifested in the fact that they have mad.
enemies as well as friends. Many obstacles
confronted them in the beginning. the most
perplexing of which was that the town was in
debt and there was only eighty-five cents in the
treasury. Another obstacle was that the mar
shal would not enforce the ordinances. but that
was overcome when Mayor Loman promptly
removed him and appointed Z man upon whom
she could rely.
Then began such crusade as never before
had been known. 1t was found that the ordi.
nance relating to Sunday closing was not OBJ
served. Out went an order to the marshal 20
arrest any merchant who was caught selling
goods Sunday. The hotels. livery stables and
barber shops alone were permitted to remain
open, and druggists were allowed 10 sell medi-
clnes. The sale of cigars and tobacco SUNDAY
was entirely prohibited. The proprietor of a
bakery and ice-cream saloon asked permission
TO keep open. but II was refused. Conse-
quently the Sabbath is now rigidly observed in
Oskaloosa.
Then the mayor and council turned their at
tentlon TO bad BOYS. For years the Young
toughs of the place had been allowed To loaf
about the streets at night and they had cut up
all sorts OF capers, such moving signs from
one place to another and rolling grindstOnes
from In front of hardware stores to private res
licences. proclamation was issued com
manding all boys under eighteen years of age
to be of the streets at s o'clock in the evening
under penalty of arrest. Since then one cam
not ind a boy after that hour with a search
warrant. The ladies were greatly exercised over
THE SUBJECT OF TOBACCO CHEWING,
and looked carefully through the statutes for
an ordinance that could be used 10 stop men
from squirting tobacco juice on the sidewalks.
They failed to find one. but some Of me ladies
were of the opinion that the ordinance relating
nuisance. They asked the city attorney what
he thought about il. and he told them that to-
bacco chewing was personal liberty and be-
yond the reach of municipal legislation. The
ladies' were somewhat disappointed. but did the
next best thing they could and that was to
personally request every tobacco chewor i'm
town not to eNpectorate on the sidewalks This
had just as much, if not more. effect than an
ordinance would, for the men are SO respectful
of the wishes of their female guardians that
he fat
and now lady may fearlessly sweep her skirts
over the sidewalks without any danger Of hay-
ing them stained with filthy nicotine. Some OF
the men have sworn of chewing. Although
some OF the merchants were disposed at first to
be trlfe ugly when the MAYOR and council be-
gan enforcing the Sunday observance law. they
soon cooled down, and it was not until the
ladies passed
AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO HORSES
that any decided opposition was met On one
corner of the public square. and nearly oppo-
site the ofhce-window of Mayor Loman. there
stands big, red barn. This barn is owned by
A. J. Buck, proprietor of the jefferson hotel
and owner of the finest breeding stallion in the
county. One night an ordinance was intro
duced IN the council prohibiting stations from
being kept within the corporate limits under a
penalty of a fine of $50. The ordinance was
unanimously carried. 1t produced a sensa-
ton, and for the first time during their eXecu-
tive career the ladies were roundly criticised.
MIR. Buck was in a rage. Procuring an attorney.
he filed bill in the district court for an iniunc-
ton. and at the same time presented petition
signed by nearly all OF the prominent business
men asking that the council rCscind their ac-
ton. The night that the petition was brought
IN the council chamber was filed 10 overflow
ing and Mr.. Bucks attorney made an oral ar
gument against the enforcement of the ordi-
nance. Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Balsley an
swered him, and the logical and determined
manner in which they overwhelmed every
point of the lawyers argument won for them a
wide degree of admiration. Finding the women
obdurate, the lawyer went before the district
court and was again defeated. Judge Crozier
deciding the case in favor of the women The
written opinion of the judge is a novelty in the
way of Judicial literature, but il cannot be re-
produced In the columns of newspaper.
THE LADIES ALSO MET WITH BITTER oPPosTrIoS
on the part of a few citizens while making
necessary sidewalk improvements. For ten
years little or nothing had been done in the
way of sidewalk repairs. but the women went
to work with a WILL and to-day there is scarcely
bad sidewalk in the town. NJ. l.. Critchfield
a rich merchant, fought them vigorously. He
owned an entire block in the heart of the town
and the council demanded that he place "A side
walk IN front of il. He refused. They warned
him that unless he complied at once they
would construct the walk and compel him 10
pay for it. Still he refused, and the plucky
little women got force OF carpenters and
themselves personally superintendent the work.
The walk is down, but Critchfeld has not vet
paid, and he declares that he won't. In order
to get the best of the women, he has sold TO
his son ten-inch strip of the block running
from one end TO the other and AUDITING the
sidewalk. Adjoining and running parallel with
this strip he sold an eighteen-inch strip TO his
wife, his intention being to force the council
TO pay for the walk themselves, as they will be
unable to collect payment by assessing the
property. The ladies are not in the least dis
concerted, and say that the battle will be fought
in court
THE RESULT OF THESE CONTROVERSIES
is that Critchfeld and Buck have organized an
opposition, and are now laying their plans 10
prevent the women from being reelected this
spring. That they viii again suffer humilia-
ting defeat almost goes without saying. for the
women have already opened their campaign,
and, as they have a large majority of the citi-
zens with them, they feel confident Of victory.
Two members of the council, however, will not
be candidates. Mrs. Hamilton, for domestic
reasons will not be able TO attend 20 public
affairs and Mrs. johnson, being daughter OF
Mr.. Critchfeld, has already practically severed
of the fight between the council and her father.
ID. H. Kline, wife Of a merchant, and Mrs w.
II. Hudleston. wife of the president Of the State
bank of Oskaloosa, both Of whom have already
consented 10 become candidates"
Judge Butler, in Philadelphia YESTERDAY.
made an order in the case of Thomas Barton.
Who In wanted in England TO answer charged on