The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-10
PErrrCoAr GOVERNMENT.
The Experiment at Oskaloosa, Kan, Proves
Highly Successful.

PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
The Experiment at Oska1oosa, Kan, Proves
Highly Successful.
Letter in New York Herald.
Oskaloosa's government fell into loose
| and incompetent hands, and a long line or
mayors and councilmen who came into
| Office developed nothing but aldermanlc
stomaehs and propensity to travel on t fhee
| they could hear the boom rushing past
+! OskalOosa on the wings of the frollcsome
Kansas wind, borne to Wichita and other
on the western horizon of Jefferson county
| and threatened to take the cOunty-seat
| away from Oskaloosa.
This was the danger signal which led the
people of the place TO rise in their might"
drop all party divisions, disregard all ira
ditions and precedent and nominate,
| woman for Mayor and five women for the
Council. The ladies chosen for these inn
| portant positions were: For Mayor, Mrs;
Mary. d. Soroman, and for the Council
Mrs. Hanah A. Morse Mrs. Sarah E. Balls
| ley, Mrs. Emma Hamilton, Mrs. Carrie l..
Johnston and Mrs. Minnie Golden. These
| together constituted the reform" ticket,
of Oskaloosa united. The consent IF
all the ladies nominated was a
yyndd condition Sn Nas no dG
hard to get. They proved themselves to be
anything but novices in the art of politics
| by declaring themselves lin the hands of
their friends" and announcing patriotic
willingness to sacrifice their own comfort
and yield their inclination for retirement to
the public good.
The average majority in favor of the
| woman's reform ticket was only between
sixty and seventy, The night following
brass band with which every Kansas town
is afflicted, and also developed a taste of the
oratorical quality of the newly-elected leg
islators. Two or three good speeches met
the serenaders at the homes OF the elect,
| and it was at once realized that If nothing
had been gained in the way of a boom
nothing had been lost in the way OF elo-
The railroad company sent in its passes
to the newly-elected officers soon after the
| election but they were returned, in every
case, with the information that the Mayor
and Council of Oskaloosa would pay their
way when they travelled. 1t was not long
before the company was notified that 1t
must reduce the rate of speed of its trains
in the city limits of Oskaloosa to conform
to the statutes and ordinancesin such cases
made and provided. The trains now run
more carefully through Oskaloosa than
through Atchison, Topeka or any of the
larger cities along the line where women
are not in positionsO of authority. and where
railroad officials exchange passes for value
received.
Although Kansas is a prohibition State,
and Oskaloosa, perforce, prohibition
1 III, Il
noses to be seen about the streets, worn
mostly by that species of Western set
tier denominated as prominent citizens. 1t
was in an effort to discover the paint with
which they are colored that the reform gov
eminent took the only false step of its his
tory thus far in beginning an investigation
with a view to the conviction of the Oska-
loosa druggists who sell whisky i'm allo-
pathic doses for medicinal uses. The re-
formers were met with the statute making
it the duty of the States officers to pros
ecute such cases. They were brought to a
standstill, but as one of them expressed it
session of the Council, they protested
against being denied the right to perform
the duty which some one else was neglect
ing.
The red noses remain, but the ''1y by
night" shows and all entertainments of
the broad variety can save money by leav-
ing Oskaloosa off their trip lists. The
moneys derived from show licenses have
heretofore contributed largely to the annu-
al municipal revenue, but under the exclu-
sion policy now pursued the receipts from
this source have been decreasing at such a
rate that, but for the strict economy gov
erning all expenditures there would be a
deficit at the end of the fiscal year.
If Anthony COmstock would move to Os-
kaloosa they would build him monument.
His views of art and nature find general
while they do not stipulate that the ele-
plant. in the visiting circus shall wear
buckskin pants. have gone to
an e extreme almost bSs led equally e iuSs
amusing as well as the most embarrassing
of their official experiences. BY an Ordi-
nance in line with the lofty moral policy
which has animated all their acts they
blooded breeding stock for advertising
purposes. This action was contested and
resisted in the courts by. a syndicate of
stOek-raisers, who combined their interests
Ma <t,<
last term of the Jefferson county Circuit
Court, in session at OskalOosa. 1t drew the
largest audience ever seen in courtroom
in that part of the State. The case in
and both the city. and the contestants were
well represented by counsel. After a long
trial and able arguments the case went to
h me ctat wh nnc Hd DECISION iaxI,
to legislate against a. acts opposed to pub
lie decency and morals.
This victory for the women has raised
them and the their methods OF government
also strengthened their purpose and in
creased their confidence in their legal
powers. They have inaugurated what, for
0skaloosa: is an EXTENSIVE system of public
walks and the grading. and macadamizing
of streets. A part of the work has been al
public expense, but that entailed by the
building of sidewalks has been assessed as
The legality of the Councils acts has been
contested by many, Of the wealthy and in.
fluential citizens Of the place, and a mum
Der of these cases will be called for trial al
the next term of the Circuit Court. Mean
| while the Oskaloosa government is pushing
the work of improvement rapidly forward
in this and other directions and congratu
lates itself that it is bringing about the
| visible signs and tokens of the long-prom.
Used and IOng-expected boom.
Not one half of the term for which the
woman government was chosen is yet ex
pired. Their administration, so far as il
| has progressed, has been eminently safe il
financial way, the wives and mothers
who compose the governing elements car
rying into their public relation the same
, care and caution which animates them in
holding the family purse strings and keep
ing the children out of the sugar bowl anG
| preserve jars. Texas will not increase il
| proportion with the visible improvement
: and advance in real values, and this fac
dawning on the perception of the averag,
OskaloOsan, will cause him to sink all pre-
, judice below the high water level of his
pocket and float with the tide. sPetticoa
government would be handsomely in
dorsed if there was an election at Oska
loOsa just now.
The regular meetings of the Council ar,
marked by dignity and decorum too Otter
3 lacking i'm the public boards of create