The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-25
In Efsminsts Kansas, Land Of the
Sunfower and Female
Supremacy.
Ono Woman, Weight 1O6, Height
Five Feet One, Dominates
the State.
b Rules. Self. WiIIsd snd AutocratIo ~
tho Gar. snd None May
stay Her.

JOFEkA, MAN., rOD. Z1.-IuOb VINO Op-
pore woman's suffrage will find q field for
profitable study In Kansas. From the
Farmers alliance and the present granger
legislature they can prove that women
orce clothed with authority Sys tyrsnts,
and that tbs only salvation for the men 10
70 forever keep them in political bondage.
One little woman, weight 105, height 81
inches, runs the lower house Of the Kansas
Legislature. The story of how this little
woman, whose husbands name il Diggs,
and . large woman by the name Of Lease,
made speeches all over the state until Sen
ator Ingalls, found himself without a de-
fender among the agriculturists, has been
told in both poetry and prose-. But there
was something nearer to the hearts of
these tYo women han the defeat of In
gals and rebuks to the republican
leaders. It was q move to interest the
women in politics and pave tho way to fe-
male suffrage. II all came about 80 nat
urally that the politicians now wonder why
they did not see IL sooner. Now the women
are running everything. Mrs. Annie Diggs
10 . member Of the alliance Legislative COM
mittee. She was appointed by the alliance
caucus to advise the legislators, and she
speaks as one having authority. She claims
70 IepIeeent bn0 women III ING BlbIduce "uu
her word 10 law. To refuse her request
means q subsection to a social boycott. She
sits in the lobby and advises representatives
by note what to do and when to do it. She
prepared the bill which confsrs on women
the right to vote and hold Office. Although
many Of the alliance legislators op.
against il, and It received just as
many votes as did Judge PETER for
United States senator. She prepared 4 bill
making it the duty OF the governor TO ap-
point two women on every state board Of five
educational or charitable institutions and
every alliance legislator voted for it. The
alliance Legislators were inclined to favor a
resubmjssion Of the prOhibitOry amend
ment. but Mrs. Diggs, as representative OF
the women In the alliance, promptly check
senate will be threatened with all kinds of
disaster il IL refuses the demands of the
women. Only those who are acquainted
with the manner in which the last cam
paign in this state was conducted can APP
preciate the owe which the women of
radical in their views than the meI, and
led rather than followed, in all political
movements. The girls refused to recognize
their sweethsarts unless they Joined heart
lily into the reform movement, and the
wives imposed q social boycott on the
WlVCb VI uCbkuOOIb VIM olo ~ hObR
the fight against the plutocrats. The men
In the alliance ranks recognized that their
wives and daughters wsre rendering them
valuable assistance and encouraged it. The
women held meetings and made all arrange
ments for the picnics and political gather
They met by themselves, and received
that il the women Of the country had only
been permitted to have q share in the gov
ernment Of the nation these things would
not have como upon them. The women
furnished the enthusiasm Of the campaign.
They boycotted country merchants who
refused to support alliance candidates. and
would not permit the republican country
newspapers TO come into the house. As q
reward for all this service they demanded
a representation in Topeka, and selected
road as a lecturer. While Mrs. Diggs is
the only authorized representative Of the
alliance women, shs has any number OF as
~sistants. The wives OF the members I'LL
the lobbiss and galleries. They are ali
politicians and take q lively interest in leg
islation Of all kinds. In Mrs. Diggs they
have the greatest confidence. and render
any assistance in their power. 1t is q re-
markabls fact that Notwithstanding the
bitter feeling which the campaign has II
geEdered, the women who are working in
this state for the removal OF the political
disabilities from the women do not let
politics come in the way Of success. In the
Mrs. Laura Johns, OF Atchison. IL
working. through the senator's wives. much
in tho same way that Mrs. Diggs Is in the
She 10 not authorized to speak for
the women of her party, as is Mrs. Digs.
and she does not have rs much personal in
but for all that she il a successful
In the last campaign Mrs. Johns
and Mrs. Diggs we're on opposite sides of
the political fence, but they are working in
harmony now. A large majority
Of the republican leaders in this state
are woD,an's s~ufTragists because it
progressive and is in line with the
Kansas idea. Mrs. Diggs will leave for
Washington on the latter part o February.
when she will act ~ correspondent OF the
Alliance Advocate Of this city and the Non
of Winfield. Another woman
will take her place as . member Of the leg
committee, and while her personal
may not be as great, herdemands
will be acceded to. At Washington Mrs.
DiRgs will have the united support OF the
senator and five alliance congress-
men from this state in booming her
womsn's suffrage ideas. Judge PETER, III
his speech to the house after his election,
stated that the millennium would never
until women were placed on . CON-
pletc social equality with men. Like all
Inc alliance leaders he has found il impos-
slble to go counter to the wishes OF the
women. Who in reality give the party its