Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-05
WHAT WOMEN CAN DO,
Mrs. Dlggs in Charge of the Kansas
Legislation.


The oficiaI Representative of the Al
lance Women--She Sets in the House
and Lobby and Commands the Mem
bers.
A Topeka special to the New York
World SAYS: Those who oppose woman
suffrage will find a field for profitable
study in Kansas. From the Farmers
Alliance and the present granger legis-
lature they can prove that women, once
clothed with authority, are tyrants, and
that the only salvation for the men is to
forever keep them in political bondage
One little woman, weight 1916, height
81 inches, runs the lower house of the
Kansas legislature. The story of how
this little woman, whose husbands
name is Diggs, and of how a large
woman of the name of Lease made
speeches all over the state until Senator
ingalls, found himself without de-
fender among the agriculturists has
been told in both poetry and prose. But
there was something nearer to the hearts
of these two women than the defeat OF
ingalls, and rebuke to the Republican
leaders. 1t was move to interest the
women in politics and pave the way for
female suffrage. 1t all came about so
naturally that the politicians wonder
why they did not see it sooner.
Now the women are running every
thing. Mrs. Annie Diggs is member
of the Alliance legislative committee,
She was appointed by the Alliance
caucus to advise the legislators, and she
speaks as one having authority. She
claims to represent the women in the
Alliance, and her word is law. 10 re-
fuse her request means social boycott.
She sits in the lobby and advises repre-
sentatives by note what to do and when
to do it. She prepared the bill which
confers on women the right to vote and
hold office. Although many of the
Alliance legislators opposed it, not one
dared to vote against it, and received
just as many votes as did Judge Pfetfer
for United States senator. She pre-
pared bill making it the duty of the
governor to appoint to women on every
state board of five persons charged with
the management of educational and
charitable institutions, and every ALI
ance legislator voted for it. The Alli-
ance legislators were inclined to favor Il
.resubmission of the prohibitory amend
,ment, but Mrs. Diggs, as representative
of the women in the Alliance, promptly
checkmated any such move.
The Republican Senate will be threat
ened with all kinds of disaster if it re-
fuses the demands of the women. Only
those who are acquainted with the man
ner in which the last campaign in this
state was conducted can appreciate the
power which the women of the STATE
exerted. They were far more radical il
their views than the men, and led rather
than followed in all political move
ments. The girls refused to recognize
their sweethearts unless they joined tht
reform movement, and the wives i'm
posed social boycott on the wives d
neighbors who did not help make thu
fight against the plutocrats. The mer
in the Alliance ranks recognized tina
their wives and daughters We're render
ing them valuable assistance and en-
couraged it. The women held meeting
and made all the arrangements for thu
picnics and political gatherings. The,
met by themselves and resolved that i
thewomen of the country had only bcel
permitted to have share in the govern
ment of the nation these things woult
not have come upon them. The womel
furnished the enthusiasm of the cam
paign They boycotted country mer
chants who refused to support Allianc
candidates and would not permit til
Republican country newspapers to com
into the house
As reward for all this service the
demanded a representation in Topek
and selected Mrs. Diggs. Mrs. Leas
was kept on the road as lecturer
While Mr.. Diggs is the only authorize
representative of the Alliance wome
she has any number of assistants. TIL
wives of the members fill the lobbit
and galleries. They are all politician
and take lively interest In legislatio
of all kinds. In Mr.. Diggs they hay
the greatest confidence and render an
assistance in their power. 1t Is a i,
markable fact that Notwithstanding ii
bitter feeling which the campaign hi
engendered the women who are worl
ing in this state for the removal of pol
teal disabilities from the women do m
let politics come in the way of success
In the senate Mrs. Laura Johns,
Atchison, is working, through Il
senator's wives, much after the way
Mrs. Diggs in the house. She is n
authorized to speak for the women
her party as is Mrs. Digs, and she do
not have as much personal infuenc
but for all that she is q successful 10
byist. In the last campaign Mrs. job
and Mrs. Diggs We're on opposite sid
Of the political fence, but they a
working in perfect harmony now
large majority Of the Republican lcadt
in this state are woman sutfragist i
cause it sounds progressive and is
line with the Kansas idea.
Mrs. Diggs will leave soon for Was
ington, where she will act as correspo
dent for the Alliance Ide3cdts of IL
city, and the NoncohJ0rDtsto Of White
Another woman will take her place
member of the legislative commits
and while her personal influence m
not be as great, her demands will be
coded to. At Washington Mrs. Dig
will have the united support Of the Al
ance senator and five Alliance congre
men from this state in booming /
woman's suffrage IDEAS
Judge Pfetfer, in his speech to /
house after his election, stated that
millennium would never come liz
women are placed on complete soc
equality with men. Like all the A
ance leaders he has found it impossi
to 70 counter to the wishes OF
women, who in reality give the party
strength before the people.