The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-15
WANTED, A MAN.
The Male Portion OF Kiowa Chahng Under
NJ PottlCoat Rule.

The Male Portion OF Kiowa Chafng Under
Potticoat Rule.
KrowA, Kan. Dot. 14.--,The male popula-
ton of thia city has grown tired Of petit
coat rule, and every man in the place has
signed a petition calling on the lady mayor
to resign. Last spring the people OF this
city thought it would be a fine thing to fall
in line and advertise the place by olectlng .
woman for mayor. Mrs. Mary Il. Paxton.
wife of a prominent merchant, was selected
as the lady upon whom the nonor snonlo
fall. Mrs. Paxton said nothing when the
news was brought that her name had beer
placed on the ticket, but when it was told that
the "boys' we're having a deal of fun ovei
her name. her eyes snapped and her lips were
firmly sst, as she said they would havs
more fun than they bargained for before
they got through with her. Mrs. Paxton
was and la a prominent and active member
OF the Woman's Christian Temper
ance union, and when the news of
the fun the boys were having reached
her, she donned her bonnet and went. on a
still hunt. and called upon her fellow mem
bers to go to work. Th result was that
kiowa cast the heaviest vote in her history,
and Mrs. Paxton was elected by a big ma
jority. It was supposed, of course, that
she would resign, and the joke was consid-
cred the best Of the season. But Mrs, Pax.
VII saw uAuu II C@tp ~
her life had come, and she grasped it with
such ~tenacity that the jokers had a chill.
Mrs. Paxton lost no time. bat when the
night came for qualifying she was on hand
and took the oath with a determination
that bodied i'll for those who violated the
law. Kiowa is in the heart of q big cattle
country. and the trade Of the town is largely
dependent upon cRttlemen and cowboys.
The cattlemen and cowboys like whisky.
When Mrs. Paxton began her rule, her first
move was to start q war on every saloon IN
the city. She was vigorous, and when she
found that a constable or marshal WAS
prone to be slow in following her orders.
she would deputize another and go ahead.
Her vigorous war on Joints" at last be-
came SO obnoxious to the cattlemen that
their trade was detected and the merchants
began to complain of hard times. Mrs.
Paxton was implored to ''let up'' on the
crusade business or the town would be
ruined. But that was not what she was
there for. and she said she would break up
the whisky traffic if all the other trade of
the CITY went with it. She gave en- order
to smash all the barrels and bottles and
nail up the doors of the Joints" This
brought matters to a crisis. The merchants
got a lawyer, who found that Kiowa had no
ordinance prohibiting the sale of liquors.
Consequently the mayor had no right to
opinion was that the Joints went
to the opposite extreme, and now run
with their doors wide open, but the
business men. didn't stop there.
had had enough of petticoat
rule and then wanted a mayor who wore
trousers and wore them tucked in the tops
of his boots. SO they circulated a petition
calling upon Mrs. Paxton to resign, and in
a short time they had the signature of every
in own on it. Even Mrs. Paxton's
husband signed the paper, and his name
led all the rest. This document was pre-
sented to the mayor by a committee Of the
most courageous citizens. They called at
her Office in the annex to the kitchen of her
husbands home and laid the petition upon
the desk before her; then they fled. The
whole town is in open revolt, and the men
say they have had enough of woman's fool
ishness, and will run the place to suit them
selves hereafter. Mrs. Paxton says she will
not resign. Her husband has not been
depends so On him for Ae support, X is thoue 0ht
she will resign rather than stand the chances
of q divorce suit. 's,@ -a- s
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