The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-11
LIGHT TURNED ON BY MRS.
LEASE.

A Constitution man interview Mrs.
Lease in Atlanta a few days ago. She
talks to the point and has plenty of
grit.
What will be the outcome of it all?n
We'll, unless there are reforms by
means of the ballot, there will be
~blOOdshed. Greed never has been viii
ling to give up one dollar of its ill-gOt-
ten gains, and it is not certain that re-
forms can be brought about by peace
full methodist
But is there not this difference be,
tween the status in France and the
status here-that the 250, 600 who own
all the wealth are in the minority, and
of the 60, 00O, 900, 10, zoo, 600 have votes;
while in France the people had no
voice.
Yes, we have here the alternative
of the ballot or the bullet. In France
they had no alternative but the bullet
or the bayOnet. But I do not see how
much can be done through the ballot
unless it is reformed by the Australian
system"
Mrs. Leases eyes flashed Indignantly
as she said:
"What good will the blllOt do when
m~illiOnairGS can vote hOrdeS of Italians?
They say it is the shotgun down here.
Up there it is intimidation by employ
erS. You vote this way or give up
your job Votes are bought in every
part Of the country. In Oklahoma the
negroes passed through room. receiv-
ing a sack of meal, a piece of bacon
and a bag Of beans on me side, and
were given a Republican ticket on the
other side. You remember there was
hS1Hran Of = IN nnn loft Of tho ANNA
priatiOn of Congress for the JOhnstOwn
sufferers, and by resolution it was
given to the distressed people of Okla
hOma. Instead OF giving 1t to all the
distressed people. white and black, the
Republicans used all of it to get negro
votes in the election, and not 4 dollar
of it was given to white people. |
was a witness of that transaction, and
after we got through in Kansas | went
down there. and we didn't leave them
a single county office. Notwithstanding
the negro votes. | held a large meet
ing in kingfisher county just before
the election. 1t was IN a Methodist
church, and the house was packed.
Men sat in the windows, and there
were many women in the church.
Suddenly the floor sank two feet, and
there was an awful panic. Men were
leaping on benches, shrieking in fright
and as white as they viii ever be in
death. But for my self control, 1t
would have been terrible in a moment
more. With my powerful voice | sue
Ceeded in catching their attention and
allaying their fears. | told them there
was do danger. and that it was nothing
but a Republican trick to break up the
meeting. At the moment | honestly
thought it was. We had had attempts
to break up meetings in kanS Is.
They tried to have me arrested as a
rebel i]nterlOper from North Carolina.
When | got the attention of the crowd
| asked the men to stand still until the
women and children could get out.
They did so. and when the women We're
out | told the men to pass out quietly,
but ID 60 quickly, as there was d nine
foot cellar underneath. and there might
be some danger, | don't know how /
controlled myself. was awfuliy
scared. for could see the walls sag in
when the floor sank.
The people went out Of there be
lieving it was actually a Republican
trick. and men who had been life long
Republicans left the party and voted
with us. It looked like the Lord was
on Our side. They say that all is fair
in love and war, and that WAS very
much like war. | afterwards went
back to see if there mad been any at
tempt to cut the mder-pinning, but
became satisfied that there was not
"Were you from North CarOlina?"
NO, l am from the old country; I
am of ScOtch-Irish descent. My father
and brother were in the Union army.
My brother lies in Virginia and my
father sleeps in AndersOnviIle. When
they started the North Carolina story
these facts came out. and that is the
way l came to be called Joan of Arc.
The Union veterans took it up and
gave us thousands of votes. They stood
in long lines to shake my hand"