The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-10-29
MRS, LEASES STORY.
She Takes Of Democrats in Out
RACES in Georgia and Other
Southern States.
Free Speech Denied in Dixie
HOwling MObs Break Up
Public Meetings.
sNoE an Honest Election in the
South for Years. is Her I'm
qualified Statement.

Mrs. Mary u. Lease, the Kansas
women who has, during the present
political campaign. become such a
conspicuous figure, owing to her
courageous attitude and her mastery
manner with which she has been
doing campaign work in the interest
Of the neople's party, passed through
st. Louis recently on her way to
Terra Haute to join Gen. and Mrs.
Weaver, She was at the Union depot
awaiting change of trains for two
dent was fortunate enough to see hep
and talk with her. Mrs. Lease is a
women of remarkable strength of
character. and the first characteris-
tic that strikes one on being presented
to her is her indomitable will and
apparent determination to ogo through
with anything she undertakes to do.
She is a cautious and careful women,
almost to the degree of being
suspicious, but once convinced that
she is to be fairly treated, or that the
person with whom she is in converse
tion is as honest of purpose as herself,
her manner becomes as frank and free
as that of child-almost to the
extent of becoming confiding.
Mrs. Lease has but recently
returned from the south, having just
taken brief rest of two days at her
home in Wichita, Kan, endeavoring
in some degree to recover from the
effects of the ordeal through which
she passed in the southern states-an
ordeal which, from her own state
ments, must have been terrible
indeed.
When first approached she was
% Mt n 70
she said the southern press had
treated both her and Gen. Weaver
withsuch unfairness and the southern
cores rondents had sent broadcast
such untruthful reports of her doings
and sayings that she had come al
most to dread newspaper man.
She said there we're many things she
would like to see printed in the great
cause of truth and justice, but she
was especially anxious to be convinced
that what she said would be printed
just as she said. While in this hesi-
1ating state of mind he was asked if
Senator PETER had spoken truthfully
when he declared that Gen. Weaver
was a coward and hurriedly left the
south because he was afraid to face
the righteous indignation of the
people.
This question served as a match to
kindle the flame of the lady's wrath.
Her indignation we'll nigh got the
better OF her caution, but not
sufficiently so as for one minute to
cloud the clearness of thought or in
the least impede the quickness of
perception that are her most notice
able mental characteristics.
"Now she said with emphasis. "He
did not speak truthfully, and he
knows it. Gen. Weaver is not a
coward; fear did not drive him out of
the south. He is courageous man;
tween whom and the skulking pol
troon PETER there can be no COM
parison."
This answer served as an opening,
and the correspondent was en-
boldened to seek further information
concerning this remarkable wOman's
experience in the south. In order to
lead up to the desired object the
question was asked:
"Mrs. Lease, under what circum-
stances did you enter upou the cam
paign work in the south: were you
employed by the peoples party to go
with Gen. Weaver"
81 was" she replied. about July
q l received Instructions from our
chairman to cancel all previous dates
and be prepared to accompany Gen.
Weaverand party during the cam
paign. These instructions were fol-
lowed by others from headquarters
and / obeyed."
Mrs. Lease here seemed suddenly to
arouse to the fact that she had a
striking story to tell, and by her man
ner evinced a willingness to tell it.
So the correspondent ventured a
further question:
did you or Gen. Weaver, in your
public addresses or private conversa-
tion, or by your action or conduct,
say or do anything calculated to
arouse antagOnism?'
"MOst emphatically, no..
Mrs. Lease arose from her seat and
took a few steps up and down the
room in manner that in a weaker
women would be called nervousness,
but in her it was the evidence of
agitation, born of her realizing sense
of the wrongs inflicted upon her.
AS she pronounced the word "NOr'
she paused and drew herself up to her
height, almost six feet, and squarely
faced the questioner, There was
honest indignation in her voice and
in her every action, and it blazed
from her eyes in look that burned
like living fire as she raised her
clinched fist and closed her firm mouth
with snap.
''Did anything on your part IN any
way Justify the discourteous treat
ment accorded you?"
mo, sir: we both spoke in the be-
lief that all true reform must come
from the higher impulses of the
heart. We appealed to their sense
Of Justice, their love of home, and the
fraternity that should prevail among
all men. Gen. Weaver, particularly,
always spoke with such christian
kindness that it moved many to tears.
think it would be impossible for
him to speak harshly to orof anyone
1.-THE reports sent from various
places in the south have been some
what contradictory. Are not some if
not all of these reports eXaggerated?'
''Indeed they are not. On the con-
trary, all the reports sent out or
nrintnd in the southern nanerS were