Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-24
THE WooDHULL AND THE PRESIDENCY.

| tOrla WOOdnull, VINO is gO0Q enough 10
express her continued willingness to be
president of the United States. Years
ago the gallant Victoria offered her
services to the people in that line, and
they were insensate enough to pre-
fer Grant. Probably inspired by disgust
at such lack of appreciation-feeling
that it was useless to scatter pearls
before swine-the knightly Woodruff
shook the dust of degenerate America
from her shoes and hied herself to Lon
don. There she got herself married for
| the second or third time, AN estrangement
having sprung up between herself and
Col. Blood, of happy memory. In her
case Blood proved to be about as thin as
water, and some happy John Bull is now
the pendant to the Woodhull's kite. OF
him the American people know little
and care less. They of course have eyes
only for the splendid luminary of which
he is only the obscure satellite. About
the same time Tennie G. Clafin, who
was won't to play seeress, and to tell for
tunes from cards, also forsook the
country of her birth and got herself
married into one of the most aristo-
cratic families of Scotland-no less a
family indeed, than that of the Camp.
bells of Argyle. We do not recall the
exact affinity which she now bears to
the queens daughter, the Princess
Louise, but it is either sister-in-law or
something of that kind.
But Tennie is scarcely worthy of men
ton when it comes to her sister the
Woodruff, who, in her way, is as COM
manding creature as Zenobia of old.
She could out talk and out write Zeno-
bia, and has no doubt kept her several
husbands in as absolute subjection as
did that famous queen OF Palmyra. The
announcement of Nictoria's candidacy
will doubtless "fiutter the Volsces" in
the regions where Elizabeth Cady Stan
ton and Susan B. Anthony hold their
camps. She has flung down the gaunt-
let to Belva Lockwood herself. In fact,
in genuine manliness, "Vicky" lays
over the redoubtsble Harrison, and
would not be obliged to iall back on any
grandfather to exc out her claims upon
public attention.
She came over to New York about
year ago, when Inspector Byrne was un-
gallant enough to try to make it warm
.or her, with the result that the Wood
hull instituted any number OF libel suits.
What has become OF them we do not
know. 1t is enough to know that the
great presidential aspirant is again upon
her native heath. She returns unse-
duced by the glamour OF royalty. Her
eagle eye never quailed under the blind
ing sun OF despotism. The effete mon
arches OF Europe could neither cajole
nor intimidate her. She is ready again
to take up the role OF an American citi-
zen, and to accept the highest honors OF
the republic, and all this notwithstand-
ing the fact that she is debarred of the
privilege of voting.
The Woodhull's return evokes great
many most interesting memories. It
was she who set in motion the Tiiton-
Beecher scandal, through the agency OF
Woodruff & Clahin's Weekly. She was
unquestionably the direct cause of that
remarkable development. Itc scarcely
be said that she was impelled by malice.
She undoubtedly thought that Beecher
was a clerical imposter, and desired to
lash him into dropping the sacerdotal
cloak. Herself a pronounced advo-
cate of the most advanced doc
trines of free love, there was
nothing in the relations which she
believed to exist between Beecher
and Mrs. Tilton to shock her in the
slightest degree. Her great hope was
to compel Beecher to join her own
select circle of free-lovers. Speaking OF
him in one of the issues of her weekly
journal she once said: "Mr. Beecher is
$50 constituted as to require the caresses
"of many beautiful and exquisite
"women to bring him to the high Ge-
"velopment nature intended him to
"attain." This was very Sybaritish
picture, and it undoubtedly represented
her ideal of human nature.
What a curious thing it is that these
women have been able to 60 over to one
of the most exclusive and aristocratic
countries in the world, and force their
way into the very circle of royalty it.
self. This they have done, although
they have probably failed of any recog-
nized social status. The Woodruff re-
turns wealthy, and with no whit of her
old assurance diminished. There is no
| lowering of front in her pretensions.
Notoriety she will have at any cost, and
she is the first to issue cartel OF
defiance to the occupant of the White
House, who is dreaming OF third term.
If pluck counts for anything Victoria
ought to rank high. She may not be
president, but she is huckleberry
above the persimmon of an ordinary
woman with record like hers, and
who allows society to sit down upon
her. The Woodruff proposes to vary
the game by sitting down on society.
| If any one can do it che can.
THE statement that Mr.. Pulitzer, the
proprietor of the New York World, has
offered the managing editor of the Chi
| cooo HaraId &1On OOO vaor for 6vo