The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-30
MRS. PoTTER's QUEER CAMPAIGN
She Wanted to be Mayor and Spent
$4,000, But Only Got % Votes.

Topeka Correspondent New York Times.
One of the most remarkable campaigns
made by any candidate for Office was that
by Mrs Anna Potter, who aspired to be
mayor of Kansas City, Kas. Mrs, Potter
expendedsfully $1,000 in the campaign and
received twenty-six votes. OF these five
were cast by women.
Mrs Potter is a peculiar woman,
wealthy and ignorant. Only the day be-
fore the election she appeared on the
main street of the city dressed in a calico
dress wearing brOgans manufactured for
the sterner sex and in her ears were dia-
mOnds costing over $1,000. But little
time before she had appeared on the street
wearing the same kind of dress and shoes,
in addition to which she had on a seal
skin cloak reaching almost to her feet,
while in her ears and on her fingers were
the inevitable diamonds estimated by a
ieweer to be worth over $1,000
1t is not only in dress that Mrs Potter
affects peCUliarities. Last year she com
pleted "A residence costing $4,000, in
which were forty rooms for the use of
herself, her husband and her child, for
she cannot endure the presence of com
mon people, and, therefore, was without
servants. Last fall her house burned
down. The only remark she made was:
Il never did like the plan of this house,
and now that it is gone will build one to
suit me-
Such was the woman who wanted to be
mayor of Kansas City. She did not care
especially for the honor, but the street
commissioner had graded down her side
walk two feet, an act that greatly dis
pleased her For this reason she de-
termined to make the race, be elected and
then appoint street commissioner who
would do her bidding. When she made
known her intentions there were plenty
of men who encouraged her to become an
Independent candidate. They all had
! influence, and were willing to assist her
for a consideration AS soon as it was
nOised abroad that her purse was opened.
the ward heelers focked to her residence
and rendered their services. Halls were
! rented, speeches were made, and all the
fuss of a regular campaign was INDUCED
in Whenever she appeared ON the streets
she was cheered by enthusiastic men-at
least they were apparently enthusiastic
and she always responded with smiles
and bows.
The morning of election came, when
Mrs. Potter distributed 10000 tickets al
though but 10000 voters had registered.
Dressed in silk and feathers she rode in a
magnificent turnout from precinct to pre-
clnct, giving directions to her lieutcnants,
her husband being her driver. That was
all; he was not permitted TO say a word
At noon, when questioned by reporter
she said she was 5000 ahead of any other
candidate, and was rapidly gaining Eff
teen thousand more tickets were ordered,
followed very soon by another order for
5000, which were distributed to her worA-
ers.
AS she appeared at the various pre-
cincts, followed by Juvenile A. can
band making execrable music, as well as
q white band not doing much better. she
was received with cheers. The women
and there were about 400 of them-only
looked at her and scowled, for a woman
can scowl when she goes into poll
tics. At one time the women feared
that Mrs. Potter was receiving all the
votes she claimed refusing to believe the
clerks of election who were watching
every voter They hurried out all their
carriages and soon were as busily engaged
in hauling up women voters as ever were
men in a close campaign.
When the end came and Mrs Potter
found that she had but 20 votes, she de-
clared that she had been counted out,
and signitied her intention to contest the
election She held a meeting in the city
hall, occupying the mayors chair, at
which she denounced the unholy alliance
between republican and democratic pre-
cinct officers, who had deliberately
changed the result by counting 5000 of her
votes for her opponents. Mrs. Potter's
experience of last week will probably
cause her to lose faith in both men and
women.