The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-29
THE WOMEN OF KANSAS.
fHErR fARr IN PoEITTcs-HoW RI
BEGAN AND WHAT IT BAs COME TO.

se.e or ths L-ssers-A Culinary Stroke
Mrs.. Leases rroeiserce-Mr. and Mr>.
Gs.p>r G. C~tenens-Air- ..d
TOPEKA. Jan. 26-The women OF Kansas
have not yet attained any great degree Of dis
tinetiou In the realm OF science or the VIC rid Of
letters. but when it comes to running n farm
or engineering the affairs OF a political party
thcy may Justly lay claim to one OF James
most elaborate wreaths- The circumstance
and incidents attending the organization OF
the Kansas Legislature within the past ten
days have fully demonstrated the capacity and
skill Of the Kansas female In facing the prob
lem Of civil government and in doing the
plain and ornamental neediework necessary
to keep the ship OF State in her proper course
despite the Guardian houiders SO freely dis
tributed by designing politicians
Since the Inauguration OF the State officers
elected by the Peoples party. or Popuiist
party. as Il Is now generally known. the Popu-
list women have exercised supreme control in
shaping policies aud debating leaders Their
influence in this direction has been potent for
the past two years. 1t MAY be said that the
whole farmers movement which has brought
about SO many political changes in the West.
had its origin at . picnio-in fact. nearly all
tho troubles that have afflicted the human
family can be traced back to y ricaic.
The organization OF the Farmers Alliance
in this stnte would not have been possible
without the sympathy and assistance OF the
farmers wives aud daughters aud the school,
mistress OF the prairie. nor could its success
at the polls have been secured without their
earnest encouragement and support. The
Kansas farmer's better half Is in many In
stances his better three-iourths. and his pres
ent supremacy In politics Is due to her intelli-
gent judgment and unwavering devotion moro
than to AM other cause
A dozen representative Kansas women who
have assembled In Topeka from various local.
tiles OF the State are to-day e~xerting more in.
fiuence on the members of the Legislature
than q hund led county central committees or
a thousand enthusiastic campaign clubs. The
apron has supplanted the campaign banner.
and the light OF a fair face has taken the place
OF the dripping torch. Even the flambeau club
has doused its luriI glare. and the manufac-
turers Of transparencies have long since passed
into voluntary liquidation. For the time be-
ing the women OF Kansas are monopollzing
all the attention aud practically rule the roost.
1t must not be understood that all the wo-
men are Populists. although n majority OF
them are undoubtedly OF that faith. Many OF
the most prominent ones are found in tine
other parties. Mrs. Mary Humphrey Of juno
ton City. one o. the literary notables OF the
State. is q Democrat. and Mrs. Frank I. Lynch
OF L~eavenworth edits n Democratic daily news
paper. She was recently mad a member OF
the Democratic state Editorial Association.
and BY unanimous vote was adopted as tho
daughter OF the association" She is also
the daughter OF Gen. Charles ". Blair. MEM
Der OF the National Democratic COMMITTEES for
Kansas. ald Is to be Postmistress at Leaven-
worth when Cleveland gets on his feet again.
Mrs Laura VI. Johns. President o. the Kan
sas Equal Suffrage Association. is a Repub-
lican. Mrs 7. ]. smith OF Mcpherson can
vassed the State last November In the interest
Of the Republican ticket Mrs Eugenia F. ST.
John OF Salina. Mrs Amanda C. Wait n. Lin
coln. Miss Ella Brown Of .Holton. Miss Amanda
OF Topeka are prominent in the ranxs Of tho
straight Prohibition party.
in the halls Of the s' iesisist 9t IL ifi me ss sye !Ns
m most sSn.pie1a p isIre Is Mr. Mary Lease
Der. where she can confer with her adnerents
and at the same time observe the proceedings
den wall which separates the contenIing fac
tons Mra Lease r. the Maria who petamhu u
t Tssm aa.s S "a dsod sa ~ and ns aas..ss me no g: .iIs
Other PoRnlist ladies in atsepdanee IRE Mrs.
Anna AM - + ID PirT e.. ?. hnwrenee. Mr;; rs : ncLali,n:
Mrs. !. W. Pack. who edits u paper called the
Pdrmrr's BJs: Mrs G. c. Ciemens, vito of
msn1 asSens Il d2 lssss. 1 ns,s. Ml sei f. b 1. w,,n
ling. VIII. Of tho Populist Governor. is u fire.
-I11ents visitor, accompanied oy the wives OF
Is running to females. It may be stated that
Gov. dwellings, family consists Of four
thus Srincins the State in touch With the
national Administration
During the proseedinGs q the opening day
the legally Constituted House. The PSpultst
atives. and encouraged rhem TO resist all
oyerturss in the direction Of u recouciliation
list hSe sp aSp,nuu snd his hiss sS'a the Re %sSf az s0pa,
each faction was fearful OF losing some ad.
vantage by adIournins. ths first session con-
on Wednesday. with two Speakers struggling
for the mastery Oh the rostrum. two clerks
rolls. and two sets OF members , ana e1 To
conduct n Legislature in the same room.
a a.. session sssS or Of ,ac iTsn.'-'i i5r hours Se. with;
rather gloomy. outlook for the servants Of
the reocis. but it was here that the domestic
were applied 10 overcoming the emergency
and re.ieving. the public distress. They i'm
Committee rso@s. Procured a ra "a Hfe OF sto Ins
and soon had an abundance Of food prepared.
consisting II hot coffee. bread. cold ham. cake.
populi:t members with admirable discrimina-
ton. AHepuhIican ventnred iato the dining
Republicans The assistant. Postmaster II
tho Republican House. who asked for a sand.
witch. was told by one OF the women in charge
that 4 he would wait until no one was
biscuit for him as she was unwilling
to carry -partisanship to an. unrnaritable eS-
trem-: Blankets. quilts. and pillows were als,
provided by the ladies'. and altogether the
Pouuiisss were placed In . very com~fortabie
situation compared with that Of their unfor-
tuna'eo opponents. who Were not rsveiling in
the ,ll1ndishments Of the fair sex. The Re-
puniicans contenfet themselves with clear
cOnscienres and empty stomachs. relieved Dy
an occasional Application Of peanuts and pop
corn dispensed by small boys devoid nf roliti.
cal bias. The situation WAS facetiously hit on
by n Populist vocalist. who contributed an
original sing with this chorus:
Glory, g.orv. amt II funny:
THEY'VE lost Ih-ir cIpiiiAtes and money.
While We eat bue WHEAT eAkes and houey.
Upon another occasion. when the three DEM
ocratic members identified themselves with
the Republican House. Mr.. Lease exrlaim-d:
That's. good! that's good! We don't want
you. and we are glad yon are gone" She then
observed TO the kystand.rs that the Populists
bad Teen handieapI.I from: the hrst. ~ the
favor OF cutting loose from thsm." said she.
"and now that they have cut loose from
ps hope they viii remain away. We are
In shape now 10 run our own bust
ness, and we will whip both the old