The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-17
MRS. LEASE IN TOWN
The "Mary Yellin" Of DOggerel
Verse on a HOOsier Campaign.
Suffrage This Fall-Her Row
with the Governor.

Mrs Mary ELLEN Lease, of national
fame, and incidentally of Kansas, is in the
city. She arrived last evening, and will
begin a stumping tour in the interest Of
the Populist party at Franklin to-day. Ten
meetings have been arranged, and the cam
paign will last two weeks. She is at the
Bates House Mrs. Lease, about whom so
much has been written during the past
year, is a tall, rather plain, dark-haired
woman with unusually pale face, which
gives some evidence of the intelligence
and force that have contributed largely
toward making her a central figure in Kan
sas politics. Her sombre black dress and
dark hair, as yet untinged with gray, lend
an additional pallor to a face devoid of
color. She has a suspicion of the conven-
tional bangs but does not appear to
foster them to any extent. Her forehead is
high and she wears a silver comb. Mrs.
Lease talks like u woman thoroughly de-
voted to the cause she has espoused. name
ly, that of the Populist party and woman
suffrage. She is graceful in speech and
manner. and in conversation with a Joural
reporter last evening said she anticipated
great results from their meetings in this
State during the coming two weeks.
81 shall return to Kansas May L. she
said, Ito take an active part in the work
preliminary TO the Populist State conven-
ton, which WILL think, be held in June.
The politicians want a late convention and
the people want an early one, and the lat
ter, you know, are apt to have their way
about it. You see we vote on the woman's
suffrage amendment to the Constitution
next fall, and / want TO see that there
is plank in the Populist platform favor
States Sta a Tef are could put in my time
to advantage from now until cleo
t tGn day yv IS outside 90 fSs peopa Of nv oWa
State, and / will remain there, for 1t IS
most important election to us. Everything
Cleyeland's blundering administration and
the do-nothing policy of the Democratic
Congress, together with the pure adminis-
tratiOn of the PopuliStS in Kansas Will all
be large factors in the approaching success
of our party in that, and, believe, other
States. 1 feel that only one thing can de-
feat us, and that is fusion with the Dem
ocrats This some of the Popuist politicians
who will never look beyond to-day are try
ing to bring about, and If they succeed 1t
means defeat"
How are you getting along with the
Governor" was asked.
1.-The effect of his failure to fire me from
the State Board of Charities" replied Mrs.
Lease, laughingly, has been marked so far
as his treatment of my friends is concerned.
Why he appoints them to office without
even my solicitation. and, apparently, can
not do enough to show that he appreciates
the victory / won. He found L was pretty
firmly 1ntrencneQ, ana mas now taken an
other tack. A meeting of that board May
l will necessitate my return to Topeka in
two weeks"
Mrs. Lease thinks Indianapolis a beau
tiful city. She was here last fall during
Populist meeting. Last evening she heard
Mr.. Woolley talk at Tomlinson Hail. and,
in speaking of the liquor question, said ii
was one thing in politics that didn't bother
them in Kansas. why, many of our farm
ers out there" said she, haven't seen
whisky for so long that they wouldn't
know it from cold tea" She referred with
a laugh to the notoriety given her by the
story concerning her alleged knowledge of
Masonry and said that every man she
knew wearing a Knight Templar charm
grip when he shook hands with her Mrs.
Lease remarked thai she had thought she
was aggressive until she met and knew
Helen Cougar, since which time she had
come to the conclusion that she possessed
a great deal of Christian forbearance and
fort