The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-05
FOR PEACE OR WAR?
Mrs. Lease Talks on the Coxey At
fair at Washington
TO A BIG AUDIENCE LAST NIGHT
Which Filled Representative HAN I'm
spite OF the RaIn-She Takes Glenn
ems to Task for HIS Fire Breathing
Language.

The large crowd assembled in Repre-
sentative hall last night came through
rain and mud to hear the female Demos
themes of Kansas talk blood and thun.
der and in this they were disappointed.
! She was just as virile (speaking ad-
visedly). just metaphorical as ever,
but her aame-tipped tongue laid upon
the shoulders of the men the blame of
the Coxey movement and she invoked
the aid of the women to call the white
robed angel of peace once more upon
earth. She made a woman suffrage
speech and SO it may be said that Mrs.
Lease took the opportunity to open the
campaign for woman suffrage.
Captain e. S. Hunter of the home guards
called the meeting to order after his
guards had marched in with General
Artz in the van carrying a large flag.
They distributed themselves about the
platform. d. l. Furbeck was elected
chairman and calls were made for speak
ers. 1t was noticeable fact that not a
single state officer was present and for
some time no one could be found to open
the meeting, but General Artz was called
upon and responded.
He said: I'VE now send men to con-
gress to deliver our petitions in person
and they are dubbed at the capitol steps
and arrested for exercising the
rights of American citizens
thing that Coxev has done
to provoke arrest. Nothing will be done
with COxey. They simply want to crush
out this movement of the common peO-
pie, but it can't be DONE" While the
speaker was reading the story of a
CHASTITY murder and suicide, caused by
starvation, Mrs. Lease entered the hall,
and his voice was drowned in storm of
applause. He held the audience long
enough to say that the time had come for
the people to speak in tones of thunder,
if necessary, against oppression and tyr
amy.
The chairman introduced Mrs Lease
as ''the daughter of Kansas" She
showed the effect of long siege on the
platform and was paler than usual.
An Appalling Spectacle
ssThe year 1884, she said, '-is still in
its infancy, but it has already given to
US the most appalling spectacle the world
has ever known. We are in the midst
of revolution. peaceable as yet, but God
knows how long it may remain SO. This
movement is world wide; everywhere
there is discomfort and dissatisfaction.
Preparations going on now which
will change the entire map of Europe.
They are preparing for the greatest war
ever known, when, with new and cheap
instruments of destruction, the whole
country will be desolated and crowns
will crumble in the dust We hear the
cry of cO,OOO,0O0 people in India, whom
the Daseness of England has robbed of
their legitimate mOney-sllver. The cry
of distress is going up from all nations
and here in this land of plenty we hear
the cry of starving mothers and helpless
children.
"Ihere was a time when to be an
American was greater than a king, and
now we see an American citizen COM
PEELED to take from the hand of idleness
a little corn meal and soup bone. We
see a mighty army of unemployed
marching to Washington to ask the
people who have robbed them for 20
years for help. The Coxey movement
has been compared to that of Peter the
Hermit, when he led his forces to rescue
the tomb of Christ from the hands of the
Saracen. but this is higher, holier move
ment where relief is asked for millions
of starving human beings. Peter failed
in his mission and the tomb is still in the
hands of the enemies-the Saracens-but
with this army there is no such word as
fail"
She said that the present condition of
things was brought about by epublican
misruIe. II do not wish to defend Grover
Cleveland, however," she continued, "the
great smoke extinguisher of the nine
teenth century-the agent of British
gold"
The speaker then reached the subject
of woman suffrage. She said: I'VE have
never had a government of the people.
We have had only a male oligarchy-
You have tied woman's hands and now
you have the car of progress side-tracked
and are calling loudly for help, and God
knows you need it. You ask what wo-
men know about the tariff? Well, they
know as much about 1t as good many
men. They are not all like that woman
who said in reply to a questiOn-'W hat
do l know about the tariff? Why know
all about it; haven't all my family been
down with it, That is the way it is with
the American people-they are down
with the tariff
Mrs. Lease then said that there was no
longer any difference between the Re-
publican and Democratic parties. "They
used to be divided on the whisky ques-
ton. but they are together on that"
She talked about the preparations for
war by federal and state authority: why
even at the good old Methodist college
of Baker down here they are training
soldiers and educating the boys in arms.
If there is class of people who are a
living lie it is these same
preachers, who are advocating militia
tactics in our public schools. You are
telling the people how to die, but we
want you to tell US how to live, and we
can die without any trouble You are
praying, Thy kingdom come, thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven for 364
days and the other day you go and vote
for living hell on earth.
Not Petitions But Votes.
81 would beg of you men of the indus
trial army. to cease petiti0ning and vote.
We don't want any bloodshed, and the
man who orders out the militia will
be branded for ages to come.
If you can't right the wrongs without
shedding of blood for Gods sake go home
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