The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-15
MRS. LEASE
IN NEW YORK.
Applause Which browns Out
Her Voice Many Times
Punctuates Her Speech at Coop
er Union.
A LARGE AUDIEN CE
Listen to Her Address Which is
a Hot One.
New York MilliOnaires 'sROast-
ed'' BY Name.

While all the excitement was going
on in New York over Bryan, Kansas
was not unrepresented. Mary z.
Lease was there and she spoke to 2'ooO
people mostly men in Cooper union
We clip from the New York Press the
most rabid gold organ in the United
States, the following account Of her
speech:
Mrs. Mary E. Lease-she prefers to
be called Mary Elizabeth because 1t
helps her live down the name Of Mary
Yellin'-mouthed grandiloquent phras-
es in the interest of Bryan for two
hours and a half last night to an au-
dience which filed Cooper Union.
The audience was plainly one OF
workingmen, but it was plain, also,
that the followers of the professional
agitators were in the majority. Every
man present was willing to admit that
everything in the universe is wrong
and every other man was sure of it.
1t was splendid material for Mrs.
Lease to work upon and she moulded
it as she would. There were a few wo-
men present-some on the platform
but not many.
The audience had gathered on call
signed by seventy men, most of whom
belong to labor organizations, but each
that he did not represent his union in
the step he had taken. The Bryan and
Silver league had most to do with the
meeting. By agreement, neither the
name of Sewan nor that of Watson was
mentioned either in the resolutions or
speeches.
Mrs. Lease forged forward on the
platform after the audience had got
settled and was listening to Joseph R.
Buchanan. Her stage entrance was
we'll timed for theatrical effect. She
was cheered until mems voices gave
out. and then cheered more. She bowed
and smiled. That she was gratided was
apparent.
Her dark hair was done in a psyche
knot and fastened with tortoise shell
combs. Her only jewelry was a seal
ring worn on the third finger Of the
left hand. She had on a light gray
waist Of lightweight material figured
in four-pointed stars. Two ruff1es
trimmed with lace fell over her breast.
and from her throat fell mass of
white lace Her skirt was of plain
black silk fastened at the front with a
big black bow. The sleeves of her
waist were bouffant only to the elbow,
a style she had learned is proper only
since here arrival in New York.
Mrs. Lease was cheered for a long
while when she was introduced. She
stood straight, with shoulders thrown
back and an expression which might
have been one of exultation-
Mr.. Chairman and Friends" she
began, and her voice was low pitched,
but clear and strong. It penetrated
easily to the remotest corners. What
a vigorous, strong woman!" was the
thought which came to every mind,
and many recalled that at the Chicago
convention she gave to the reporters,
pv-1A
ish Tories of the PRESS her bust, waist
and other measurements, adding:
These, 1 want you to understand,
stand for the perfection of physical
womanhood."
Her face wore a smile when she said
that the greeting accorded her showed
that there was no Mason and DiXon's
line between the east and the west.
But it took on a cynical expression as
she went on, changing at times to one
of deepest scorn. Both face and voice
are suited to the agitator
The opening phrases upon which her
tongue dwelt with particular gusto,
were: This is a campaign of patriot
ism against patronage, of principle
against pelf,' and 1.-The ideals of Christ
could not live under the Roman dicta-
tor but they are alive today"
Early in her speech she used the
words, the grand principles of social
ISM There was tremendous cheering
at that and shouts for the Socialist La
Dor party. Other expressions brought
out cheers from the followers of Henry
George, showing that they were we'll
represented at the curiously mixed
meeting.
Mrs. Lease got in her fine work, and
the audience liked her best when she
told how awfully wrong everything is.
1.-The condition under which we are
living" she cried, standing on her tip
toes, lis the enigma of all ages, the
task of intellect, the test of religion.
1T is a condition under which eight
or ten men are the landlords of New
York while Gods poor are packed in
the slums. (Cheers.)
"A condition under which it is posi-
Bile for multi-millionaire by perjur-
ing his soul to escape the inheritance
tax on the vast fortune bequeathed him
by his father (Cheers.)
"A condition under which it is posi-
BILE for the daughter of q rat-trap ped
dler to pay two millions for an impoV-
erished French count, and at the con-
clusion of the bargain and sale-it
would be dissertation to call it mar
riage-to give wedding breakfast
costing $4,000, while 10000 persons in
New York had no breakfast at all
(Cheers).
"A condition that makes It possible
for the daughter of Vanderbilt to pay
ten millions for the caSt-off, WORKOUT,
disreputable rags of Old World royalty
and purchase for herself a scion of ar
istocracv which long has been tainted
with scandal. (Cheers.)
"A condition by which the wealth ac-
cumulated by the toll of the common
people is turned into oil tanks, and so
manipulated that you and pay Is cents
extra for every gallon of coal oil we
use, that a Rockefeller may build col
leges and a Whitney buy diamond tia
ras as wedding gifts. (Cheers and cries
of Give it to emu
The audience interrupted so often
with its cheering and eucourag ing re-
marks that Mrs. Lease saidr leaning