The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-08

a.
tricks" in ordinary speech. She likes to
seem to be absolutely frank. bat is most
edroit in steering an interviewer away
from shoals where che may get grounded.
Her self-satssfaction approaches positive
vanity, to which, SO it seems 10 the casual
observer, the cause for which she battles
is subordinate and most delightful back
ground. Mrs. Lease is earnest absolutely
fearless, but uppermost In all her thoughts
and deeds seems to be Mrs. Lease, and
after that her cause All that has been
written of late about her excellent taste
for dress is true. Her tail, superb figure
is finely gowned- She carries her head
high. she strides rather than walks, and
she wears her gowns with an air OF de-
fiance to any critical eye, especially II
that eye belongs to hostile-minded wo-
man. Mrs. Lease Is almost statuesQue.
She certainly has what might be called
distinguished air. One can get char
acter glimpse of her. possibly, when she
says, as she did to me the other day:
81 don't know why the newspapers have
Just discovered that 1 dress well. / dress
as I have always tried to dress. There is
no change. 1t is nothing new. and drop
ping her voice to a natural, conversational
tone) don't mind telling you that can
wear a calico dress with just as much
grace as silk one"
There you have Mrs. Lease personally.
Mrs. Lease politically is practically new
factor this year. She is going TO talk for
Bryan and silver in a torrent OF words
from now until election day, and yet,
according to her own words, she takes
every little stock in this silver business"
That is because Mrs. Lease really believes
in fiat money, and she is determined to
make all creation believe in II. too.
I shall not give any formal interview
with her. That has been done time and
again by others. She talks just as AL
other free silver agitators talk. In the
manner of her talk she is different With
no intention of maaifesting even sus-
sestion of disrespect, can liken her best
and most truly to a Kansas cyclone rather
than to Joan of Arc. When she talks you
can no more stop her than you can one
of the western prairie wtnd-storms. When
she comes to a, stop of her own accord,
then YOU NAV begin to ask a question or
two but unless You are thoroughly we'll
grounded in details, you and your argu-
ment will be pulverized in puff. and the
wreekage will resemble that which is left
after a Kansas cyclone has dashed
through a settlement Gold followers be-
lieve that her theories would wreck the
country as a cyclone does a town.
But. be 1t known that when Mrs. Lease
talks she talks not only by the book, but
by several books. When she makes a
statement that needs backing she can
give, off-hand, the section, clause. para
graph, ana line OF the constitution; she
can quote by the paragraph from this or
that supreme court decision; she can re-
peat what this or that man said In the
United States senate thirty, forty, fifty
years ago; she can tell you what this or
that authority on money declared in one
year and also ten years before; she can
sheer at British ideas and make you feel
as e you had a sunstroke and were also
traitor as she tells you what a great
country this IS. and how ashamed you
ought to be that It is really not indepen-
dent of "any ration on EARTH" after all
that our forefathers fought, bled, and
damental and even correct notions about
the gold side of this money question-ail
that Is necessary for any ordinary and in
telligent man to have-you had better keep
away from Mrs Lease, for she VIII throw
you by q. simple twist of her thumb-or
perhaps I had better say twist of her
tongue. The more opposition you make,
the more she enjoys throwing you down.
She revels in a fight, and you understand
why when she says:
''Thank God. belong to a minority
party. so far as have a party. I have
always belonged to the minority party,
and, please God, always shall"
what are You going to do II silver wins
in this election?" you ask.
''Oh, I suppose shall turn IN and fight
the silverites so as to convert them to
ereenbackism."
Then Mrs Lease makes this surprising
statement, for one who is going TO speak
for silver and Bryan, after you have asked
Ter how she Is ever going to get six hum
dred mfIl,on dollars IN silver coined IN
mints OF United capacity for many years
after the gold to that amount has been
driven out of calculations:
Really, I don't take much stock in this
silver business. At the most it can bring
only a little relief. 1t may increase the
per canita circulation two dollars and
half. but that will amount to little. What
we want Is greenbacks-fiat money
"Is we make Americans taks such
money, how are we going to pay foreign
debts?
make other nations take II, too"
"But suppose they won't?'
.1At then take that or nothing"
..How about paying the interest on nil
lions upon millions OF English money IN
vested here. and without which invest
ment perhaps we should not have rau-
roads out in Kansas at this timer!
Don't pay another dollar
"We.ve already paid those things sew
eral times over" puts II friend OF Mrs'
Lease, standing by.
Don't pay another dollar. repeats ME
Lease, dramatically, and just as you set
ready to ask her II this Is not reputation
and also II a man who has rented a house
for a long time should not. according 20
her program, refuse 20 pay rent after ne
had paid the value Of the property 20 the
landlord once. she shunts the oonversa-
.ton. aside, ard you wonder exactly what
her moral code Is You are finally con-
y-,,cea tia. It IS distinctveiy feminine
when you return 20 the attack in these
words:
Mrs. Lease. supposed you borrowed
one thousand dollars from me at the pres
ent time. Il would be on gold basis. o,
course. Do you think Il would be fair 70
nav :, next year on a silver basis. values
rs-,aintne as hey are approximately