The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-19
SOckless Simpsons Remarks
About Rev. MoIlie Lease.
He Heaps Goals of Fire Upon
Her Head.
SOFT SOAPS NINE. MARY
Or Perhaps 1t is Only Gentle
Sarcasm.
Kansas News Items of General
Interest.

WICHITA, March ia reporter for
the Eagle asked Jerry Simpson who
passed through town on Santa Fe train:
"Mr. Simpson, have you seen the inter
view of Mrs. Leases in which she says
you ought to be placed on the shelf.
That you are. as it were, a back lumber,
and should be allowed to rest"
ooh, yes; have read the interview,
and appreciate it very much. While
Sister Lease has designated me as a worm
"a common very-day worm-it is GER
tainly very kind and considerate in
lady of her talent to devote so much
kind solicitude upon the welfare of a
worm. and I appreciate her goodness
very much.
al am not what would be termed an
extremely pious man and lay no claims
to sanctiticatiOn, yet 1 would not for the
world say an unkind word against the
Rev. MolIie.
Don't You know 1 admire the lady
very much. She is certainly the most
gifted lady in the world and finished
orator. l believe she can coin words
equal to John ]. Ingalls,. She is now in
the ministry and in the lecture field and
l believe that she is the peer of any man
or woman in the United States-yes, in
the world-to work up advertising
schemes, and if she desires to aid herself
in bringing her name before the public
the hearts and minds of the people by
passing me off for a cur or a worm, or
advertising that l need rest, / can only
say, God bless MoIlie Lease, and let her
tongue never cease to wag.
II believe she is a close student of the
bible, but 1 am afraid she has got hold
of the text: i came not to bring peace,
but sword bring l to my people, and
has forgot to go any further. But as
she claims among her other things too
numerous to mention las they say on
sale bill), to be a fuil-hedged Mason l
think it rather hard that she should
jump onto a brother Mason quite so
severe; because, in the lodge room as
around my mothers knee l learn the
fatherhoOd of God and the brotherhood
of man, and l think il would be rather
hard for her to preach Christianity to
the world when she reflects that away
out in Barber county she had laid her
brother Mason on a shelf and has caused
the lightning of heaven and the tiny
wire to say that this brother was worm
and cur.
Il hope she will succeed in her efforts
aud that the year 1896 can be placed
upon the records the first and only
year in which Mollie has held to one
view for twelve long months They tell
me that she has belonged to all the de-
nominations known to man, and it would
be natural that she should also belong
to all political parties.
81 don't know what turned her loose
upon me at this time with all her elo-
quence. / was up in Minnesota talking
silver at a ratio of IS to 1 when l picked
up a paper which announced in
startling letters that Rev. Col Mollie
Elizabeth Lease had donned the clerical
robes and was rejoicing over the fact
when ! CHANGED 10 look at ano Their col
umn and read an interesting interview
which some Chicago reporter had had
with me the night before (when l was
asleep) and then there was another
column about the Rev. Col Mollie Eliza
beth Lease calling me a worm.
"Now, you zee, that the Rev. Colonel
Mollie Elizabeth Lease had by her In
genuity received about 500 worth of
free advertising. and l had done her
great favor.
"But let the Rev. Colonel NolIie Eliza
beth Lease rest. She needs it. She has
great work before her. She is no COM
mon woman. No, she is a brilliant,
educated, highly refined lady, a little
given to changing her mind, but with all
woman who has no equal that know
of and l can simply say God bless her,
and may l ever have the chance to do |
my sister Mason a kindness"