The sun., 1896-08-11
MARY E. LEASE SALUTES US.
KANSAS JOAN OF ARC PREICHEs
THE PoPULIST CRUSADE

of Arc, rs the Pops delight to call her, was the
| principal speaker at a meeting held in the Coop
or Union last night In the in terest of Bryan
and FREQ silver. She warned her hearers that
| she never spoke for less than two hours and a
| half. At last accounts she was drawins 10 q
close. The audience was with her from start to
| finish. The same people who had been inter-
| rupting the other speakers and interfering all
| sorts OF suggestions earlier in the evening paid
| rapt attention to her. Sho got an ovation when
| she entered tho hall and IL was repeated when
| she began to talk.
Tho meeting was advertised as gathering of
the plain people 1t was called by a number of
professional labor leaders, but William p. St.
John, the martyred bank President, was its
angel. The hall was we'll filled. In general ap-
pearance the crowd was the samo that has be-
come familiar at the meetings Of single tax and
other come-outers In the last ten or fifteen
years. Tho presence of considerable body Of
Socialists in one part of the hall and Of Henry
George men in another corner was made mani
fest at several points in the evenings pro-
ceedings. Tho Socialists had their innings
when Mrs. Lease spoke OF the hope that the
immediate future would see tho realization of
y the grand programme of socialism" Most Of
the mon sat in their shirt sleeves and listened
with open mouths to Mrs. Leases oratorloal
pyrotcchnics. Women were scattered through
herself when Mrs. Lease was discussing
the magnitude Of tho public debt Of the
United States by interjecting the sugges-
ton in a thin feminine voice, Just as
Mrs. Lease was working up to q rhetorical oil
max, why not wipe out the debt2" Even
Mrs. Leases auditors laughed at this. but the
woman was not daunted. Mrs. Lease went on
talking about bonds. and again the voice was
heard saying. Wipe 'em Off the slate" The
Kansas orator was not prepared to endorse this
measure OF repudation, and went on without
noticing the Interruption.
Mrs. Lease. as usual, was stylishly dressed.
She wore a black satin skirt ana waist of the
fashionable new brown. with lots OF ruffles and
things. Her taste for dress is about tho only
feminine characteristic displayed by her. Her
voice Is strong and heavy like a mans, her
manner OF speaking and her gestures are dis
tinctly masculine. Her choice of words and
vigor OF expression are masculine, too. Alto
gether, II ones eyes were closed one would
imagine he was listening to a man.
Mrs. Lease spoke in part as follows:
Mr. CHAIRMAN AND FRIENDS: accept this
splendid greeting from this splendid audience
as evidence that there is no Mason and Dixon's
line between the East and the West. accept
It as evidence of the fact that the people of the
East and the West are battling for a common
cause against q common foe Not since tho
bleeding years OF civil strife have party
prejudices and party affiliations been
completely forgotten and obedience to party
leaders SO generally refused as at the present
time. The great heart OF the nation is thor
oughly aroused. Patriotism not patronage,
principle not peif. is the watchword OF the hour
The great heart OF the nation beats responsive
to honor and patriotism. and the nation Is safe.
I'VE stand to-day At the beginning of ono of
fhnEe perInda that be lima
OF reformation and rcadjustment. The prob
lens that confront US are rendered vast, are rem
dered difficult not only because of apathy but
because they are confronted under conditions
that are absolutely new in the history Of the
race. 1et to the patient student OF history it
must be apparent that the slow columns OF men
are moving onward and upward along the march
of human progress. Tho people are about to
take peaceable possession OF their own. The
new conditions are harbinecrs OF the brighter
day when the nation shall attain to higher
ideals. II Is fund principle that new
Liberties cannot exist together with old tyran-
not live under the Roman despotism. the
ideals OF Luther undo. the i1toerance
ideals OF the fathers of our country
under the oppression Of kingly rule. Tho ideals
of men, the hope of the realization of the grand
principles OF socialism tchcers and the brother
hood of man. & that to-day are re- permeatnC the
or British gold.
In time "t prosperity. is confronted now by
perils that may cause apprehension In those
list now are n stain upon our institutions and a
travesty upon the religion OF Jesus Christ. Tho
condition that condemns mlil.onatre to per
shameful. The condition that permits the
daughter OF a rat trap peddler to pay two
millions for mn mpoyerishe French Count. and
at the conclusion OF the bargain and salefor is
would be desecration TO call 1t marriage to
give wedding breakfast costing $4,000. while
thousands of American citizens go without
any any breakfast; condition that makes II pos
to pay ten millions for the cast.otf. worn
out. dlsreputable rags Of od-world royalty; a
y o the
into lard tanks and oil tubs: makes It possible
for Rockefeller to found a college and for Whit
ney to buy his daughter q diamond tiara Is n
disgrace to our civilization. tCheers.l
There was time when IL was our proud
tinction OF class or caste, but to-day we are not
only selling our daughters to the titled debau-
the CONSTITUTION Of the United states and estao.
fishing the single gold standard of our
day a determ ned, organized. and sys,ematio tic
effort being made by the professional managers
Of finance to psrpstna,e the gold standard and
has been bought up, and the great dailies
thissesl, in tho employ, OF the gold syndicete.
ing made to mislead the people into fastening |
upon themselves the double paddock of debt
slavery.
Two great enemies have ever oppressed the
people, the aristocracy OF royalty and the nrs- |
toCracy of gold. The discovery and use of gun |
powder brought royalty and labor To a common |
level. and the arstocracy of ROYALTY is dying
out. There Hrs those here tonight who will |
live to see tho last crowned head laid low. Ap- |
plAuse) But In the place of the arIstocracy |
OF royalty we find the aristocracy of gold, more |
greedy and more disastrous to the country 1t |
is disintegrating society. 1t is destroying indI- |
vidual-.. 1t SCOTS at Justice. It has made, the
proudest nations OF the earth the collect |
Ing agents for the honse of Roths- |
child. which sent its agents to open ,
the Republican National Convention with |
prayer and to draw up its pla torn. This |
aristocracy of gold Is changing the slavery of |
chains to the, slavery of debt. Slavery in some |
form or another exists to-day throughout tho |
world. Applause The old forms Of robbery |
Lavo given place TO new. In the stead of tho |
James boys we lind men under cover OF tho |
law, In the halls of government. attaining |
wealth with which to secure Legislation that en-
slaves their fellow men to debt
Redemption money and interest bearing
bonds have, ever been tho curse of the people.
1t Is said that these things are In accordance
With tho law. but in the words OF Wendell
the haltine ignorance of the last gem
eration.' The law sends the daughter of
wealth to jall for three hours for shooting down