The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-08
MILLIONAIRE
SOCIALISTS.
Mrs. Mary E. Lease Who Is In
Topeka Today
Says She Found Lots of Them
in New York.
THEY ARE WILLING
For the Government to Manage
Public Utilities.
But At Present Are the Victims
of Circumstances.

Mrs. Mary E. Lease is in Topeka. She
came on the late train yesterday after
noon and was driven TO the ThroOp,
where she secured the best room in the
house.
Mrs. Lease never looked as well as
she does now. She bears every evidence
that her stay in New York agreed with
her finances as well as her health. She
refused to register at the hotel because
she did not care to be bothered, and
few people knew that she was in the
city. The only caller Mrs. Lease had
was David Overmyer
New York dressmakers have exerted
themselves to make the famous Kansas
woman orator more regal in appearance
than she has ever been. She was adorn-
ed with a magnificent gown Of purple
cloth trimmed with black braid. AT her
neck and wrists were ruchings of white
and green.
A Journal reporter found her in her
room at the ThrOOp- She was sitting
al a table writing upon some special
work." the nature OF which she did not
disclose.
4 am doing some work for the news
papers, now" said she, ''and it is for
that 1 am here. cannot tell you now
what it is.''
so you are going to leave Kansas?"
asked the reporter.
Mrs. Lease looked a trifle startled.
Il am going to- leave Kansas? Well,
I should think not. Kansas is my home
and will always be. 1 have no intention
of leaving the state, and any reports TO
the contrary are not true. My home
will continue to be in Wichita OF course
It will be necessary for me to be out of
the state occasionally, but L shall al
ways return
But you are going to Europe for a
visit this SUMNER
mo, I am not going to Europe, either.
At least, not nOw.I may cross the ocean
sometime for visit on business, but
1 have no intention of going immedi-
ately I have had several f1attering Of
fers to go, but I prefer to stay here as
long as 1 am doing well, and 1 am sat
isfed.'
Mrs. Lease leaned gracefully back in
her chair with satisfied expression on
her countenance, as if she had an eX-
cellent opinion of the country and ev
eryOne in it.
How were you impressed with New
York peOple?"
They are just lovely" replied Mrs.
Lease with enthusiasm. Il did not dream
that the people Of New York were such
nice people. Western folks seem to
think that they are trying to grind the
life out of everyone, but that is not true
They are perfectly willing to adapt
themselves to new conditions as soon as
they come and the millionaires would
not stand in the way of reforms They
have to be what they are because of the
conditions, and over those conditions
they have no control. As soon as they
are not compelled to protect themselves,
the western people will find that the
New York millionaires think very much
as they do.
Il met many of the rich men of New
York, and I know that at heart they
are socialists. They will not say they
are. If you called them socialists they
would deny it, They don't want you
to label their belief-that is the trouble,
but after you listen to them you would
be satisfied in your own mind that
they are as much socialists as any one.
Nothing can be done to make times
better until the government takes hold
of the public utilities and the rich men
in the east are perfectly willing for
that time to come. They do not dare
to take a stand because the conditions
compel them to be what they seem to
be, but watt
who are the New York millionaires
you met that are sociausts?" asked the
reporter.
Il do not care to give their names,
but I met Chauncey Depew, John Bris-
bane Walker and several others"
Did you meet Russell Sage?"
YES, I met Mr.. Sage. He is an ex-
ceptiOn. He is really the perSOnifica-
ton of greed. I think he would care
a great deal more about spending
cents than would.
But the city of New York itself is a
wonderful place. continued Mrs.
Lease They are doing things there.
They are ridding out the old tenement
houses and building new modern ones.
Then the streets are kept perfectly
clean: they have a whole army of work.
men busy sweeping the streets, and
they are kept cleaner than many wives
keep their floors. In New York they
take care of their poor, but in Chicago
they let them starve."
You met President Mckinley. What
did you think of him?"
''Well, I was not very faYorably i'm
pressed with him believe he is
good man, but even if he had more
force suppose he could do nothing. 1t
is conditions that make him what he is,
lust like conditions make the New York
nnillionaires. do not believe that any
administration. 1t is conditions that
have forced a cabinet of millionaires
upon President Mckinley and he could
not help himself
You met Mr.. Bryan, also. What do
you think of him ?'
Mr. Bryan is a grand man, but if
he will accept the opportunities in the
next few years he will find much room
for growth
Mrs Lease then turned her attention to
Cuba 7 believe that President McKin-
ley will be forced to recognize the indie
pendence of Cuba" said she. I believe
that the government will be forced to do
so. There is a little handful OF people bat
tling for their independence just as we
did few years ago and We stand back
on our dignity and refuse to recognize
their independence I tell you it is sim
ply outra geous. If it had not been for our
army of shop keepers who were afraid
they would have been injured, Cuban in
dependence would have been recognized
would there be no danger of war with
Spain?"
row money to carry on her little fasco