The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-24
woULD-BE WOMAN DIPLOMAT.
Mrs. MariIla Kicker Applies for Min
lister to Colombia.
New York Journal.

Mrs. Marilla M. Kicker will be the first
woman IN the world TO occupy the diplo-
matte position OF foreign minlster-that is,
II she gets the appointment she has applied
Tor, and there is no denying the fact that
she IS maAlng a great night and has an eX-
cellent chanCe TO become the heroine of
TINS unprecedented departure in interna-
tional relations. a unique coincidence in
her case is the fact that the man whom
she asplreS TO succeed is a nameSake of
the President "ParSon Mckinley, who also
nails trom her native town, Dover, n. II.
The post for which Mrs. Kicker has al
ready applied is that of envoy eXtraord-
nary ana minister plempotentary 10 the
United States of Colombia. The salary of
the position is $4,000 year. She would
be located at Bogata.
1 can wait until the tariff is settled"
she said Il know that we need a tariff to
pay the expenses of the government, and
that it is of more Importance than office
Mrs. Kicker ridicules a Washington dis
patch to local paper TO the effect that
woman to any important position.
Mr.. Mckinley would not say anything
like that" she said. 4 do not believe it.
Why he is strong woman suffragist.
Last @veek he appointed two women post
masters. 1t would perhaps be a good thing
Tor HIM II he appointed woman to some
high office, perhaps not me, perhaps Mrs.
Weed, for instance 1t is simply question
of time when women will have a fair
share of all the Offices.
Mrs Kicker is one of the most prominent
women lawyers and one of the most con-
spicuous women politicians in the country.
She is stanch Republican. Although her
application has been on file several months,
the novelty of her case has not worn Off.
She is receiving remarkably strong support
from high sources. The press has given her
considerable support but perhaps the
biggest surprise, and the one which will a t
tract the greatest attention, is an editorial
in the May number of the Arena, in which
Editor Ridpath. the wel-known historian
comes out in the strongest terms advocat-
ing her appointment. Col. Robert u. In
h sl1n
counsel in the famous Star route case,
says that she is one of the clearest-headed
and most capable persons he knows, man
or woman, and he strongly recommends
her.
Ex-senator Blair has filed her application
with the President and has charge of her
interests in Washington In a personal
letter which she has just received from him
he states that the President will carefully
read all of the papers filed in her case, and
the Senator underlines the word read
Mrs. Kicker is the daughter of Jonathan
3. and Hannah Young, and was born in
Kicker in 1863 Twenty-seven years ago
she became a widow In 1879 she began the
study of law with Albert G. Riddle and
Arthur b. Williams, in Washington. She
was admitted to the Supreme Court Of the
District of Columbia in 1882. She was APP
Examiner in Chancery by the Supreme
Court of the District in 1891. In 1890 she
was admitted TO the bar of the state of
The political field she entered in 1870,
when She astonished the country by going
to the polls and demanding the right to
vote. ii was a law-abiding taxpaying cit
izen and I wanted to vote she explained
to the journal man. Ever since then
every election l go to the polls and present
the whole ticket They all know me, you
know. lThey say, Why, Mrs. Kicker, you
know we can't accept that So l tear off
the state part and present the local ticket
and they refuse that. Then | tear that off
and offer them the school committee ticket,
which they accept. l always do that every
time"
Mrs Riker went on the stump for Harri-
son in the West in 1888, and wrote poiiti-
cal articles in 1892.