The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
ONE WOMAN IN POLITICS.
THE CAMPAIGN MANAGED RI HfRS.
ATKINSON OF GEORGIA.

woman In the South who has conducted a polit-
zeal campaign and conducted II successfully ;
who has evinced the keen political understand
ing. forethought, tact, and discretion generally
attributed exclusively to the other sex. She is
Mrs. W. Y. Atkinson OF Georgia. Her husband
is the present Governor. She is q slight
framed, black haired little woman, with strong.
arched brows and bright eyes. with energy.
earnestness. and determination In every line OF
her face.
In that fight OF 1894. memorable in the state
of Georgia, remarkable In the history Of poll
tics in America, she took q leading part. II was
a fight where pure personal force. individual
power. prevailed against established combina-
lions long deemed all powerful. Republican.
Populist and Democratic candidates for Gov
ernor we're before the people in the fall Of 1893.
The chief Democratic candidate had a fair
swing before him. He had rendered distin-
guished service In the civil war-and there is
no one dearer to the people Of the South than .
brave old Confederate offlcer-he had been fur
thermore q Methodist preacher, and the State
OF Georgia, peopled In large degree with Metho-
dists. favors her ministers beyond ordinary
mortals. Furthermore. one OF the wealth.
lest citizens Of Atlanta. he had the power
OF the Fifth Congressional district behind him;
strong local influences actively at work spar
ing no %eloquence or funds in his behalf. So
for three months the Democratic candidate had
affairs In his own way. On the first day OF
January. 1894, however. a new man arose and
announced himself as an opposing candidate.
He was ". Y. Atkinson. He had brains and he
had a wife. He had back OF him some eight
years service in the State Legislature, where
he had passed certain creditable measures for
the good OF the people. He was Speaker in the
Legislature and Chairman OF the State Execu-
tive Committee. He was a man not 40 yearso old.
The State cried him down. The patriotic ell
ement stormed at him for daring to set him
self against q Confederate soldier, the Church
element was against him. the political element
ridiculed him. His friends implored him not to
take such a step. because he would cripple
himself by defeat" His wife did not wish to
discourage him. but her heart was low down.
The press Of the State was against him he was
accused of the crime Of being a young man :"
his presumption was laughed at. his preten-
sions ridiculed.
Finally his wife read an editorial In an Atlanta
paper headed THE Yellowstone Kit" which
fired her throughand through. She was sitting
quietly at home sewing. her babies playing
about her. ALI the force. indignation. pride
In her arose at the scathing editorial. She
wrote a telegram to her husband. Stay in the
race to the very end" and it was flashed of to
Atlanta.
Mr.. Atkinson was standing in the lobby Of the
Kimball House. his friends about him. putting
forth their most eloquent persuasions to induce
him to withdraw. Few men could have stood
resolute under such conditions. The telegram
came at a critical moment. He handed it to his
friends. There were six editors in the crowd
about him..
by thunder I am for any mar who's got a
wife like that" they cried. 1t was the first
step.
II am In the race to the end" was the tele-
gram sent back to his wife.
That night Mr.. Atkinson returned home:
who hbt ES OoTld only nx get e that that st nGypfsIraPE IsttaI bag
would be ali right" he remarked ".
II can do as well a as g sp a. s ten Trust
woman's experience in politics, but he had
he SAID aGi When WIZ nh Ss S Ieft I &eT the @H next df ay,~ OIL
written to and asked to help him in the race Z
answers sTsy E We're. returned. II He then sent out ! a
challenge in Ggeh t. the ds1s opposing c HEiS snndi %he to OF meet Seeett
10000 men. The Confederate General was at
tended by a strong and Influential escort; he
Mr.. Atk inson had his wife and a personal friend
or two; he represented the youth, the energy
His words were like flashes Of lightning
tended him. But the fight was Just begun. At
four more debates he declared himself to the
Meanwhile, his wife was at home. answering
stenoRraphers. she dictated between 300 and
400 letters In the twenty-four hours OF each
g9gi n sSRtp cchild H clinsine - to 5e her nS she s'S went n on
with unfaRging zeal. On one occasion she
wrote VnS sto Sl1 letter. lett GSt to Sa e. county cs4rT AS fsk d6SI 4 Akin
There is no use for you to try TO- work up
| Dliad Ona pf fha nr0minnnt man "I nan Infnlv
says that | san sQantrol every vote in this county.
"#NAil right old man." said Mrs. Atkinson,
I'm Ale your letter and charge it to you at the
right time;", She put il, away;
aging the campaign In the various counties,
She Shsoo Tas .; o5iI nEeTmt tG evolve ISs,r Int q bs general Hmsl
"H9x does he stand in regard to Clsve-
50 diplomatic a manner that when the letter
was, read before q mixed assemblage OF Oleve;
Rith q applsn nst,G asS eoam MEM L MS' a EsGieiE ESd
9%1s st1id{sE " went eGts A All In n Ssr. .!T SSSTnt yo in nth the pine
that GStAi he, beats Ss11"f his HS wife. viii j. Mrs "a" &t iH n p
please state the truth I" Another woman with
digntspt negative. Mrs, IitkInson wrote: ~
This concerns no issue Of the campaign. If
that she IL his wife and whose business il 1t p
The letter caught the popular fancy;
said. The county went Atkinson
In a few weeks seventeen counties were for
Atkinson while ten were for his opponent. But
one OF the biggest districts remained uncon-
ouered. the one from which the letter before
quoted and PLACED on ale was received. The
was to. act by mass meeting. Mrs. Atkinson
poted this. There was one good Atkinson man
""fhave an importantietter which viii chanGe
the vote in your county, Shall send IT."
He answered.: Send letter at once"
The meeting was In progress. The Chair
man OF the meeting was the mar who wrote
the letter. The Atkinson man stood up. He
read the sentence: 81 can control every vote
in this county. and 1t won't go Atkinson" The
words were greeted with IA storm OF Kisses. He
read aloud the name. TIL mass meeting went
Atkinson.
But Just before the counties acted Mrs. At
kinson made one grave mistake. the only
mistake, in her part OF the campaign. She
wrote q letter to some OF the counties. signing
Mr.. Atkinson's name, saying: Am much en-
couraged n securing the men who control in