Arizona republican., 1899-06-13
TOWN RUN BY WOMEN
BeaIIie, Kansas Village Has SfiT-
 ing EIi cfiOn.

Mrs. Marie Totten, wife Of Charles Tctten. a prominent merchant. was elected mayor of Beattie, a town of 500 inhabitants in northern Kansas, at 9 recent city election. Her majority over James Wall, the present mayor, was eighty-seven.
 There were two tickets in the field "a 'woman's ticket, headed by Marie Totten, and the mans ticket, headed by James Wall Both sides made a strong campaign.
 Although election day was windy and stormy, the women all put on their heavy wraps and went bravely to the polls. It WAS their only chance to rescue the little town from ruin.
 Beattie has been for the last two years so overrun with saloons and joints that it was impossible to live there comfortably. The women felt keenly the disgrace. and not long ago held a convention to devise some means to change the towns ways. They planned to put a ticket in the Meld in the next municipal election. That was ten months ago. Every night when the husbands and grown sons came home from their work the housewives would bring up the sub ject of saloons and what disgrace they were to Beattie.
 Little by little the women unfOlded their plan, only to learn the opposi- tion they would meet with. Hence, two months before the election the campaign opened, and the strongest" men and women were placed on the tickets, and. the soliciting of votes was on.
 Mrs. Totten was very popular w0- nun, as was Miss Gus5ie O'Neil, candi- date for clerk, and they made a per sonaI canvass together Then men got most of their votes from the liquor element. Election day, despite the in element weather, saw every woman in town driving a rig, taking voters to the polls. As a result, several hun dred men cast votes fer the woman's ticket
 There were numerous rows at the polls between men and women, but when the votes were counted it was found that the women were elected by majorities ranging from fifty to 100
 The police judge and city marshal are men, but they have declared their intention tcI resign and turn over their offices to the women.
 The inhabitants of Reattie generally are pleased with the result, and as Mrs. Totten is clear headed and said to be quite capable of anything. she may serve many more terms.
 She is 46 years of age, while Miss O'Neil, the clerk, is only 9. Neither has served in office before, nor have any Cf the other women elected. All the other women office holders arc over 40 years of age. They will en- gage the present male officers to sbCw them how to attend to the business Mrs. Tottcn is quite wealthy and will use much Of her Cwn money during her administration in repairing the towns streets and parks. Their terms Of office are for two years
 A large proportion of the city's en- rloycs, including the police. will be women u is believed that an at tractivc but dignif1ed policewoman would enjoy a moral authority far greater than that of l nero policeman. No Kansds man will dare become drunk and disorderly under the eye of a policewOman.
 The women expect to achieve great results in the street cleaning depart ment. Their duties will be tCi keep the streets of Beattie as clean as their own homes, perhaps even cleaner, because their devotion 10 public affairs will not leave them much time to spend at home. In fact, they will keep the streets as clean as their homes ought | to be.
 An important measure of refcrm T'ill consist in hanging artlstlcally