The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-20
RULED BY WOMEN
FEMALE MAYOR, COUNCIL AND CITY
OFFICERS IN BEATTIE, KAN.
Petticoats Carried Last City Election
and the Groom Brigade" Has
Reformed the Place.

Dtdltle, Il Hltle Town OIL elSnl Hunoreu
people. in Marshall county, Kansas. is be-
ginning to know what it is TO be governed
by women. At the April city elections this
year the most prominent women of the
place took a notion to run the municipal
government for a year. When once aroused
they prosecuted a campaign that resulted
in a-signal victory. All the offices of the lit
tie town are held by women. These include
those of the mayer, five councilmen and the
city clerk, and though the women never
held office before. they have shown such a
capacity to comprehend the public's needs
and the ability to fulfill them as TO assure
them a long lease of power.
The town, previous to the last election,
had always been ruled by men, and in con-
sequence had been cursed by the evils of
greater communities. 1t had gang rule,
which permitted the streets to emain dirty,
the saloons and gambling houses to run in
defiance of law, sidewalks that were only
an apology, and a general laxity in the
matter of improvements, although the year.
ly appropriations were ample. The respect
able element of the men of the town, while
deploring these conditions, lacked the moral
courage and resolution TO stop them. and
they might yet have been running under the
same disadvantages had not the idea of a
woman's ticket been suggested. 1t was at
first looked upon as a joke and occasioned
much merriment among the male popula-
ton. which exercised its wit upon the new
movement by clubbing it the Broom Bril-
gade," the Mamma Ticket" the SODA
Water Bottles" and other such derisive
names.
This did not daunt the women. Once hav-
ing enlisted in, the struggle for a purer gov
eminent, they moved ahead like veterans
in politics. They adopted a platform which
promised suppression Of saloons and gam
bling dives, clean streets, good sidewalks,
and the encouragement of general improve
ments. In Kansas. all women are entitled
to vote at municipal elections. and, while
the women were confident of victory. they
did not neglect any means TO secure it.
AFTER much caucusing and elaboration
this ticket was nominated: Mayor, Mrs.
Sheldon, Lulu Smith. Elvira Watkins, Lettie
Kirlin and Mary E. Schleigh; city clerk,
Katie O'Neili.
TO WORE IN EARNEST.
From the day of the nomination the
women never relaxed their endeavors.
Husbands. brothers. sons and sweethearts
were coaxed and pleaded with by the fair
sex. Women's Christian Temperance Union,
church sewing circles and private needle
WIN Niobo "SiG OuSy SSWlHS w II Lat
and knitting the fortunes of the hurly-burly
politicians who had run the town for years.
Caucuses were held by day, and caucuses
by night. under the guise Of amusements.
Election day arrived. The polls were in
the main business street. Hardly did the
the opposition crowd began TO see women.
They came from every direction, leading
family professions. in which the husband
and children brought up the rear.
Inc town saloon did q big back door BUSH
ness that day. The men visited 1t regularly to
get up courage. but with only the result that
they saw were multiplied. The soberest of
them said they never dreamed that there
were so many women in the whole of Mar
In tho afternoon Council Hill" began to
send women TO the polls In carriages in
made to challenge the ! fair voters st,a@pt but the
I%esolute face and flashing eyes of Mrs. Tot
early esr yo and l iaem' So sR We sMaf her Hn r 9ne RIlek @a hne
During the afternoon there was an abate-
ment of the female. vote. The VETS
Pick up reinforcements. An hour before the
close of the polls everything had quieted,
When down in the direction Of the depot a
black patch of men was observed moving
toward the town. The 'wets' cheered at
the coming of their supposed endorsements.
solid for the woman's' ticket. scowls and
dark looks greeted them when it was learned
they were for the women. but they were too
" N ViN " lily ClISI SApitSSlOl
Of luminosity to be attempted, and they
pumped their votes without molestation.
When the polls closed the women were over
whelmingly in the lead.
The first thing that Mayor Totten and
the City Council did after assuming the
reins of government was to tell the saloons
to close. They demurred. but obeyed. The
men, when in power, always declared that
1t was impossible to suppress the saloons.
The same thing was done with the gambling
dives, and now the male residents of Beat
tie: who want to drink red liquor or sit in
community to crafty their desires. The
streets have been cleaned and are being
kept in that condition. The women feel
that they are on trial and are determined
to justify their election.
In Beattie such terms as "mayoress."
"councilwcman' and ~"postmistress" are ta-
booed. The women ran on the ticket and
were selected as mayor and ceuncilmen.
so long as we hold office we are men in
every sense OF the word, is Mayor Totten'S
dictum.
THE MEN souIRM.
One of the defeated men candidates was
asked what feature of their whole over
throw CALLED them worst and said: well.
the majority of these women in the Council
were school teachers. 1t was humiliating
enough to be beaten by women. but to be
dictated to by school teachers is rubbing it
in. You know what a school teacher don't
know isn't worth knowing"
Wnen Mrs. Totten heard or this she SAID:
School teachers know something Of human
nature. A man generally does not know
what is good for him.
One of the things upon which the woman
government relies for success is the fact
that three-fourths of the Council own their
own property and have ably managed their
own affairs. "A woman can beat a man in
matters of domestic economy and we will
prove she is his superior in political econ
omy," said Mayor Totten.
Mayor Totten is a serious-minded woman.
She parts her gray hair in the middle, in
the good old fashion of our g~randmothers.
Her husband, Charles Totten, operates a
large farm near the little town. They have
three children living. New York was her
birthplace, and out of the natural genius of
New York politicians she thinks that fate
has led her TO become the female Croker
of Beattie. She removed, when a young
girl, from New York to Illinois and later
to Kansas She was a successful school
teacher for twelve years. About her ex-
periences and plans as mayor OF Beattie
Mrs. Totten talked freely.
my Council and / are a unit" she says.
1.-The saloon and gambling den must go. The
men made the prohibition law. which they
break. They must respect il or the women
will show them how it ought to be enforced
Already there is "A radical change in the
male population. The men in Beattie never
got such a surprise in their lives as the
election OF last April. They were whipped
so thoroughly that to-day there is not a
meeker or more orderly set OF merchants,
1nr-A. - /"