The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-06

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g noiGAaUE wrTnssF 4 m0nAn
aas14Ass sprague. who died on n
last Day Of July. did NOT need the ballot
In Srder 70 achisve political i.nuence
In Aer f1nns - ufesded : power rEpb-
ably greater than any American woman
ever exsrcAeed before She has md her
counferpart and even her Supporters IN
European history. bat she stands 1t
tie bead of her class In the United
Statek UnIi1e most 81 her prototypes
Who .eAsrcised political dominion
through their direct personal control a
the affection Of potentates, Kate Chase
owed her supremacy to her intellect fii-
" ~ much - 20 her beauty. and. with
ono unhappy exception. Involving nc
imputation upon her womanly virtue.
How updeserved even that one excep-
tion may have been. nobody now living
can tell II II were not entirely unjust.
II at least emblttered two lives, which
left Indignant protests against the nm
charttahleness and injustice Of human
ity.
II has been said Of Kate Chase that
she was mot = woman's woman: Il is
true that she had much Of the mascu-
line qualities Of her fathers mind, and
that her tastes were for subjects which
usually attract men, She was . force
among men. a. some men are: but she
was very far from lacking In the ad-
vantagcs Of her sex. She was not re-
mArksble for beauty. but she had q
magnificent figure and carried herself
like q queen. She had Q charm OF man
ner which held men spellbound to her.
and her bFiIliance made her seem beau
tiful. Possessing all these advantages.
having q al times the command Of
money Ia her youth. and retaining much
of her attrActiveness In spite Of age.
she experienced all the joys Of power
and wealth, and suffered grief. disap-
pointrnent and poverty.
When she was born her father. a very
able nan. was already power In Ohio.
She was only years Of age when her
father was elected to the United States
senate. Her mother had already died.
ana the father and daughter became
compositions and friends. Although she
was sent to school. she may be said to
have been brought up In court circles
She made the acquaintance before she
was out OF her teens Of the most ia
nous men Of the day. She knew Henry
Clay, met John c. Calhoun on friendly
terms. and was . f&vorite with Daniel
Webster. Although only IS years OF
age when her father was elected gov
ernor OF Ohio he made her mistress OF
the official residence. and the grace with
which she presided was almost as well
known as that Of Harriet Lane. He
was reelected governor and became Sec
rotary Of the treasury under President
Lincoln when she was q.
Few girls have ever had such an OPP
portunity: even fewer have known how
TO take advantage Of 1t. She went to
Washington amid scenes Of great ex-
element. Stirring events were about to
take place. and the occasion gathered
some of the brainiest and most dashing
of men at the national capital. The
young giri. trained to hold her own
with the most influential men. fully In
her fathers confidence. and as shrewd
In furthering his interests as she was
loyal to them. soon became one OF the
most potential forces In the affairs OF
the nation
Such woman would not be without
admirers. and many sought her In mar
riase; bat ambition was the reigning
force In her character and she selected
the powerful and Immensely wealthy
Gov. Snrague. OF Rhode Island, although
there could have been very little In COM
mon between them, Except that he was
commanding man. no two people
conld have been more unlike. and they
were alike in a respect which made hap
psness exceedingly Improbable He be-
came senator. made more money. in
duiged his taste for horses and wine.
and his coarser nature found more con-
genial eompanlonshin with women who
were neither 50 aaesnly. SD intellectual.
nor 50 serupuious in their associations
as his wife.
Al one time II looked az II the father
~ this brilliant woman would become
his ambition Was only 10 20 70 the su-