The Washington weekly post., 1899-05-23
TOWN sus BY WOMEN.
Kansas Municipality Controlled By the
Fair sex.

| Fro1 he san FrzaeIses ExaEinsf
Nrs Marie Totten. wife of Charles Tot
| ten. a prominent merchant was elected
| Mayor OF Beattie. q town or 80 innaott-
ants In Northern Kansas. at a recent city
election. Her majority over James Wall'
the present Mayor. was e.
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 strong CAM
paign.
Although election day was windy AID
stormy. the women all put on their heavy
wraps and went brayely TO the polls. IL
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
IL was impossible TO 1--we there comfort
ably. The women felt keenly the dis
grace. and not long ago held conyen-
ton to devise some means 10 change the
towns ways. They planned 20 put a
ticket In the field 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
iect OF saloons and what a disgrace they
were TO Beattie.
Little by little the women unfolded
their plan. only TO learn the opposition
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 a very popular woman,
clerk, and they made PERSONAL canvass
together The men got most OF their
votes from the liquor element. Election
day, despite the inclement weather, saw
every woman in town driving a rig. TAX
ing voters to the polls As a result, sew
eraI hundred men cast votes for the
Woman'S ticket.
There were numerous rows at the polls
between men and women. but when the
votes were counted Ii was found that the
women were elected by majorities rang
ing from 30 to 100.
The Police Judge and City Marshal are
men, but they have declared their inten-
ton to resign and turn over their offices
TO the women.
The inhabitants of Beattie generally are
pleased with the results. and as Mrs.
Totten is clear headed and said to be
quite capable of anything, she may serve
many more terms.
She is forty years of age. while Miss
O'Neil, the clerk, is only twenty-three.
Neither has served In Office before. nor
have any OF the other women elected. All
the other woman office-holders are over
present male office-holders to show them
how TO attend to the business. Mrs. Tot
ten is quite wealthy, and will use much
of her own money during her administra-
ton In repairing the towns streets and
parks. Their terms Of office are for two
years.
A large proportion OF the city employees.
including the police. will be women. It is
believed that an attractive but dignified
policewOman would enjoy a moral au-
thority far greater than that of a mere
policeman. No Kansas man will dare be-
come drunk and disorderly under the eye
Of polieewoman.
The women expect to achieve great re-
suits In the Street Cleaning Department.
Their duties will be 10 keep the streets of
Beattie as clean as their own homes,
perhaps even cleaner. because their de-
votion 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 reform will
consist in hanging artistically draped
bags on all lamp-posts. in which citizens
will be required 10 drop all scraps of
paper and other light rubbish.
II Is generally believed by the citizens
of Beattie that the women will prove
bribery than the male office-holders. They
are not subject to the genial but mis-
leading influence of strong drink, and
they are proof against the Establishments
OF other women.
Adopting the principles of municipal
refoiIners elsewhere, the Mayor says
she will observe the same business prin-
ciples in engaging city employees that
she would in engaging a servant girl