Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-07
IN cRANKIEsT KANSAS.

 The session of MT Hughes with the Defenders was held late Saturday af- ternoon in the office of pr Eva Hard ing and lasted only about fifteen min utes. But in that short time they drew from Mir Hughes such informa- tiOn as satisfied them fully that they could not support him for mayor in the' coming municipal campaign. MT Hughes had been asked to appear be- fore the women and about 3 o'clock the examination began with Mrs Na- tion as chief questioner. The first question asked Hughes was:
 Are you q candidate for mayor?'
 "Yes."
 How are you on the prohibition law of Kansas? Don't you believe 1t has made Kansas:''
 "Yes. I believe in enforcing It."
 Do you drir1k?'
 II am not a habitual drinker.'' Do you go into the joints?"
 T do not frequent them.'' Do you ever go into the jolnts?' persisted Mrs Nation.
 "Eo'
 "Well what makes vour face SO red?'
 My mother set me out in the sun when l was six years old, and the woodpeckers fed me-
 You are something like Adam: you lay everything on a woman. When went down to your office the other day you kindly invited me in. but I told you the smell was so bad I could not go in and you said your mother was the cause of it: that she smoked. and you intimated that the bonds of her editv were so strong in this regard that you couldn't recover yourself.
 To Q r- ued Mrs Nation. 'i=-
 .'Ges. I have smoked cigarettes for thirty-tive years
 You are to be pitied more than blamed: you are in condition to be helped and not to help others"
 T always expect to smoke cigar cites
 During the interview some of the local Defenders who knew his record better than Mrs Nation knew it. asked him regarding his ownership of prop ertv where a joint was run.
 Mrs Mary White interrogated him as to whether or not he knew if he owned property where liquor was bld. Hughes replied at first that all the proDerty he owned in Topeka was his residence. He afterwards acknowl- edged that his wife owned some.
 Mrs c. P. Chadwick then asked if he didn't own the property on East Fourth street where the Woods broth CTS knnt a joint
 II don't own that: my wife owns that DrODertv.' was his answer.
 Some of the women suggested that man and wife were not SunnOSed to run q business separately. Then one or two more questions were asked and the women were finally led to conclude that the Woods brothers had been run nin@ a sonD house in the front mart and a joint in the rear of the building owned by FurheS or his wife or both
 They also decided that since ha was unable to know what sort of business was bninp conducted in his own prop erty he did not possess the trait cum ming to such degree as would War rant them in supporting him for mayor of Topeka.
 Then Mrs Nation stood up and with that decision and emphasis which her experience in saloon smashing has given her. said:
 "Women. I think this is q nice look ing man, but don't vote for him for mAyor." Addressing Mir Hughes: You are not the man to be mayor: we want a clean man. You go and clean yourself up
 By this time MT Hughes appeared 10 be embarrassed. and begged to be ex- cused. saving that he had an engage ment. When the women mentioned cigarette smoking he declared lie was | not breaking any statute by indulging in the practice. But they women re- piled that they wanted a man who would be controlled by conscience as well as by law.
 "If he cleans himself up within four years from now. vote for him." ad- | viSed Mrs Nation. "keep your eve on | him. women: he's got good heart. but | the devils got a cinch on him." | Hughes edged toward the door, but half a dozen Defenders surrounded him and began talking with him. 1T didn't come up here to talk to all these | women." he explained. "I only came up to talk to Mrs Nation'' :.
 T am your friend" said Mrs Nation consolingly, as she clasped his hand. You know Shakespeare says Hast thou friend. grapple him to thee with hooks of steel.'" then as Hughes made another effort to go she said: Meet me in heaven"' T will" replied he tremblingly. Then Mrs Nation re. fled through the door and down stairs Mrs Nation shouted after him: God bless you! God bless you!'' | Mrs Nation said afterward in dis. cussing the interview: II am sorry for that man. for he is to be pltied: he is q poor. weak man. and I am sorry we forced him to tell so many things that were not true. Why, do you know you can almost see tue whiskey drip. ping from his ears.
 "What shame it is that the good women Of Topeka should indorse such man. That is the trouble with the women; they allow themselves to be fooled. This man made q speech to them and they indorsed him without asking him anything more. What q shame! What a shame: Why. we , even made him admit that he owned q building in which there was a joint