The Topeka state journal., 1905-05-10
JUST LIKE men.
Two Factions in Struggle to
Control WOmen's Federation.
Suffrage Advocates on One Side
Antis on Other.
THE TWO MRS. BROWNS
Salina Woman Represents the
Reform Wing.
The Olathe Leader Would Keep
Out Suffrage.
THE TWO MRS. BROWNS

The most interesting event in Kan
sas this month in the way Of politics
Will be the election of officers in the
Kansas Federation of Womens Clubs.
There are several points in this event,
past, present and future which resem-
pie the situation in state politics.
Two years ago at Wichita the Seventh
district machine, under the leadership
OF MRS. W. Y Morgan, of Hutchinson,
elected Mrs. Cora G. Lewis, of Kinsley,
president and ran over the Topeka
pOnuclans IN spite of their screams,
/ put there was no attempt on the part
OF the boss busters to climb into the
/ band wagon. They simply went to
Work building a wagon of their own
ana II viii again be placed on the
/ track at Topeka this month with
/ Mrs. W. A. Johnston of Topeka and
/ Mrs Laura M Johns of Salina, as
/ drivers These lady politicians have
gone into the Fifth district for a can
didate for president and selected Mrs
\ May Belleville Brown, of Salina and
4 hope to line up the First and Fifth
/ districts for the Salina lady.
! The adroitness of the Topeka lead
ers is seen in the attempt that is be-
/ ing made to place a woman at the
! head of the state federation who is
closely identified with the woman's
! Suffrage movement. For some time
the suffra gists have attempted to line
up the federation for their propa-
| ganda, but under the leadership of
/ Mrs. Lewis, who although a suffragist,
/ IS opposed to committing the fedora
! ton to the movement it has been
/ kept free from any entangIing al
| liances. Mrs. Brown, of Salina, is the
4 candidate of the suffragist wing of the
! federation and her election would
probably mean that the federation
/ would declare for suffrage as its para
mount issue"
Mrs. Brown has served twice on the
executive board Of the State Suffrage
/ association, and was secretary of the
| campaign committee which in 1903
I sought to give the woman Of the state
/ full suffrage. The manager of Mrs. May
/ Belleville Browns campaign is Mrs. W.
| A. Johnston of Topeka, who is wen
| known as the leader Of the suffragist
/ forces in Kansas, and her candidacy is
more Of Topeka affair than it is
| Fifth district.
Both Candidates Are Brown.
An anomaly of this campaign is that
the only other candidate for the presi-
| dency, is also Mrs Brown and it will
be Brown against Brown, the second
candidate being Mrs. Eustice H. Brown
of Olathe, now secretary of the state
fedora ton, elected to that Office, at
/ Wichita at the same time as Mrs. Lew
is The Topeka State Journal speaking
/ of the candidacy of Mrs. Eustice H.
Brown, has the following:
Mrs. Brown of Olathe is the present
recording secretary of the state fedora
! ton elected at Wichita two years ago.
=
NJ. Lewis Of kinsley, now president Of
the association, with whom she has
served on the executive board of the
federation for two years and has gain
ed much valuable experience in fedora
ton business which would be of much
use to her should she be elected at the
annual meeting in Topeka this month.
Her club experience began 10 years ago
in Kansas City, No, as member Of
the history class of 80 which was or
ganized by Mrs Kersey Coates and
numbered among its members some OF
/ the most influential and cultured WO-
men OF Kansas City. Mrs. Brown lived
in Topeka during Governor MorrilPs
administration and was member OF
the Portia club.
The Olathe Candidate DRAFTED"
The Olathe Mrs. Brown has been a
rather reluctant candidate for the office
of president of the federation. From
the first the Second district has desired
to present a candidate and Mrs. Eus-
tace Brown was persistently talked of
for the place. She was unwilling to
make the race, however, and urged the
/ candidacy of Mrs. D. s. Stephens, Of
Kansas City, Kan, president of the
Kansas City Federation. Six weeks ago
the SigOurmean club of OIathe passed
resolutions to present their toWnsWO-
man Mrs. Browns name to the fedora
ton as a candidate for president but
Mrs Brown withheld the publication Of
the resolutions in the hope that some
sent to run. Later the demand from
her district and the Third, which will
also support her, became SO strong that
she consented to become candidate.
With the Fifth district and Topeka
and few other clubs in the First dis
trict for Mrs May Belleville Brown and
the Second and Third district clubs be-
{ hind Mrs Eustice H. Brown, and a
P strong following in the Fourth district
the key to the situation is the Sixth and
Seventh districts. Another argument
advanced by the supporters of the
/ Olathe candidate is that the extreme
eastern portion of the state has been
| thrown into the discard in the past in
the election of officers while the middle
/ west has Jared better. There is no can
/ didate as yet in the Third district, which
has never yet had the presidency of the
federation, and there is no doubt but
| that should an available candidate an
nOunce from this district she would
| have a strong following. But without
| such candidate the Third district will
support Mrs. Brown of Olathe, and be
content with the secretary of the fed
GRAFTON and viii ask for this office for
Mrs. George W. Wheatiey, of Galena-
There was some talk of Mrs. Forter
of Marysville being a candidate for
president but Mrs. May Belleville
Brown beat her to it, and with her
/ brother a candidate for congress, with
his hook baited for United States sena-
/ tor. the MarySV1lle lady politician. and
by the way she is one of the smoothest
in the state. placed her ambition on
ice. Another suffragist leader who is
one of the Salina lady's chief leuten-
/ ants is Mrs. Q. B. Hoffman Of Enter
prise in fact she seems to have the
suffragist wing of the federation lined
iup for her; that is those radical suf-
fragists who want to commit the fed
GRAFTON to suffrage and use it to secure
legislation along these lines. Many of
the leaders of the federation are suf-
fragists but they want to keep that
question out of the federation. and
these less radical members are sup
porting the Olathe candidate.
8Trs- Lewis Is Neutral.
Mrs. Lewis the present execut5ve