The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-09-15
THE MRS. LEASE OF R YORK
FORMER KANSAS POP LDER
IN HER EASTERN HON.
The Downfall Of the Pop1Hst Party
Due TO Dishonest and Schems
ing Politicians

} 4
After a nine years residence Il
New York Mrs. Lease has not sue
ceeded in shaking the soil OF Kansa
from the sOles OF her shapely shoes
Not that she wants TO, for that mat
ter, but II strikes an observer as a lit
tie odd that no newspaper item abou
her is complete without the familiar
late Of Kansas" formerly OF kan
/ sas" or the famous Kansas orator
tackled Especially since Mrs
Lease has adopted New York as hel
| permanent abiding place with an en-.
thusiasm that borders on extraya-
| gance- She has made for herself Z
| place among the intellectual lights OF
| that city which is quite independent
| Of the pOpulistic past, when she made
| her debut on the Kansas lecture plat
Il form Reporters are sometimes a lit
/ tie hay as to what particular plank
/ Of that platform she stood on, but
| they generally set il down as wOman's
| suffrage, much to the lady's annoy
| ance, for she says:
You know 1 never went in much
/ for that sort Of thing. Women have
| enough to be thankful for that they
| are Americans"
But you believe with Justice Brew
| er that a woman EiH yet be president
Of the United States. VIII not that
be brought about through suffrage %
Certainly not" Mrs Lease was
quite decided on that point, and pro-
ceeded TO explain
IF a woman is ever elected presi-
dent Of the United States it will not
be because Of the suffrage Of women,
but because the candidate is such a
representative type OF woman that
she viii command the suffrage Of
men While women are undoubtedly
moving faster and farther along the
lines Of progress they are not yet
sufficiently free from the narrOwness
and pettiness OF femininity to unre-
servedly champion the cause Of "a
woman, no matter how great or
brainy she might be.
But that women are moving out
to receive the recognition to which
they are entitled from the public is
evidenced by the election OF Mrs.
Clarence Mackay, wife Of a multi
millionaire, as a school trustee in a
borough OF this conservative city,
The attention OF Mrs. Lease was
called to a late interview wherein
Jerry Simpson is quoted as saying
that he is convinced that Mrs. Lease
is no longer an adherent Of his party
since she was robbed recently Of $500.
No pOpulist, he said, would be caught
with that much money in his posses
sion She responded with spirit that
she might have had a good deal more
il Jerry and the other popuIists
who aspired TO Office had paid her for
the very strenuous and effective work
she did for them when they were
seeking official hOnOrs.
a BIacksliding POpuIist.
The downfall Of the popuiist par
ty," she went on, was due, not to
lack Of principle-the principles were
gOod-but to dishonest and scheming
politicians who became pOpulists that
they might obtain Office.
Il have never been ashamed Of my
advocacy Of pOpuiism, but I have been
thoroughly ashamed Of the dishonest
men who enlisted under its banner
that they might enjoy official spells.
Since the absorption OF pOpuIism by
democracy I am well content to de-
vote my efforts to the republican par
ty."
Just now, however, Mrs. Lease is
more concerned because she can't 90
to the country to can the currents
that are going to waste on her farm
in Jersey than she is about the down
fall Of the pOpulist party.
1t is difficult TO picture one who has
been so much in the public eye as a
home loving woman, but she is. Her
tastes are decidedly domestic, and she
and her four children keep house to-
gether in New York Although she
might easily be a grandmother, Mrs.
Lease is apparently in her prime
full OF vitality and the joy OF living.
Her children, two sons and two
daughters, are all grown, and to them
she accOrds the credit Of her career
She attributes all that she has ever
done that is worth while to mother
love
Why she said. lit was so strong
IN me I didn't know when was whip
ped. 1t made me irrepressible.
You may say this, my dear" and
an expression almost sad fitted across
her face. mo woman goes out into the
world for money or anything else, IN
less she Is compelled to. Ny children
have been my incentive, and I have
worked hard to give them an educa-
ton and a place in the world. think,
too, that 7 have been fully repaid
and her smile Of satisfaction was
pleasant to see
Almost her entire summer has
been devoted TO the care Os her eldest
son, Charles, who, after n serious
surgical operation was given up BY
the HOSPITAL authorities and brought
home to die But mis- mothers su-
Greme confid- nee IN tne efficacy Of
love and home nursing are likely to
pull him through. OF her second son,
Ben Hur, she is extremely proud and
the fact that he is Hamlet mad" and
is mapping out for himself a stage
career is pleasing rather than disaP-
pointing TO her. An interview with
Forbes Robertson last winter result
ed in the promise OF an engagement
when the actor returns to this cOun-
Try.
Mansfield Isn't Much.
"Of course he may change his
mind" his mother observed casually.
but the stage needs educated men
and degrees from two colleges ought
to count for something do not care
for the theater myself, although do
occasionally 90 to see Shakespearean
tragedy But you know we have no
fine tragedisHs In this country"
What about Mansfield 20 the VS.
itor inquired.
well, I do not think SO much Of
Mansfield, although viii admit that
after seeing him in Richard H. I did
not want anybody to speak TO me for
three days
The most remarkable thing about
Mrs Lease, to 3 woman, IS that ap-
parentiy. the fnnumerabls claims
made on her time by outside interest,"