The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-08-17
MRS. COUGAR
PASSES AWAY
WOMAN WHO WAS HERE AS A RE-
FORMER SEVERAL YEARS AGO
is DEAD.

Mrs. Helen Cougar, the woman
stump speaker, teetatalism advocate
and general disturber of conditions is
dead. She was here with Miss Acker-
man in 1903 for several weeks and at
tackled social conditions here fiercely
Mrs Helen NJ. Cougar fell dead OF
heart disease, at her home in Column
bia street Lafayette, Ind
Mrs Cougar had just arisen from
bed and was in the act of dressing
when she told her husband that she
was very ill., He arose to assist her.
but she fell dead on the floor She had
suffered attacks of heart trouble but
she was in her usual health the night
before.
Mrs. Helen NJ Cougar was one of
the most remarkable women in the
| United States and was regarded as one
of the most effective orators in the
Middle West. She participated in poll
teal, temperance, religious, union la
Dor and woman suffrage movements,
and in every one her executive ability
was of great value.
Mrs. Cougar was the daughter of
William and Clarissa Jackson, ana
was born in Hillsdale, Mich, July 1S,
1S43. She was graduated at Hillsdale
College in the class of 1862, with the
degree of A. NJ, and was married to-
John d. Cougar, of Lafayette, Dec. 10,
1868 On the great social and philan-
thropic problems of the day she acted
with a courage that startled the bold
est men, AS an organized she had few
equals Early in her career she start
ed out as a public lecturer and for
twenty-five years she was in lyceum
bureau work.
Mrs. Cougar was a firm believer in
the system of government in New Zea-
land and desired the United States to
adopt the same kind of laws. Lectur-
ing almost daily, she travelled long dis
tances to fill engagements, which eX-
tended over nearly every State in the
Union. She also published a newspa-
per. wrote magazine articles and books
and engaged at the same time in tenn
perance and woman suffrage lectures.
Mrs. Cougar was recognized as a.
born agitator, leader and 'reformer. AS
an orator she was original lin express
sion, wholly free from affection, and
spoke without manuscript. Some OF
her opponents accused her of being too
acrimonious, and in this respect it
may be said that when she administer
ed verbal castigation, her words al
ways attracted attention. Many of her
admirers termed her the queen Of
the rostrum.' Her contributions to
magazines and newspapers were filled
with fearlessness, directness and ORR
ginality.
Mrs. Cougar was a warm friend of
Mr.. Bryan and in 1896 she went from
coast to coast advocating his cause.
She closed the campaign the night be-
fore the national election in Lafayette
with a rOusing address at the opera
house One of the issues involved in
the campaign of 1882 in Indiana was a
woman suffrage amendment to the
State constitution. The Republican
party favored the submission of the
amendment to the people; the Demo-
cratic party took the opposite side.
Mrs. Cougar entered the struggle with
all the energy of her nature enlisted
in behalf of the Republican legislative
ticket. At that time she owned and
edited newspaper known as Our Her
aid, which had wide circulation, and
through this medium she advocated
her cause.
For five years, 1878 to 1888, the tenn
perance people of Lafayette remon-
strated against the licensing of liquor.
No attention was paid to the remon-
strances until Mrs Cougar interested
herself in the movement and conferred
with the committee. In the midst of
the campaign Mrs. Cougar became in
volved in a scandal which her friends
always declared was a Islander without
cause. She sued the people who start
ed the scandal and a judgment for
$4,000 was awarded her.
Mrs. Cougar delivered more than
two hundred lectures a year for twenty
years. She visited Europe four times
studying labor questions of the Irish
race under English rule, and embodied
her observations in books and pamph.
let's. She espoused the cause of home
rule on the platform as well as with
her pen. Her most noted works are:
Strange Incidents of Our Life" ana
Forty Thousand Miles of World Wan-
dering." She had also written many
pamphlets on political questions.
NJ