The sun., 1908-08-09
This WOMAN A COUNTY BOSS
MRS. WILSON OF LEBANON, ONO,
RULES LOCAL POLITICS.


Owns and Edits Only Democratic Paper in
Her County-In Power Twenty Years
S-sien VINO Have Tried to Gust Her
Have Come TO Grief In Their Attempts.
1t is worse than foolish to seek q county
Office In Warren county. Ohio. by the Demo-
cratic route unless one is solid with Mrs.
Mary Proctor Wilson.
Mrs. Wilson is the Democratic county
boss. She wields more influence than any
other person in either party In Warren
county. She controls Democratic politics
in Warren county and in Lebanon, the
county seat. just as completely as Tom
L. johnson does In Cleveland.
Mrs. Wilson has dominated her party in
the county for more than twenty years.
She herself cannot vote. but the men do;
and according to the Chic Mdsasins Mrs.
Wilson, on the Democratic side. decides
whom they shall vote for. She is boss.
And when one is boss OF Warren county,
Ohio, 1t means lot more than to be boss
of the ordinary county. Warren county
is In the Sixth Congress- district and the
cauldron never ceases to boil in the bloody
Sixth 1t 10 the home OF the Hildebrandt-
Soroggy feud, which means that two sepa-
rate. Republican conventions are held each
year.
Once q Democrat has made himself solid
with Mrs. Wilson his next move Ia to ar
range with her to line up the delegations
for him at the county convention.
@It will cost 30 much to get these delega,
hons," she will tell him, and lie will hand
over the money. s
When the man she employs to line up the
delegates in any precinct comes in after the
money, does she give it to him? Answer:
She doesn't
@Not until after the convention and I
have seen how well you do your work. !.
she will tell him. ~
Mere promises never 60 with Mrs. VIII
son. She has to see the blue prints showing
the front, si.!e and rear elevations and the
ground plan.
But how does It all happen? Why Ia
woman the boss?
Well. one reason why Mrs. Wilson Is the
why she's the boss.
Then IL you pick up the Lebanon Patriot.
bright little country weekly. you will find
Mary Proctor Wilson, Editor and Pro-
prietor.' and on the first page Of The
paper you will learn that the Patriot is 'the
only Democratic paper in the county This
is probably the real reason she became the
Democratic boss.
But though Mrs. Wilson controls the pol
itios Of her district. she does 30 without the
aid Of rainy day skirt. She takes part In
the social activities Of her town, and when
she goes to church or to a reception her
dress, IL commented upon at all. win be mem
toned because Of its thorough good taste.
She's motherly sort. too. But when
she does business she does it as man does,
One day an agent from Cincinnati came iato
her Office to quote prices on some parts for
press.
.I'D make you special price, said he
sbecause you are a woman
That ended the negotiation right there.
-when a man talks that way she de-
clared. she's probably getting ready to rob
me-"
But how has a woman managed to main
tain her power as county boss for more than
twenty years? Are there no men Demo-
Gratis in Warren county, Why don't they
start an opposition paper and wrest Mrs.
Wilson's power from her?
eral years ago-about 1904 clique OF
Democratic politicians decided that they
had been bossed around by a woman long
enough. They decided to go after her
Their first move was to get control Of the
hcan- Democrat. They imported an able
editor, but the whole attempt petered out
inside Of three months Somebody else
triet. the game then. The paper became
absorbed BY the Weetern Star, and there was
the end Of that revolt. Since that time Mrs.
Wilson has reigned alone.
On the whole politicians would rather
have her fight them with tho paper than
With her personal ps9 a. influence; NM en When she
cans as well as Democrats sit up and take
notice. And this In spite Of normal Re-
publican plurality Of l.sOo.
In 1908 the county gave the Republican
ity over the Democrat Matthew r. Denver.
In 1890 Mrs. Wilsos succeeded in entirely
wiping out the Republican plurality and
elected four Democrats to county Offices.
In 1894 abe got herself appointed post
master Of Lebanon on the recommendation
Just before the appointment was made
the friends Of rival candidate accused
her Of sending forged kilograms to Senator
Broe. They got the filed DISPATCHES
81 signatures did not look genuine. They called
on Mrs. Wilson late one evening to inform
her that they had this evidence and were
going to send committee to Washington
with the charges.
Mrs. Wilson yawned. said It was too late
to talk that she was too sleepy anyway
and had no statement to make Just then.
The committee went of and in the morning
started for Washington. Mrs. Wilson
chuckled end sent for one OF the men who
had called the night before.
-Too late!" said he when he came into
her office. .The delegation is on its way to
Washington"
sReally1' said she "I just sent for you
to tell you that what you got from the
/ kept the original papers. Here they are,
and guess nobody will question these
So the delegation came meekly back to
Lebanon and Mrs. Wilson got the post
Office.
Several years ago member Of the county
board Of election supervisors rebelled.
He declared that he just wouldn't talk
politics seriously with any woman, let>
alone being bossed by her. Shortly after
that his name was sent in for reappointment,
but somehow or other It was missing from
the list when the appointments were an
po,inced His friends incurred of MrH