The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-25
THE HUNNEwELL FARCE.

The reading public had much given to
it some time back about the contest in
Hunnewell Kansas, where a woman
was elected mayor nearly two years
ago, and the five men who were elected
to the council of that place at the same
time, did everything possible to thwart
the woman S efforts, and to make her
position not only ridiculous but intol
erable. They reckoued without her
persistence, however, for she deter
mined 10 hold the fort, to assert her
rights under the law as MAYOR and to
compel the recalcitrant councilmcn to
do their duty. But they continued to
fight against her right along, and she
was obliged to appeal. first, TO the Gov.
ernor of Kansas, who pronounced in
her favor and enjoined upon the coun-
eilmen to do their duty like men, but
they continued their prosecutions to
the last, And now the woman mayor
wins complete victory in the Kansas
Supreme Court, which Just on the e1pi-
ration of their terms Gusts those coun-
ciluen from office for failure to per-
form their duties. A complete resume
of the case, which is most interesting
one, we find editorially given in the
Springfield (Mass,) Republican, as fol.
lows:
The little city of Hunnewel, Kan,
by electing a woman, Mrs. Ella Wilson,
as mayor, Soon after the report was
mischievously spread that having found
herseH unable TO cope with the politi-
clans, she was ready to throw UP her
hands and quit. So much was made
OF this IN the East that Mrs. wilson
wes finally forced TO write to one or
still on her job and proposed to stick
The five counciln1en who were elected
In April, 1911, to run the city with Mrs.
wilson objected to having a woman as
their chief. and did their best to make
her, give up In disgust They started
In by trying to make life miserable for
the mayor, and the last of them have
from office by the Kansas supreme court
Tor failure 10 perform their duties. BY
the order OF the court Mrs. Wilson may
appoint the councilmen needed men or
town for the remaining month of her
two-years' term. It was reported that
she would appoint three women and
The HunneweIl farce, after run Of
twenty-three months. Is thus ended. The
plan adopted by the FIVE councilmen at
the the, outset was that Of refusing to meet
with the mayor. One of the five was
the local agent OF the Santa Fe rail-
road With more Judgment than rail
roads have sometimes shown, the Santa
Fes after the second spasm OF the coun-
cilmen In refusing to meet with Mrs
Wilson. served notice on the agent that
he could either quit raiIroahing or quit
Trying TO make monkey out of the
woman mayor" The agent resigned from
the council. and so did another of the
nVe, just after an custer suit had been
MED But the three remaining officials
stuck TO their comic role and had the
hardthoods when the custer suit against
them was brought Into the supreme court
TO try TO prove that they were doing
their duty according to their oaths.
after giving the three a dressing down,
told them to go back and act with the
mayor according TO law, and con-
duct the city decently instead of max
ing 1t laughing stock The three then
asked the court 10 compel the city and
MRS. Wilson TO pay the costs of the suit
but the court apparently suspended judg-
ment on this while seeing how It's orders
were observed. II soon saw, for the
fusing as before TO meet with the mayor
or to confirm her appointments There
upon Mrs. Wilson made a further show
Ing before the court. which pron1ptly
ordered the attorney general TO inVes-
tlgate. On the day on which his re-
port was Med, the court not only issued
peremptory order of custer to the
but ordered them TO settle
Tor their fun by paying costs OF about