The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-15
Good Government Club Trou-
bles Regarded Is Over.
Insurgents Lose to Regulars
After = Plucky Fight.
NOT / nUBlG ORGANIZATION
Women Decide That Exclusive:
ness Must Rule in the End.


WE8H&llmS OF SenS3tlO18A M
ture 1T Thursday Meeting.
Personalities like only women can
construe them, bantering raillery,
sarcastic artillery-nothing in the
scrapping line was overlooked at the
scheduled war between the regulars
and insurgents Of the Topeka Good
Government club last evening.
Eventually the regulars, In solid
phalanx, plowed through the ranks
Of the insurgents and emerged with
victory of 81 to Is votes.
Incidentally, 1t was brought out at
the session in which the main issue
was whether the club was to be of q
private or public nature, that. after
all, the Topeka Good Government
club is not public organization. Its
and the names of prospective MEM
beers must pass through an executive
board of censorship.
The Thursday afternoon meeting
was full of fire. The Doster-Wrigkt-
Roby crowd. representing the insur-
gents, the women protesting against
executive board rule and censorship.
fought to the last ditch. only to be
smOthered by an overwhelming vote.
The Monroe-McFarland- Rhodes fac
ton. supported by persistent hand
clappfng and 81 votes, also q parlia-
mentarian. never failed to have a toe
hold on Roberts Rules of Order and
kindly recognition from the chair
1t was pretty battle. despite the
result. 1t was game In which the
hits and errors did not contribute to
the score until the ninth inning rally.
Home runs were plentiful, sacrifice
hits were scarce, the hit and run fea-
fy,ro hit to 1~A fv1 in
terest of the afternoons events.
Dove OF Peace lowered Not
The dove of peace. attracted to the
Y. w. C. A. assembly hall by the
manifestations !, Of Infatuated women,
laid no eggs at Seventh and Van Bur-
en- streets yesterday. One follower OF
the Bryan policies, Mrs. Wilma Cross
thick of the fray and insisted that
''all we women love each other, let .
have harmony" Then she shot three
broadsides into the insurgents and
her enemies yelled "Time!" after she
had talked past the three-minute linn
it set by the regulars.
The only RECONCILIATION of peace
was Mrs. Elizabeth Barr Arthur, city
policewoman. The .copperess, twink
ling star attached gun in her satchel.
sat on the rear tier of chairs, her feet
on the seat. towering in disdain. She
voted, with the regulars abecause she
its doors too xsCT ~ fear that 3 pf
Chesney or some other notable Of
ministerial fame might enlist IN the
ranks.
The fight started a few minutes aft
er the club membership stood and
sang America" to the accompari-
ment of the spasmOdic response Of a
piano. True, the battle hymn of the
republic or a college football yell
would have been more fitting, blu. the
women believe In proper formal fes-
tivities despite their languishing de-
sires to assume the fighting attitude
of a suffragette.
Mrs. ]. D. Mcfarland, president,
began a few Introductory remarks
concerning the amendment before the
club. The amendment, be it under
stood. mothered by Mrs Frank Dos
ter, Mrs. xina Cowles Wright and Mrs.
that anyone should become a. member
of the club upon payment of dues and
that the wings OF the executive board
should be clipped until it's authority
extended only to the point of recon-
mending measures to the club to be
voted upon by the entire membership.
This dehorning of the executive
power was fought by the clubs pres
ent administration including the clever
Mrs. Lila Day Monroe, the president,
Mis-. j.. u. NuCC t1Tl1HO, anu d U<1nu OI
81 others with various and sundry
ideas and many meanings at the bar.
Mrs. Mcfarland touched off the
fuse by limiting the debate to three
minutes each: The order brought
Wright jumped in her chair. .sYou
have no right to limit this debate!'
she cried.
Then Came the Fireworks.
Mrs. Mcfarland contested the point
by introducing Mrs. w. A Bolinger
whom she referred to as her special
appointee, her parliamentarian Of the
day, her aide de camp on the inter-
pretations of one famous and much
abused Mr.. Roberts. Mrs. Doster de-
clared that it wasn't fair and togeth-
to show that it wasn't. But the 81
varieties were too much for the club
dynamiters and the three-minute rule
was passed on vote.
Mrs. Doster took the floor as the
opening salute of the rebels. She
swore that the club would die a nat
ural death unless a new means of
membership was adopted. She CEN
sured the rule by divine right methods.
and was in the act Of sending home a
deadly blow when someone yelled
'"Time!'' Mrs. Doster turned in dis
gust to the presiding sofficer.
Then the courts parliamentarian in
terposed with a charge that Mrs.
agreed by mumblings that Mrs. Doster
was not guilty and q strained situation
was averted by Mrs. Doster's retreat
to her chair.
The debate was heated. During one
discussion Mrs. E. c. Stafford, who
was arguing for the principles of de-
mocracy within the club ranks, was
called down from across the room by
this remark:
sit down. you're not a member"
And don't want to be, thank the
Lord!" responded Mrs Stafford.
Another ripple disturbed tho waters
when in answer to q statement that II
the gates were let down the club
might be forced to accept the wives