PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2149, 15 June 1889, Page 2

PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT

» One year ago (says the "Atlanta donstitution"), the town of Oskaloosa, In Kansas, made i'se'f a laughing stock OC the State by electing a lady mayor and a council of ladies. The first thing that tbe new officials .lid was to enforce the Sunday law. They allowed hotels, livery stables, barbers' shops, and drug stores to keepopen, but stopped the sale of oigara r tobacco, bread, and icecream. Next th» bad boys were looked after. A proolama tion was issued ordering all boys unearth. ape of 18 to keep off the streets after 8 o clock at night. Fnding that squirting tobacco juice over the Bidewalk oame under the head of personal liberty and could not be interfered with, they tried moral auasioo,aud appointed a committee to visit every tobacco chewer iv town. This ooturaa was comp'etely successful, and there was nr> further trouble about tbe sidewalks. For many yearsjvery little attention had been paid to the streets, and the property owners were unwilling to be taxed for new pavements. The lady mayor and her council decided that they would have good streets and sidewalks, Tbey passed, ordinances, made contracts, superintend*- k the work m person, and successfully fought the injunctions and other suit* brought against them by the property owners m the courta. Now that they have survived a year of pettiooat rule tbe citizens of Oskaloosa are not inclined to make fun of it. They say that their town bas prospered, and has made au enviable reputation for good morale. lawy|nd order* Iv this particular instant*. the female suffrage experiment iv Kansas has tnrnd out very satisfactorily. But oas swallow^ does not make a summer.