28. attend a Chautauqua

Glenna Wallace's presentation on Mary Elizabeth Lease this afternoon took place outside the Pike County Courthouse in Bowling Green. The County Commissioners found her a stump to stand on. She wasn't planning to present in character, but being a good sport, she stepped up on the stump anyway.



Mary Elizabeth Lease was, indeed, a stump speaker. Today's presentation was about the many ideas that she and the Populist Party had that were eventually implemented--although everyone thought Lease was crazy when she brought them up in 1890.

The railroad monopoly hurt the farmers and in 1906, the commerce commission was given regulatory powers to make the railroad more of a public service.

Women's suffrage was not a primary goal of Lease's, but it was important enough to her that she quit the party when the first act of a new party blending Populists and Democtrats (the Fusionists) was to drop the women's suffrage plank from the platform.

Like most women active in politics in the late 19th century, Lease started as a temperance activist and continued to discuss it during her career. Prohibition came in with the 18th amendment, only to be repealed later.

Lease and the Populists advocated for a graduated income tax which eventually came to pass as an amendment to the constitution. They also wanted a direct election of Senators--this also happened by amendment.