Season 2 of Ruining History is here!
The Election of Susanna..
🕑 Added 2024-04-04 18:08:02 +0000 UTC
Season 2 of Ruining History is here!
The Election of Susanna M. Salter
On this day in history:
April 4, 1887 - Susanna M. Salter of Argonia Kansas was the first woman to be elected mayor.
A branch Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) had been organized in Argonia, and with the right to vote, its members called a caucus to select a ticket of men whom they considered to be worthy of the town’s upcoming elections. The union’s president had been absent that day, leaving Mrs. Salter to preside at this meeting.
A certain group of men in Argonia felt that the field of politics was their exclusive domain and resented the intrusion of women. Two of these men had attended the W.C.T.U. caucus and heckled the proceedings.
These disgruntled men met at a local establishment and hatched a plan to secure a political loss that would humiliate the women and discourage them from future participation in politics.
Because candidates did not have to be made public before election day, one of the men added Susanna Salter’s name to the ballot, believing no one would vote for her and the Women’s Union would be humiliated and discredited. Susanna herself did not know she was the ballot before the polls opened. But on election day itself, she agreed to accept office if elected, and so the Women's Union entirely abandoned its own preferred candidate and voted for Salter.
One of the first city council meetings over which the newly elected Mayor Salter presided was attended by a correspondent of the New York Sun. He wrote his story, describing the mayor's dress, and pointing out that she presided with great decorum. He noted that several times she checked irrelevant discussion, demonstrating that she was a good parliamentarian.
As compensation for her year's service, she was paid one dollar (equivalent to $33 in 2022). After a year in office, she declined to seek reelection.
Although Susanna never ran for office again, it is believed that she continued to enjoy the perks of political office for years to come.
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