Women Gang up on Lum

Originally Aired: February 28, 1940 In Lum #263, "Women Gang up on Lum," Lum Edwards believes he has discovered the perfect strategy to win the mayoral race in Pine Ridge: divide and conquer the female opposition. With three women running against him and his ally Abner, Lum has been calling his opponents Elizabeth, Melvie Moose, and Mamie Seastrunk, falsely telling each that the others have been insulting them. His scheme appears to be working brilliantly as the women begin fighting among themselves, with Elizabeth and Melvie feuding at the front gate, and Mamie actually getting into a hair-pulling fight with Sister Simpson at the post office. Feeling confident in his underhanded tactics, Lum plots to stir up even more trouble by targeting Sister Simpson, a community leader who could swing votes. He plans to tell her that Melvie has been criticizing her singing voice, which she is particularly sensitive about. However, when Lum calls to execute his scheme, he discovers that Sister Simpson is attending a meeting of the Women's Protective Association at the schoolhouse, a development that may signal his carefully laid plans are about to backfire.