The Portland daily press., 1884-12-20
Female Politicians.
Some of the Ladies who Figure i'm Wash
ington Society and National Politics.
washington Post.)

lngtOn Society and National Politics.
washington Post)
There are several reasons why Washing
ton society is especially interested in
elections, even to greater degree than is So
ciety elsewhere. One of these is the fact
that what is known as "society" here is
made up very largely of wives and daugh-
ticians. They are accustomed to hearing
the subject discussed in business way, and
come to look upon the success of their party
as interviewer with the success of their re-
spective relations who are associated with
party More than that, many of these wives
and daughters and sisters are very acute
politicians themselves. The exigeneies OF
some political contest in which their male
relative was vitality interested has some
times led them to take an active part in po-
litical life, and, like the lion which never
forgets the smell of blood, or the warhorse
who is always excited by the smell of pow
der and the sound of battle, they are thor
Oughly interested when any contest political
politicians among the ladies. Every one
knows the traditional effectiveness of wo-
man in political intrigue, and, whether this
be well founded or not, it is at least a fact
that some of the shrewdest politicians of
Washington are of the gentler sex. That
General Logan owes much of his success to
bis wife is fact so well recognized as to
need scarcely to be mentioned. "She is the
better politician of the twO," said gentle
man who knows them well, and has known
them for quarter of a century. ''She is a
hard worker, careful reader. a methodical
and close student of the subject, is blessed
with good memory both for facts and faces
and with her large acquaintance in social
and political circles, and her very effective
ways, she is power. tell you, Logan
would never have been where he is now but
for his wife. The help that she has been to
him IN his Senatorial fights has been some
thing wonderful, and can only be appreciat-
ed by those who have witnessed them"
Mrs. Logan is by no means the only wo-
man here who may be counted an expert
politician. Mrs. General Williams, the wife
of Senator Williams, is another who stands
fairly abreast of her husband as a political
expert. In fact, the bluff war WAYS of old
"Cerro Gordo," the hero of two wars. are
not of the sort calculated to find favor with
all sorts OF people, and the aid that his wife
has been to him in his numerous political
contests has been something remarkable.
That was a memorable contest at Frankfort.
when old Cerro Gordon and his wife and
daughter entered battle against Governor
McCreary and one of the ablest and most
prominent Judges OF the western portion of
the State, with number of smaller fry also
against him. The odds were against the
| General, and the press everywhere was pre-
dieting his defeat; but they did not know
the host that he had in his wife and her
daughter. The Generals rooms at the Cap
itol Hotel were constantly open, and Mrs.
| Williams never tagged in her work in his
behalf. Day and evening she was busy, her
keen woman's wit and calm self-possession
never deserting her in the hottest of the
| fight, and when old Cerro Gordon stood vic
torious at the end of a long struggle, she was
honored by friend and adversary as promi-
nent factor in the fight which had made him
successful.
Another woman who is an acute observer
of politics and great aid to her husband in
his work here and elsewhere is Mrs. Haw-
ley, the wife of the Senator from Connecti-
cut. She has, for almost quarter of CEN
tury, been active in the affairs of the nation,
From the day she came from her New Eng
land home to go upon the battlefield as
nurse and to do whatever her hand found to
do in behalf of the suffering soldiers in the
| late war, she has felt personal interest in
politics. To her husband she is an invalus-
Bile aid in his political work and in his labors
here in Congress. Although she has been an
invalid for more than half the time of his
Congressional service, she has assisted him
greatly in his work here, keeping up his cor
| r,rriv1f he 0cB IA.
to pension aud other cases Of this sort for
his constituents, and keeping all the time
her finger on the political pulse, not alone in
his State, but in the whole country as well.
/ Mrs. Vance, the wife of Senator Vance, is
well posted on political affairs, and is TAX
| ing deep interest in her husbands fight
for reelection.
One of the hardest of political workers is
Mrs. Budd, the wife of the member of this
name from California. Her husbands dis
trict is very large one, yet she travelled all
over it with him in "buckboard," talking
to the women at their homes or at the poiti-
cal gatherings where her husband made
speeches, passing judgment on the babies
and the preserves, while M, Budd literally
painted the district red with marking
brush and paint pot which he carried, pla-
carding every rock and big tree along the
roadside. "Vote for Budd." Nobody ex
pected him to be successful. ''My wife
helped me nobly," he said, in talking over
his wonderful success. ''She travelled all
over the district with me, and it was so large
one that it took many weeks to cover. it
once, and her quiet talk among the women
and the men, too, did very much in helping
ms in the tremendous fight had to make.
We would drive about the district, and
when we came to a big rock or tree-and
there are plenty of both there-I would
pairt on it in large letters, Vote for Budd.'
When we would find little knot of miners
we would stop and cnat with them, my wife
among the women and babies. and talking
to the men. The result was that we were
successful, and The worst surprised man on
the day after election was the Republican
candidate on the other aide, who had no sort
IF doubt of his election"
Christmas FringeS.