McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-12-04
FEMALE POLITICIANS.
Some Of the Ladies Who Figure In Washing
ton Society and National Politics.
Washington Post.

There are several reasons why Wash
ington society is especially interested in
the election even to a greater degree
than in society elsewhere. One of these
is the fact that what is known as $50
ciety' here is made up very largely of
wives and daughters and other relatives
of professional politicians. They are
accustomed to hearing the subject dis
cussed in business way, and come to
look upon the success of party as inter-
woven with the success of their respect
i've relations who are associated with
party. More than that, many of these
wives and daughters are very acute
politicians themselves. The exigencies
of some political contest in which their
male relative was vitality interested has
sometimes led them to take an active
part in political life, and, like the lion,
which never forgot the smell of blood,
or the war-horse who is always excited
by the smell of powder and the sound
of battle, they are thoroughly interest
ed when any political contest comes on.
And there are some excellent politicians
among the ladies. Every one knows
the traditional effectiveness of women
in political intrigue, and. whether this
be well founded or not, it is at least a
fact that some of the shrewdest politi-
clans of Washington are of the gentler
sex. That Gen. Logan owes much of
his success to his wife is fact so well
recognized as to need scarcely be men
toned. ''She is the better politician of
the two," said a gentleman who knows
them well and has known them for a
quarter of century. ''She is hard
worker, a careful reader, methodical
and close student of the subject, and is
blessed with good memory both for
facts and faces, and with her large &C
quaintance in social and political cir
cles, and her very effective ways, she is
a power. 1 tell you, Logan never
would have been where he is now but
for his wife. The help that she has
been to him in his senatorial fights has
been something wonderful, and can
only be appreciated by those who have
witnessed them"
Mrs. Logan is by no means the only
woman here who may be counted an
expert politician. Mrs. Gen. Williams,
the wife of Senator Williams, is another
who stands fairly abreast of her husband
as 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 remark
able. That was memorable contest
at Frankfort, when old Cerro Gordo
and his wife and daughter entered bat
tie against Governor McCreary and one
of the ablest and most prominent judges
of the western portion of the state, with
a number of smaller fry also against
him. The odds were against the gen
eral, and the press everywhere was
predicting his defeat, but they did not
know the host they had in his wife and
her daughter. The generals rooms at
the Capitol 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-possesion never DESERVING
her in the hottest of the fight and when
old Cerro stood victorious at the end of
long struggle, she was honored by
friend and adversary as prominent
factor in the fight which made him sue
cessful.
Another woman who is an acute OBJ
server of politics and a great aid to her
husband in his work here and elsewhere
is Mrs. Hawley, the wife of the senator
from Connecticut. She has, for almost
a quarter of century, been active in
the affairs of the nation. From the day
she came from her New England home
to 90 upon the battlefield as nurse and
do whatever her hand found to do in
behalf of the soldiers in the late war she
has felt personal interest in politics.
To her husband she is an invaluable aid
in the political work and in his labors
here in congress. Although she has
been an invalid for more than half the
time of his con gressional service, she has
assisted him greatly in his work here,
attending to pension and other cases of
this sort for his constituents, and keep
ing all the time her finger on the poll
teal 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 af-
fairs, and is taking 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 hus-
bands district is very large one; yet
she travelled all over it with him on
blackboard" talking to the woman at
their homes or at the political gather
ings where her husband made speeches. |
basSinp iudoments IN tho bahiac apd |
the preserves, while Mr.. Budd literally |
painted the district rcd with marking
brush and paint-pot which he carried, |
placarding every rock and big tree
along the roadside, "Vote for Budd."
Nobody expected him to be successful,
except his wife, for he had a large ma
jority to overcome; but together they
were successful. ''My wife helped me |
nobly," he said in talking over his
wonderful success. ''She travelled all |