Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1890-01-23
GREAT MEMS WIVES.
How They Help Their Husbands in Political
Matters.
philadelphia Record.l

We all know what Mrs. Hayes, Mrs.
Garfield and Mrs. Logan did for their
husbands-with sympathy, with coun-
sci, with knowledge, by hard work, at
great personal sacrifice. We recog-
nize the fact that without the help
which they gave, their husbands would
not have been the men they were. We
know that Just as certainly as the
men who voted for them-Mrs. Hayes
and Mrs. Garfield put their husbands
in the White house. We know. too,
that ii Gen. Logan had lived, his wife
would have had him president by this
time.
But how many people know what
Mrs. Arthur did for her husband, or
what Mrs. Carlisle has done for her
husband, or Mrs. Randall for hers?
Mrs. Cox, was glad to see, was gwen
just praise in all the eulogies on her
husband for her care and counsel,
without which he would have failed
ana fallen long before, but this was so
unusual as to excite especial remark.
For one instance like this, where even
tardy Justice is done, there are a hun
dred cases where ro one, inside OF
little circle of familiar friends, has ever
had IA word in recognition of the part
which women take so heroically in the
government of the nation. Unless
woman is in society" and i'm evidence
all the time there, she is set down as
domestic" and therefore to be com
paratively ignored, even though she
he the propeller and the rudder OF her
ht.st Of, .
is safe to say every public man of
prominence owes his position largely,
perhaps chiefly, to his wife. There are
exceptions, OF course, which will occur
to everyone, but nevertheless this is
| the rule. Bright, studious, well in
formed, they not only perform all
their own duties. but often their hus-
bands rs well. They can supervise
correspondence, they can collect au-
thorltles and Information, they can
draft. correct or revise a speech. But
even when their ministry is of a purely
domestic" character it's influence is
incalculable.
Here in Washingt on, where it is so
easy to go behind the scenes, and even
into the greenroom of the great theatre
of government, we know more than
we can tell without violating cour-
tesy about the value OF wives to hus-
bands. But it is not indelicateto lust
enumerate some OF the examples most
commonly exhibited IN proof of all
have said and many have thought
about the power of wives in public
life. Judge Jere Black immortalized
his wife in his letters, and Judge Thur
man has made his wife famous in his
speeches and interviews. But their
debt was no greater than that of other
men. Sherman, Allison, Ingalls,, Nor.
rlll. Frye. Vance, Morgan, Cockrell
ana Brown in the senate, to take the
names which come first to mind, are
all in the same blessed Indebtedness
So are Reed and Cannon and Burrows,
Mills and Breckenridge and Springer,
in the house, to take again tine top
most names. Few people would think
OF the wives OF any of these men as
indispensable in their public life, for
they all are noted for their self reliant
courage. When one of them is in the
full tide OF IA pleasant speech or riding
triumphant in "a stormy debate, ne
seems absolutely independent and self
sufficient. But over there in the re-
serve gallery sits "a quiet little woman
to whom that success was predicted
by the painful preparations which she
helped to make-and IL is to her and
for her he is speaking. men and breth-
ren, flattered though he be by your
appearance in the crowded galleries
One silent look from her after it is all
over Is worth more to him than all
your vociferous applause.