The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-01-02
SHE'S NOW !, IN POLITICS
EXPERIENCES IN A CANVASS FOR A
I COUNTY OFFICE. -"
Work She Did to Get the Nom1na ton
for County Superintendent Of
Observation-Disclosures of Her Travels
Her Treatment by the Men-Net Re-
suit Of Her Campaign-If Women
Can Bear Disapp0intments They
Are Qualified for Politics.


county in one Of our Northwestern states,
said the woman who had started to relate
| her experiences in political canvass to the
I New York Sun. "No one had ever suspect"
ed that there was any natural inclination
toward politics in my nature and least
/ Of all. Nor was the tendency due to
l hereditary influence, for. it has never been
(. known that any one Of my ancestors was
president OF even senator.
| ''It all came about in the most natural
! way In the world. I was horne for my
/ Christmas vacation enjoying the brief
] respite from schoo]room and text books:
Some bachelor relatives were commenting on
!: the report that county superintendent
| Of schools was about TO- resign. -.
T. "'Why don't you try for the nomination
next summer? one OF them said to rne, with
! gentle insinuati0n.: .ar..4"-
K why, lndeed?' repeated, not catcnln9
| the full significance Of his words.
! 1T the superintendent resigns, then ne
| will certainly not care to be q candidate Tor
a second term. In that case you VIII stand
| as good a chance as any one. BESIDES IL
:. is the only office a woman can hold IN the
| county, and some think she ought 10 nave
! it when she is qualified
! "'It certainly sounds very reasonable anu
| very NICE I said thoughtfully enough. ~
! 1t still sounds as reasonable ana as NICE
when I come home In the spring Will Try: !,
! 1T was one morning in June that
woke up with the full conviction that II
ever I was going to be Superintendent,
| something must be done, 1 walked down
| to- the breakfast table and made my an
| nouncement. but had no idea Just What
l was to do as yet. did not rush on to
I some university in. order to take a post
graduate course In political econony-poii-
ticians are not in the habit of doing that.
! / simply had the buggy. horse shod anew,
and my mother and. I drove to neighbor-
| ing town to consult with an old family
| friend whose head hetaE turned gray with
| political experience. dcli
80 think it will be-, easy for you he
| said with misleading confidence. Mr.. Long
| is, friend of mine and know he won't
| care much about running for a second
| term Let me say right here that Long
| does rs well for 'sflperintendent's name
as any other. especial&W when 1t isn't Long.
| wants the Office .
| '%'But business is business, reminded
him. and the times 9;are too hard to en-
| courage galantry to SUCH an extent
But my political radvfsor was q; the
opinion still that ME,'E4opg- would not rum
! country to get adqdainteed with all tf iisa
prominent people, SO that they will work
for you. You will have to shake hands
with every one and kiss all the babies, >
ne ADDED
II had expected that it would be neces-
sary to study local geography when the
horse was newly shod. but / confess that
the thought Of the babies that might have
to be kissed was something appalling. He
told me about the primaries and how i'm
portant 1t was that men favorable to my
| interests should be semitic the county con-
vention. After that every man I met po-
litically told me about the primaries.
Before the political ball had rolled very
much further 1 determined to find out from
Mr. LONG himself If he really intended
running a second time. common friend
went with me to his Office and talked Of
pleasant i,npersonal things until muster
ed courage to ask the apparently simple
question: -
Mr. Long. will you. be Candidate for
reelection? I have heard that you would
not -
I have decided to run again. he replied.
'It came over me then how very interest
ing this game Of politics was. and reme1n-
bored that many of my friends had adj.
yised me to run anyway. Before I knew
1t was saying:
"I think I will run. too Mr.. Long. If
you have no objections From that moment
Mr. Long. although he was noted for his
kindness of heart, became the most for
mldable of personages in my eyes.
There Is no better. way In the world to
study human nature than to go into poll
tics, nor Is there any better way to study
the topography of ones county It is both
interesting and curious to hear man who
is canvassing for some county office sound
ing his friends to lind out If they will pledge
him their support. There Is just so much
form and ceremony to be performed each
time; the stately march Of politics must
not be fastened in any degree. ~.
"Be it said to my lasting discredit that
never could learn to take the longest road
leading to subject when 1 saw a. short
cut. At first / was sure to feel myself
either aggressively feminine or ridiculously
youthful WI en- asking for public office;
it. all depended upon the person with whom
was talking In time grew to feel that
my political aspirations were not abnormal
at all, AMI I found them as easy a SUBJ
iect for discussion as the weather.
1--WE rode al! over the county. some mem
Der of the family always being ready to
accompany me- Sometimes a party 'of
friends would take the opportunity to go
along TOR picnic drive learned to know
all who had political hopes and nearly every
one Of political prominence In my party.
s'I was passing a candy store, when I
thought recognizedaan, the group Of men
some one who might pe of service one
whom I had known Khen he was boy.
7 stepped into the cai16y store and asked
the proprietor If that was not Mfr.
pointing without He said 1t was and call
ed him in. was not mistaken. The gem
tleman was of my party faith and would
help me. But 1t wastf candy store and
he thought Of the traditional young wo-
man The day was 5ulry. Did care for
some soda water? I'M dpolitics the candi-
date always treats. II. reminded him. and
that was the only tffHe treating was men
toned in my campaigns
II had been very a41xious to meet gen.
tlemau Of some note in county affairs,
when I met him ohss day on the road
He began to instruebl me the first thing:
:. !" I have had goRh deal of experience.
and think can Give you some advice.
Do not be too partisan; be good to both
parties ,t l.
Yes said rneekly, T do not want to
be too partisan either; but only one party
can give me the nomination. II get that
then shall expect friends of both parties
to turn in and elect. me. Eut before the
convention 1t will help me to see only
those Of my party
HE repeated 1t again and again, that I
must have all parties working for me:
He simply would NOT understand the pr.
mary principle Of office seeking, that your
party friends give you the nomination,
and that all OF your friends elect you after
that, and yet he WaSs considered informed
and something Of q politician!
The toMn was full the night before the
convention. sDe1egates and their wives.
candidates and wpllld no candidates, III
we're t1aers. o. fkfkef Wol3ld hrinG 50 tbs
a,1tAl parloe paopIas ihoa1 fts - iuaporfant