The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-17
Women And Office Holding.

| Guthrie, o. T.. Jan. 1e.-Both houses o.
the legislature promise to get down to bust
ness when they meet Monday, and proceed
at once to the consideration Of measure.
OF interest to the Territory. Not mucf
work was done during the week just CLOSED
Tor the reason that they lacked rules AND
order Of business and the further reason
| that the committees were not appointed
until yesterday. Then. again, great dea
OF time was occupied with the work Incl
| dent to the selection of employees and THU
Is no small part OF the work and worry oil
legislator. There must have been al
least 800 candidates for positions and every
| ole Of them had pull. or thought they
bad. The passage of bill defining the
| number Of employees and the nature of thei,
work viii help many a member out of trou-
be, for then he can cite a good excuse for
not being able to serve all of his freinGs
The cost of the work furnished, or 10 b
furnished, by employees will aggregate ST.
600. This Is entirely too much, but il is a
hard matter to get under it and reason
ably satisfy those who are after jobs. As
most OF this Will have to be paid by the
territory the legislators should be more care
full. The national government being farther
removed for local boosters have provided
for only few employees and the territory
has to pay the remainder. The fact of the
matter is all legislatures employ TOO many
persons for clerical work. The present
legislature OF Oklahoma pretended to al
vocate economy, but the human nature of
those composing every party is about the
same and it will be found that this legs
iature VIII compare with pervious legisIa-
lures in extravaganza. The people OF Okla
homa are already burdened with excessive
taxation and they will not stand very much
more. In the upper house the policy of
employing men only has been established.
The women applicants naturally crowd the
lower house and al present there seems to
be feeling there to follow the policy of
the senate. A few good people are adyocat-
ing the mo woman need apply" sentiment,
because they allege the employment Of wo-
men will incite scandals. This is not fair
20 the women. II is an injustice to them.
Nobody believes that the men who COM
pose the Oklahoma legislature are any bet
ter than the men who elected them and no.
BODY Will believe that the electors Of Okla
homa are any better, morally, than its fair
women. The truth is that the legislators
want TO employ men and thus repay them
for some political prestige they exercised
IN the recent election. That Is all right
in itself, but In carrying out that policy 1t
Is not necessary to attack the character of
women by insinuations of scandals. II the
house or senate want to employ women in
the ensrossing department they can find
thousands of them whose conduct will
never give rise to suspicious of scandal.
With some experience about legislatures I
am prepared to say that the lady candi-
dates for Office now in Guthrie are of
better class than any I have ever seen.
There are no adventuresses among them,
such as can be seen at Topeka, Jefferson
City, Denver and Springfield, but all of
them are good women. whose regulations
at their homes are of the highest be-
lievc the lower house Will employ az least
eight women. I also believe that a good
many women will be appointed in the SEN
ate TO committee clerkships.. I heard Sem
ator Marum say yesterday that if he heard
any more of this silly talk about scandals
he would employ one of the best known and
highly respectable young ladies in Guthrie
10 the secretaryship Of his committee and
thus strike blow at all this twaddle about
Il have heard respectable young women
talked about here he said, ''by men whom
knew TO be OF evil reputation themselves.
II they talked about women out in Wood
ward as they do here they would get kill
ed"
Marum is a man Of a very high sense OF
honor and the fact that he is championing
he cause of women in the legislature will
nave its effect. Speaker Towsley is also a
very strong champion of the idea that
woman has as good a right to
hold a position at the public expense as
nan.
The meeting of the legislature has par
tally ec,ipsed the movements Of Oklahoma
Republicans to the pie-counter. There is
,rat deal of medicine making going on
livery day dozen or more prominent Re- |
,ubiicans of the territory arrive at Guthrie. |
they come here to look after |
BUSINESS in the supreme court or to watch |
he proceedings of the legislature, but the |
act is they come to find out all they can |
bout the lay of the land In Republican |
'olitics. The situation is a little obscure |
t present for the reason. presume, that |
he question as to who will be governor is |
ot quite settled The gubernatorial can
idacy will govern everything. The gov
rnorship is the sun about which all the |
Their territorial offices will resolve. There |
) noticeable movement all along the line
4 the direction of the exact point in the
olitical heavens where Denis Flynn is sup
osed to be located. There is no doubt but
hat he is TIE choice Of Oklahoma by a
arge majority. but whether he will be the
hoice of Major Mckinley is another thing
here Is quite little feeling in the minds
the people that he will not be. 1t is
ne knowledge Of the fact that he has Okla
orna solid and the fear that he is not a
lvorite with Mr.. Mckinley that is caus-
e that uncertainty in the minds of the
as 10 what is the best alliance
ley can form. They want to be with the
an who is most likely TO get the COVER
orship, and hence they are treading their
ay slowly towards the pie-counter. The
tuation will not be clear enough for few
eeks yet to discuss the matter with any
sgree OF intelligence
DAVID. D. LEAHY.
Al .