The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-02
WOMEN IN POLITICS.
ANEW THING IN CAMPAIGN WORK
IN GOTHAM.
yaiue Of Their Efforts Fully Recognized
Animated Interview With One
of the Leaders.

One Of the unique features in the con-
test now going on for the control OF
Greater New York Is the unusual part
taken bv women in the campaign. Po-
llti.al clubs composed of women are COM
mon enough-"gossip and tea associa-
tions" one campaign manager contemp-
tuousI,, dubbed them, but the work car
Rod IN Nv women OF New York this ran
Is not confined TO drawing rooms. All
partfes are more or less represented III
this work and a description OF the lev
methods used cannot fail 10 prove most
interesting. -, 49,,
For the first time in a municipal cam
paign the women are recognized py the
campaign managers. The Rcpupllcan wo-
men OF New York have oihcial nedulu III
tiers provided and paid Tor by the Gull
~ committee They work in cooperation
with the men, and the leaders say lhdl
they have found the work or the women
as effective as a means or Vole-bcl1i"s %
any they have ever tried. ~
In appearance the women heau! ~
ters do not differ much from those OF w
men. The rooms are barely luIhlSncu
with desks and chairs, the walis are W
GRATED with the usual bunting anu lilo
usual pictures OF the party canaletle.
There Is also the usual array OF clchu5
typewriters, and the usual pies or Cstln.
paign literature. There Is no tea IN sisnt
ond no gossip Is heard. The Wholc plaOo
has an appearance Of business.
The most animated scene at the Wo-
mems headquarters Is between eight anu
nine In the morning, when the ulstllct
workers come I'm 10 get their orders lot
the day. These women are certainly
jealous, for they have selected as their
special battle-ground The east side section;
There are some fifty district workers, anu
their work IS thoroughly systemauzed
and mapped out by Mrs. Clinton burns,
president OF the association, and MISS
Helen Narick Boswell. the secretary, VINO
are the ruling spirits az the headquaIteIs'
Both have had considerable experience
and go at their task like old campaign
ors. rhe district workers are an SIM
ply and neatly dressed. They do not look
as though they were doing this work ior
the fun Of the thing, and they nave
quiet yet business ike way OF ,resellsl''s
their arguments that often gain them
hearing where men would not DC us
persons who do not understand our
I IfeiYu Saiy9iio4 Army said Miss Bos-
well recently, I'm explaining me women
work "That Is mistake. W q aPpt11t
TO the voters not directly, put thlouh'i
the home. This we have fouhu by m it,,.-
rience to be the surest way OF baiilln1
votes our workers go into the MONIES.
They talk TO the women over the tuoS
or at the ironing board, ana they use az -
guments which appeal especla'ls ~ v,,i ie-
love OF home We use some canpdlbh
literature, but rely mostly upon oral az
gnments presented in a way they cannot
fail To understand. Before leaving the
'campaigner tries TO secure promise
from each woman that she VIII U.s. nci
influence TO get the vote or her husDatu,
or whatever men are I'm her FAMILY. re
find that when SUCH a promise ~ 5ie,,I
II is usually kept When Inc Iusulii ~
comes home at night he finds the Wlle
ready with arguments which he mas il
hard TO meet It's an argument ne cll
get away from. either, and ne OFTEN tluS
hv coming round 10 his VIE $ way VI
In districts where there is consider
able foreien-bOrn population we SEM w
men who speak German or ltallah' az W
caee NAV be and our campaign ledllct'
are urintcd in seven Inherent llls uasV,
or course. 20 sometimes happens ',ie.
our workers are met win Ielusal ~ oo,1rto-
9buee lint usually they receive coui
Gus treatment, even MAel0 '''-
immediate results. ,t... 60 elevate
,,olitics - continued Miss Boswell We
are working for party success, o'. ~. " W
uee practical means TOT sSlulh 36ot
Indcod the work we do Is the kilu W., VI a
49, fo,.r,erlv believed TO require the Mdlu
,"..,Icr Who held forth I'm the saloons. ba1
~. ,,,ornen do the work more eilecllEsis p
-. ,,,,.b loss cost. with no utIlvi aii~.'-
O. If The voter. Accordingly nellcf -
~ we are effecting real ele1,Iti9.' ~, ~,
noiitics along an enduring hne' w IND
nof abandoned our parlor Hte'a,5 fo,,nd
II9ee,.i,,o--room talks bat we nave lot.t~
u ~ 20 s7,,ch long distance campals iiis
S1.l'~,,t count Cor much, so We haNr t,n
es o,r coats. metaphorically sp'"h'..i5
- have got right down 10 "OtN 60
teek of rolling up votes. ., ...o,.t, Miss
With which 'pracucai ~. dltfies.
Boswell turned once more 10 -