Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-04-01

FROM recent announcements IN
the newspapers 1t would seem
that the question OF matrimOny is
cutting quite a figure in politics,
says the Birmingham News. Only
q short time ago the leading can
didate for governor Of Kansas
found himself face to face with a
vigorous opposition on the ground
that he was a bachelor, and the
handsome executive mansion Of
the great Sun1ower state was too
nice for a crusty old bachelor with
his pipe and dressing gown and
easy slippers to occupy alone. He
had to make promises from the
stump that il elected he would
make every reasonable effort to
get a chunk Of a wife to share bis
home and political hOnOrs. The
promises helped him and he was
elected.
Now comes the announcement
from Mayor Hayes, Of Baltimore,
that il he Is reelected he will get
married. Evidently the people Of
the Monumental City want their
executive to discard his solitary
bachelor existence. The pressure
has been 80 strong that the candi-
date for reelection had to give in.
Mayor Hayes promise is condi-
tional upon HE success. Should
he be defeated he will probably
undertake to bear his disappoint-
ment uncontrolled and alone. He
admitted that a lady friend whom
he consulted on this proposition
assured him that II he was sincere
he would have the support OF all
the women In Baltimore. That Of
course will help some, and 1t goes
to show that no question appeals
to the women so keenly as that Of
matrimony. They are as q rule
strong advocates OF wedlock, and
not even the annual spring clean
ing or the Easter bonnet interests
the sex more than the promotion
OF matrimOny.
The Richmond Times Dispatch,
commenting on the incident, says:
Gin the present instance, sup
pose Hayes opponent Is a mar
ried man with halia dozen chill
dren; is he to be overlooked, side.
tracked and defeated merely be-
cause Hayes has promised to
marry should he be re-electedi
However, we are not going to
take sides against the wOmen-we
court no such danger; our object
only is to mildly call their atten-
ton to features Of the case they
may have overlooked"
The cases Of the mayor Of Balti-
more and the governor Of Kansas
naturally raise the question wheth-
or or not a politician can continue
to succeed without a wife to help
him. AS a matter Of fact the ma
iOrity Of the most prominent poll
ticians are married men, and it is
3 well-known fact that the chief
executive Of the nation is usually
q much more interesting person
age to the public if he has an at
tractive, tactful and interesting
wife, notably James Madison,
Grover Cleveland and others.
True, the Hon. David B. Hill has
succeeded in politics, but even he
is fast losing his grip after so
many years Of bachelOrhoOd.
From recent developments it
would appear that the women
have determined to use their in
fuence against confirmed bachel-
Ors who seek public henOrs, and
when it is considered that the
women are frequently the power
behind the throne through their
influence over the men who cast
the ballots, ~aspirants for political
Office who have dragged along
alone through the world for 10!
these many years, are learning to
realize that the question of matri-
mOny is becoming quite an issue
in the broad field Of politics.