Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-04-02
WOMAN AS A POLITICAL AID:

The state campaign in Indiana this
spring was enlivened by the entrance
into the political arena of the wife
of one Of the candidates by the
utilization of columns of space in an
Indiana paper in which to set forth
the qualifications of her husband for
the Office he sought. The candidate,
j. L. Peetz, announced his intention
Of trying to secure the nomination for
state statistician. His wife was GER
tain her husband should be nominal
ed. She knew his qualifications. She
knew, also, that he had no vices and
was good man. So loyal Mrs. Peetz
wrote a two column article in the
Monon, Ind, News and then sent cop
les of the paper broadcast over the
state. First, she set forth that her
husband is entirely free from the lit
tie vices, the use of tobacco in any
form, profanity or intoxicating liquors
of any kind, and that he sis clear and
clean mentally, morally, physically
and politically Then Mrs. PeetZ ex-
planned her reasons for thus publicly
endorsing her husband. She said:
perhaps it may appear that VIZ
should feel something of delilacy
in using the columns of the News for
the purpose of which we are using
them, but we feel nothing of the
kind.
.'Mr. Peetz is our husband, as noted
in the beginning We have ever tried
to remember and to be faithful to
our vow made at the marriage altar,
and we feel that we should be fail
ing did we not in this paper make
known our standing on this question.
SIN the beginning we were some
what opposed to Mr.. Peetz entering
the campaign. But he is in now, ana
we are with him heart and soul. The
nights will never be too dark nor the
mud too deep for us to go on foot
and out of our way if by so doing we
can gain him vote.
Say no more, Mrs. Peetz, your ex.
PLANTATION is thoroughly satisfactory.
There is not the least tinge Of indeli-
cacy in your printed effusion. But
while expressing the warmest ap-
prevail of the devotion you show. in
extolling the domestic virtues Of your
paragon Of husband the thought,
will intrude that your plan is not one
that could safely be put into general
practice
For instance, Mrs. Peetz, you con-
fine yourself to praising your hus-
bands good habits. But If your
neighbor, Mrs Beetz, should come out
in the papers supporting her hus-
bands candidacy, would she hold her
self so firmly to the text? Isn't 1t
just possible that she would come out
something like this:
"Mr. Beetz has none of the little
vices, the use of tobacco in any form,
profanity, the use of intoxicating ii.
quors, and he is clear and clean men
tally, morally, physically and politi.
cafly. On the other hand, 1t Is well
known that his opponent, Mr.. Deetz
drinks up half his earnings, beats his
wife and starves his children
And the situation would be further
complicated if Mrs. Deetz would re.
ply in this wise:
''The statement by Mrs. Beetz in
the Daily Bugle that my husband
drinks up his wages, beats his wife
and starves his children is a base
falsehood. 1t is easy to see that this
charge was inspired through Mrs
Beetz' fear of her husband, who does
not drink up his earnings because he
has none, preferring to lay around in
idleness while he compels his wife to
earn the living at the washtub.''
This may be overdrawing it slight
ly, but it is just warning of what
may come about if the wife of every
man stung by the political bee should
sharpen her pencil and her wits and
rush into literary engagement t.
further her husbands political ambi
tiOn