The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-08
Influence Growing Rapidly and
Results Are Seen Following
Each Election in Every
County.
ARE NOT SEEKING FOR
RIGHT TO CAST BALLOT
Willing to Talk or Work in
Home Circles to Bring About
What They Believe Should
Be Accomplished.

Indianapolis, Aug. 7.-Indiana wo- |
men are greater power in the politics
of the state especially of the cities,
than they have ever before Deen. and
their influence is being felt every time
nomination is made or an election
held. They do not do this by getting
out with brass bands and parading
up and down the streets like their hus-
bands and brothers. Neither do they
get up on the street corners and make
stump speeches in favor Of this or
that candidate. Nor do they get out
among the voters and shake hands
with them and call them by their first
name. They have not learned the
game of practical " politics. as it is
commonly called. and they are not
trying 20 learn it because they know
that practical politics are not the kind
that women can play with any degree
of success. They work on higher
level than that but their work is pro-
looked or ignored.
Neither is the political work that is
being done by the women the result OF
any agitation in favor of woman suf-
frage, for Indiana women have never
given very serious consideration to
this subject They are not asking the
right to vote at the elections. If they
could vote and If they were to go to
the elections and cast their ballots
they would then be placing themselves
on level with the ward politicians of
the masculine sex and the result might
be disastrous to womanhood. Who
knows.
Work in Quiet Manner.
But just the same Indiana women
are doing the work in their own quiet
way, and they are showing the state
and the country they can do things
when they take notion. In this state
each woman is her own politician al
though vast majority Of them do not
realize that they are politicians. They
would not admit it if you were to ask
them.
The strength of the political work
of the women in this state just at this
time lies in the fact that they are TAX
ing a greater and deeper interest in
public affairs now than they ever did
before They read the papers more
than ever. They keep closer track Of
current events and have come to i
fuller realization of the importance o.
clean administrations of public affairs.
especially of municipal affairs. This
is the real secret Of the influence that
is being exerted by the women. They
discuss these matters more than ever
before. They do not hesitate to com
ment on them. They talk to their hus-
bands about crookedness in office and
about the lax enforcement of laws
The finer sense of woman rebels at
these things When the time comes
for a party to make nominations for
public office in Indiana cites this year
the wives discuss the candidates with
their husbands and express their opin-
ions OF them something that they did
not do years ago. In the old days
politics was regarded as field exclus
iyelv for men, The men paid the taa
and made the living for the family ant
it was thought to be their exclusive
natural born right to do all OF the pol
itical thinking for the entire family.
Think for Themselves.
But this has changed and the womer
are doing some thinking of their own
Where is the husband who can turn :
deaf ear to the request of his wife thai
he vote for this man or for that mar
for a nomination? The husband car
easily listen to talk of politician wht
asks him to do this or that and ther
60 out and do as he pleases, disregard
ing the plea of the ward heeier. TIT
man understands that the politician Il
after votes and nothing else. HI
knows that it is a business-a profes
sion with the politician and he lets i
20 at that But when his wife says t.
him that it is about time that this evl
or that evil in municipal affairs wa
corrected and she asks him to cast hi
vote to correct 1t he can not ignore he
plea. Generally he does what she ask
him to do and votes the way she sug
9ests. This is what is happening thi
year in Indiana. The women may no
know they are exerting this influence
but Just the same they are doing il
And the husband may not realize tn
Influence his wife has over him in thi
direction. but II he stops to think
moment he will probably remembe
that he voted as his wife suggested.
Show Diverse Tendencies.
This is the story that comes fror
Fort Wayne. South Bend. Loganspor'
LAFAYETTE. Muncie, Anderson, Rich
mond, Charlottesville. Frankfort an
many other cities in which the wome
have had their say. In most OF thes
cities movements have been laugh
ated among the women looking to tn
cleaning up OF their cities. And the
are cleaning up in more ways tina
one. They induce the men to ciea
the streets and alleys and beautify tn
cities. They cause the men to insi:
on the enforcement Of the laws. The
demand cleaner men In once The
protest to their husbands against II
crookedness that marks too many &C
Manifestations. They protest againi