The Washington herald., 1911-02-19

of being de trop, for Mrs. C1ark's hand
goes out to each with the freedom OF
Itntentions and a common interest in life.
While she has a great respect for
everybody's ''oligies and isms,'' Mrs.
Clark has not the least bit of patience
with Dretense OF any sort.
| 1T seems to me strange that nowadays
nobody exults in simply being a worker.
Almost everybody seems much prouder
of being an idler, and those who must
work apologize for the fact that they
are putting their talents ana abilities to
| service. In a nation whose stupendous
greatness has been accomplished by a
century and a half of pioneering, the
apologetic attitude is difficult to under
stand. The attitude strikes me as stu
pid and belittling to those who assume
1t. The worker is not only worthy of mis-
| hire. but his place in the better world
| of those who at least try to do things
worth WHILE" is Mrs. Clark's dictum.
| OF Scotch Ancestry.
| On both sides of her family the wife of
the new Speaker is Of Scotch descent. Be
| fore her marriage she was Genevieve
Bennett. Her mothers name was Mac
Afee and on her fathers side she is con-
nected with the Davises, Of Kentucky.
Three Davis girls married three Bennett
brothers and kin to the family is the con-
nection OF former Senator McCreary, of
Kentucky. Away back in the early CO.
lonfal days Mrs. Clark's forbears came
to America, settling first in Pennsylvania,
migrating thence to Virginia. only to stop
for time before again going pioneering
to the wilds of Kentucky. The hardy
clan finally took root in Missouri, which
Is the birthplace of Mrs. Clark. Eligible
to the National Society Daughters of the
American Revolution, Mrs. Clark has
never joined the body with which both
her sisters and her niece are affiliated.
Neither has she taken up woman's suf-
frage, although a firm believer in the ad-
visibility of enfranchising the women of
the country and thoroughly out of pa
dence with those who form anti women's
suffrage leagues to work against the
propaganda.
II have sister and a niece who live
at Colorado Springs, and 1 am familiar
with the practical phases of the question.
My experience is that the best class of
women do vote and that the woman vot- |
ers give their best thought to the matter !
and vote intelligently. with a shrewd sense !
not only of their own responsibility, but |
the responsibility of the candidate they |
favor. Women as cfficeholders are also ef- |
feCtive; for instance, Mrs. Greenfield who !
ran for State superintendent of schools |
IN OOlOTduO, was eleCIeO TWICE Wnen Ine |
candidates for the other offices on the |
State Democratic ticket failed. By COM |
mon consent, Mrs Greenfield attained the |
distinction of being the most efficient Of |
ficer the State has ever had in that ca
pacity and when It came to returning |
her to. her position the women voted for |
her solidly without regard for party.
There is nothing unseemy about the !
polling places, and when women cast !
their ballots they display no more self |
consciousness than they would IN simply |
laying in their weeks supplies; indeed. |
they think no more of going over to the
polls and voting than they do of walking
over to postbox and dropping in let
ter"
Friend of Literad.
Mrs. Clark is an omniverous reader.
and is a lover Of books Thomas Hardy
she considers the greatest OF present
day novehsts, and his book "A Pair
OF Blue Eyes" is Mrs. Clarks favorite.
When she was abroad last summer
Mrs Clark. who has many friends
among the Hterau of the day, carried
with her letter OF introduction to the
English novelist, whom she visited. In
the consequent discussion of books it
developed that Mrs. Clark's favorfte
novel from Mr.. Hardy's pen was also
the favOrite of the late Alfred TennysOn, |
England's poet laureate. Mark Twain
too, was a great friend of Mrs. Clark's,
the intimacy dating back many years
and growing out of the admiration for
Mr.. Clemens books, which was re-en-
forced by the feeling of kinship the Mis-