The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-09-13
WOMEN IN THICK
OF THE FIGHT

For the first time in the history of
the country professional women are
to be real factors in the political stu
alton this fall The latest addition TO
the racks OF women's political activi-
ties is the recently organized "Profes-
s.onal Women's Wilson and Marshall
Leagut an organization national in
its scope. with headquarters in the
Fifth Avenue Building. New York.
The organization was founded BY
Miss Willette Kershaw. the actress
who did so much for the womens suf-
frage cause while touring the country
two years ago as the leading woman
in The Country Boy. Last year
George Bronson-Howard wrote for her
the suffrage play "Snobs" in which
she essayed the leading role.
Miss Kershaw is also chairman OF
the organization committee which is
composed of ten women drafted from
the following professions. two law, two
stage. two medical. two newspaper,
one representative from Child's Vel.
fare Association. and one woman thor
oughly familiar with factory and shop
conditions throughout the country
where women and children are EN-.
ployed
This committee is in turn assisted
by an advisory board composed of ma
tional committeeman from each state.
Upon Miss Allyne E. Shoerer of Chi
cago, the national secretary, has fallen
the task of organization The New
York headquarters under her leader
ship has developed into political bee
hive in the past week
Miss Kershaw is the first woman of
the league to take the stump. She and
Mrs. Borden Hartman, the New York
society leader. are in fact the only
two women who have thus far address
ed outdoor mass meetings on behalf
of the Wilson campaign. Mrs. Harri-
man has spoken at several large meet
ings in New York, and on Labor Day.
Miss Kershaw addressed three thou
sand factory employees in Philadelphia
where she opened her new suffrage
play, Whom Does Helen Belong To?"
During her two weeks engagement
in Philadelphia she will distribute
literature and buttons at her various
meetings and devote her specife ar
guments to the industrial legislation
as it affects women and children, and
the tariff as it affects the home.
In an interview given out after her
meeting in Philadelphia yesterday,
Miss Kershaw said, Irrespective of
party affiliations, | believe we women
should turn heaven and earth in an
effort to influence the vote of the man
who has the interests of the working
woman and child at heart, and when
man already in office has done so
much to further legislation to this end,
| believe he deserves the support of
women everywhere. 1t is a crime and
disgrace to this nation to allow great
corporations to fatten on the labor of
poor half-staryed children The stage
to my mind is the most fragrant ex-
ample of this corporate greed, and |
speak from experience. | played my
first juvenile part when | was seven
years old, and was carted back and
forth all over the map in the next
seven years. had no childhood.
When | grew up I vowed that if
could ever help a cause that would
abolish child labor I would consider
that my great achievement in life
II have watched Governor Wilson's
record very closely. He has made
good, and all we ask is that intelligent
women of the country read this record
and the hand that rocks the cradle
will bring to bear more influence than
the combined efforts of all the politi-
cal spell-binders in this country
Il am not suffragette. and the
women in our organization are not
working for the ballot just now That
will come later l have influenced aud
fences all my life, but the only audi
ence we want the average woman to
influence in this campaign is the one
opposite her at the breakfast table