The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-16

the political arena came a speedy rec
ognition of the need of special train
ing for this work and chiefly through
the influence of Miss Eleanor Butte
Saunders, the League for Politica
Education vas founded in New York
It's membership included men as wei
as women, although women have beef
its strongest supporters. One of it!
efforts resulted in securing for Turf.
college a sum of money sufficient tt
provide in the college a course Of
study for women in political duties
ethics and responsibilities. Incidental
ly it may be mentioned that these stu
dies have resulted in converting many
women to the need of the ballot who
previously had been opposed to it. The
women of Brooklyn also have Deer act
i've in political work for years. They
established the Civitas club in 1895 for
the purpose of working for the cleo
ton of the reform ticket in Brook
Ign.
In conservative old Philadelphia the
women have taken al active interest
in politics for almost 20 years and
their Influence has been felt almost
from the beginning. Years ago a
gang public official was quoted in
the Civic club as saying: These men
reformers don't give us no trouble
worth mentioning and it is easy
enough to quiet them down. But when
the women come around city hall ask
though the game was all up" In the
49,, ;Na ,r,, ~ 1nn- ~. a..-
first took active part in aiding the city
party. They had organizations in
every ward and distributed literature
and campaign buttons with liberal
hands. To their training in that cam
paign they partially attribute their
success last ear in securing the cleo
ton of Rudolph B~lankenburg, who
popularity is regarded as the "women's
mayor. One of the methods of work
initiated during this campaign was the
telephone chain in when every
pledged to call up everyone she
and deliver a vote for Blank
anburg message"
The Civic club of Philadelphia was
organized II years g under the lead
of Mrs. owen Wister. Miss
sornelia rockingham. Mrs. Cornelius
stevenson and a number of other
women. It had a strong
Influence from the beginning
though its membership at first
consisted of conservative women who
strenuously have opposed any
movement for political equality.
Among the earlier efforts of the Civic
hub was the placing of women upon
he local school board of each ward
n the city, as well as upon the central
GARD of education. From these eff
'orts developed the ward organizations
which recently have become so power
'ul politically.
In Chicago the women first achieved
influence by the organization
the Municipal Order league, which
for it's direct object the re-elec-
ION Of the aldermen who had support
ID the million dollar license bill. Mrs.
Frake, the president of the H.
Federation of Women's clubs.
vas n of the foremost organizers of
his league which has had a great no.
1tical Influence for many, years. The
Equality league, which now
s working for equal suffrage in thai
is an off-shoot of this first
eague, which was called into existence
with the idea Of securing the
indirect influence of women in the
election of better political leaders in
municipality of Chicago. The Chi
Ago women also have had strong
organizations representing
he different political parties, even
before Miss Jane Adams entered the
arena n called forth much criticism
Upon her devoted head by endeavoring
o pledge the feminine influence of the
nation in support of Colonel Roose-
'elt's party.
But, while the indirect work OF Wom-
N has had no small political influ-
in many localities, the time has
when they are a direct polit-
al power to be reckoned with by each
political party. There were six states
n which the women voted in the last
presidential election and these included
a million and a half women
yer u years old who We're entitled to
ne ballot. A larger proportion of them
'egistered and voted thar out of the
m number of men in any part of
ne Since then the franchise
las been given in three additional
tates, thereby adding materially to the
owe of women in the next
lection.
Ot the Women voters in the six
tates represented in the last presiden-
lal election, about ~two-thirds are of
latiVe ~parentage and about a third
foreign white or of mixed parentage.
here were 327,6S2 foreign white
women entitled to vote, 13,4S8 negroes |
nd 1906 Indian. Chinese, Japanese
nd other Asiatics. These figures
taken in 1910 and go to prove
nat the percentage of foreign vote
uued by the enfranchisement of
'omen is small in comparison with the
arge gain in Well-qualified, NATIVES
'orn American women voters.
Despite their increasing political
over women so far are not showing
ny great desire to hold important
olltlcal positions. There ALWAYS have
cen n or more women members of
Colorado legislature, and now
mere Is a woman state senator, In
|Nomlng, for the first time. this year
lere are two women representatives
4 the state legislature. One of these,