The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-16
How Women of Washington Elected
Governor.

We may say what we please as to our
doubts of woman's practical political
worth, but the real facts remain and
that is wherever women have thrown
themselves into a political campaign
they have generally won out against the
craftiest of politicians to the entire dis.
comfiture of these vampires, In The
they elected Governor Lister.
Ernest Lister was an iron manufac-
turer. He was a man of the finest per-
sonality, of great efficiency, and his home
life was ideal. He was in no sense a
politician, but under former Governor
John r. Rogers he had had charge OF
the states finances as a member of the
board of control of public institutions
and expenditures. Governor Rogers adj
ministration is without question the
best Washington ever had The success
of il was largely due to the system of
efficiency introduced into the states af-
fairs by Ernest Lister. The latter fought
extrayagant expenditures, instituted
sound business methods and saved the
state from bankruptcy. When Governor
Rogers took office, Washington state
warrants were quoted at sixtyfiye dol
lars on the hundred. When he relin-
quished the office, state warrants were
selling at above par. This change in
state credit was due to Ernest Listers
efficient business methods.
Unfortunately for Listers chances,
however, he was an eleventh hour candi-
date. AT the Democratic primaries, Lis
ter ran second, being beaten by Judge
Black, who accordingly became the party
nominee. After the campaign had been
in progress for some time, Judge Black
was declared ineligible by the state SUI
preme court. and Lister was placed on
the ticket. This was about three weeks
before election day. With such handi-
cap, no one dreamed that he could be
elected.
"The majority Of the male voters,
true to the principles they had inherited
from their fathers, stuck to their parties,
regardless of political scandal or any
thing else. The women, never having
inherited any political principles at all,
made up their own. What they wanted
was a clean, efficient governor. They
cared nothing about the party label he
bore. Accordingly they turned to Lister
by the thousand. They got out nom
partisan circulars signed by women of
all the parties, asking support for Lister.
They held great mass meetings where
prominent citizens who thought more of
efficiency than of party labels urged
Listers merits. Never have we any
where attended political meeting that
for earnestness, cleanness and high tone
equalled those Lister meetings.. All ref /
erence to scandals in the other parties
was taboo. Mr.. Listers sole plea was
that of efficiency, independence, honesty.
A lecture at Carnegie hall could not
have been more dignified or cleaner.
Such meetings mean something for the
future of American politics. In the en-
tire state of Washington, not one news !
paper backed Lister. But the women
never faltered. BY the same methods
they had employed to elect other desir-
able men. they got voters into line for |
Lister When the final tally was made,
Ernest Lister was found to be elected
governor of the state of Washington.
throughout the ticket the same
scratching was in evidence. The state
,aried Overwhelmingly for Roosevelt; yet
Mrs. Josephine G. Preston. a Republican,
was elected state superintendent of in
,truction. For twenty years she had
been engaged in educational work in