Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-11
THE FIRST WOMAN
CONGRESSMAN TALKS
Miss Rankin Of Montana Sews
As She Tells What She
Intends To Do

Missoula, Mont, Nov. 11.---ssI am 90.
ing to Washington to represent the wo.
men an dchildren of the west--to work
for an eight hour day for women, and
for laws providing that women shall
be paid the same wages as men for equal
amounts of work.
Miss Jeanette Rankin, newly elected
Republican congressman-or "congress
woman from Montana, was sewing as
she said this today. Even after enter
ing politics she refused to forsake the
old household arts, cooking and needle
work. Miss Rankin failed to become
excited when returns showed she was
running ahead of the republican ticket
in Montana, and later that she was
elected.
~ m glad of this chance" was her
comment when cheering friends "broke
the newso
| "Of course,'' said Miss Rankin to.
day, ~ know IN be the first woman
member of congress, but won 7 be the
last, and believe ] III be received with
courtesy and as an equal by those cast.
ern congressman. even though they are
! enemies of suffrage. While working
for suffrage in. the east, l found that
no matter how strenuously our oppon.
ents fought us, they were always ready
to hear our side.'
! In addition to her eight hour day
and equal wage laws, Miss Rankin in.
tends to fight for woman Suffrage from
| the moment she gets into the capital
Her suffrage bill, she says will be one
of the first introduced at the next ses.
sion. She also declares her intention
of seeking extension of the child labor
laws, mothers pensions and universal
education.
As fighter, Miss Rankin's friends
believe she will make some Of the old
est battlers in the house break ground
Not 70 long ago she tramped through
deep snow potting bear and wolves just
for q pastime. Her father came Il
Montana when it was an empty wilder
ness, and his four daughters endured al
the hardships of pioneers.
Miss Rankin showed the Montana re
publican organization some Of her fight
ing qualities in the last few days OF
! the campaign. Opposed by the c. O. P
leaders in many towns, she went ahead
with the Montana Good Government
league backing, kept her own rcpubli
can banner waving, and made speeches
in every city and hamlet in Montana
In addition. she organized telephon,
roundup. On election day her friends
called every telephone number in tn,
state, and asked whoever answered If ,
vote had been east for Miss Rankin yet
| Is Good Fighter.
Washington, Nov. IL" jeanette I
the best stump speaker in Montana
can dance like boarding school gir
and. believe me, she II lead the mem
section Of congress merry little two
step"
| This is JessidAHardy Stubs, q promi
nent snffragist, and teammate of Mis-
Rankin, elected by Montana to be th
first congress-woman in the Unite'
| States. Suffrage workers are happ.
ever the Montana happening.
| How is jeanette runningi" was tn
question with which they bombarde,
| the United Press all through the hour
from Tuesday night until Friday night
"She's good fellow" Miss Stubb
4 said; njust normal American girl
who sat beside her brothers at colleg
| anu otuutcA INC raiht oocioioHy nhu VN
onomies. She spoke often at stree
tmeetings here.
i '"She is young, attractive, brigh
and intelligent-looking, has keen
well-balanced mind. She enjoyed beinI
heckled by the crowds, for she Away
had comeback"
When suffragists came from all sec
tions in 1913 bearing petitions to con
gress. Miss Rankin made her trip b.
automobile, making speeches all tn
J way. She got pretty hdarse, but arrives
happy and went to work lobbying.
| "Somebody in our family has to com
to congress-" said Miss Rankin whe
, she returned to her home.
Miss Rankin started out to make
living as a social worker, after gradu
ating from the University of Minnesot
and the School Of Philanthropy in Ne'
York. Then she went to work as
paid field secretary for the suffragist
and spoke in nearly every state. Sh
got big share of the credit for putin
Montana in the suffragist column !
, 1914. Furthermore, she can make he
own clothes and her family says she