The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-12-24
WOMAN CHOSEN
ASG0RONERBY
KANSAS VOTERS
Another Named Presidential
Elector; May Bear Result
to Congress.

TOPEKA. Kan. Dec 23.-Kansas
has elected its first woman coroner
and believes it is the first state to
choose woman presidential elector.
Dr.. Winifred Viers was elected coroner
of Ottawa county and Mrs. R. C. Lay
man. of Hutchinson, was chosen a
presidential elector
1t is probable that she will be Sc
llected to act as the messenger Of the
Kansas electors to deliver the votes
Of the ten Democrats to the president
OF the Senate and the speaker OF the
House in Washington in February
DR.. Winifred Yiers is the first woman
ever chosen coroner in the state
| While Ottawa county is not populous
and ordinarily she would have little
work to do. the office is a potential
office. In the event the sheriff dies or
is removed or becomes incapacitated
the coroner assumes the duty of the
sheriff without appointment. 1t is the
only office, except that of governor,
where the succession is fixed. DR..
Viers may be coroner the full term and
she may be sheriff also.
100 Hold Office in State.
The women made further inroads in
to the Offices of the state in the last
election. There will be 1856 women
assume their duties as elected officials
when the terms change in January,
May and October. The county super
tntendents change terms at the close
of the school year and the county
treasurers change at the close of the
/ tax year, October 81. All other county
officers begin their duties January 8.
Fifteen years ago there was not u
/ woman holding an elective office in
Kansas. Ten years ago they began
breaking into politics." and since then
have gained new offices at the rate of
twenty-five to thirty at every election
! Women were eligible to hold Office for
many years previous to the granting
of full suffrage. Granting suffrage
has not materially increased the num-
! Der OF women seeking elective Office.
Offices They Occupy
The following shows the women
office-holders in the state:
Presidential elector ..........
coroner j
| Probate Judges -..-............ 3
County clerks 3
| County treasurers Observation-Disclosures
| Clerks OF the district court ". 25
| Registers of deeds ~
Superintendents of public Untrue
ton ....-... 50
This is a gain of thirty places over
the number OF women elective officers
now in office. There were 267 women
candidates for state. congressional and
county Offices. There were eighty-tyyo
who were up for reelection.
There was only one woman candi-
date for the legislature. She was de-
feated. There were twenty-eight
women running as Socialists defeated
and the only woman candidate for
Congress was defeated. The Republf-
cans had the majority Of the women
candidates, although none on the state
ticket.
Worry the Politicians.
There are seventeen Kansas coun-
ties without women officeholders and
in thirteen OF the counties there were
no women candidates. In Chenenne.
Usage. Reno and Rawlins counties
there were women candidates for var
ious places, but they were. all defeated.
The Kansas politicians are consider
ably worried about the women candi-
dates for Office and the success of their
efforts. In a considerable number of
cases the women hold the most impor-
tant offices in the counties. Every WON
an ofliceholder handles a great deal of
money. particularly the county treas
urers and the probate judges.