The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-11
But Bravely She Fought For Principle of Equal Suf frage and Now She's Prob ably First American Wo- man to Win Seat in Ma tiona1. Legislature.
(New York Evening Post.)

lNew York Evening Post.)
 Not so very many years ago. say seven or eight, a teacher of public speaking, entered her studio one morning in Seattle and found seated there Jeanette Rankin, probably elected as the first woman member of Congress, on the Repupncan ticket of Montana. Miss Rankin sat in the corner looking alert. Her face was large and strong. Her eyes were those dark grayish eyes that often turn almost black with enthusiasm. When she stood up and came toward the teacher, she showed slim me- dium-sized figure, rather unexpected when one looked at such a prominent face.
 The teacher, Miss Rita Barnett, now of Il East 41st street, said that Miss Rankin, in a timid. far-away voice. murmured, "I T would like to take some work
 "To know Miss Rankin,' said Miss Barnett, "one ought to know her fam ily-a family of one brother and four or five sisters, all university grad uates, who are the most forward Z tIlluhluS, uSluOCIdIAC 1dIllly AdfO . ever known. Perhaps their mother instilled into them the desire for re- form work; they all have it. Their home was tranquil. peace-loving place for constructive thinking. From this, Miss Rankin went to the State University of Montana from which she was graduated. After her univer- sity training she came to New York. Interest in social return had a firm hold on her spirit. In. New York she took course at the School of Philan- thropy.
 During this time Jeannette Rankin was working out in her own mind the ultimate achievement of funda- ] mental reforms, political and indus trial. She reached the conclusion 5 that, in order to reach the funda- mental principles in such way to make them assured, she must con- centrate upon equal franchise for wo- men in the belief that the ballot would be the determining factor in ultimate, accomplishment. For this reason she came back to the Pacific coast and began intensive training for suffrage work, at the same time continuing special study at the Uni versity of Washington in Seattle.
 Campaigned for Suffrage.
 "She worked over her speeches. My how she worked! She herself was her own most severe critic. Every Z address that Miss Rankin could find time to make she accepted. Together we criticised and labored over her development. It was not long be- fore her exceptional ability to know persons enabled her to reach au- diences of every kind, that is, to see their viewpoints and think their thoughts. In Washington state, she campaigned for suffrage with great success. She met the people on their own ground. All through the mining camps of California and Washington she talked to the miners and their wives. They listened as they had not listened before. Her finesse in those rough -and-ready places was as ex- pert as it was in any Washington drawing room. Her feminity, her sweetness, and her direct, but not az sentiment along those Western < trails"
 Miss Barnett told of an incident when Jeannette Rankin went before the Legislature of Montana to speak for suffrage during the year when the suffrage amendment was first submit ted in that state. She approached her subject with the same adroitness the same woman1y deliberateness that had characterized her success on the Coast Her heart was in win ming the state, her home state. The men listened; they applauded, and they smiled. But to them her bril- liant appeal only represented a per sonal victory, not a suffrage victory They sent her a large bouquet o1 violets in appreciation.
 Violets for Votes.
 2 s'But violets were not the tribute that Jeannette Rankin wanted" said Miss Barnett 'tShe came later be- fore that body again with her suf- frage message; by this time she was president of the suffrage organization in Montana Suffrage was carried in the legislature. This was her dream and there was no compromise to her ideals and principles until it was ac- comp1ished.''
 Mrs- Mary Ware Dennett, formerly the executive secretary of the na- tional suffrage organization, speaking today of ''the lady from Montana, 2 as shem ay be addressed in Congress said Miss Rankin was known to the women of the United States for one thing better than anything else-her ability to overlook petty things and to befriend and helper to all She was the one woman, Mrs. Dennett said, of whom it could be said that all suffragists were her friends.
 Miss Rankin is in the early thirties but her hair is siftly gray. The voice that may speak in Congress is low and far-reaching and its vibrance is womanly and sympathetic
 Those who know Miss Rankin say she will be loyal to the Republican party; if the official count shows she is elected, she will be active in ob- taining progressive reform legislation. and will grasp the opportunity for upholding interests of women throughout the country. They look to her with confidence.
 eff Jeanette Rankin were to come up to Us now" Miss Barnett said; eff were to greet her and beg her to : tell me all the election story, she