Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-11-17
The First Woman Congressman

Montana went Democratic in Tuesdays election
gave President Wilson approximately $1,000 votes and
Hughes only $4,000, and elected Democratic con-
gresham; though Miss Jeanette Rankin, who
worked and studied for years this CITY, ran
the Republican ticket in Montana, the state elected
her to be the first sit IN congress
Since the late returns have shown definitely that
Miss Rankin elected kilograms o. Congratulations
have been sent to her from women in this and every
other section Of the until according to reports
from her home town, Missouas she has been deluged
with them Miss Rankin announces IN reply that she
viii represent all of the women of the country ana not
only those of her
Although Miss Rankin spent several years in New
City, appears that comparatively little
known here, and many women who been active in
suffrage work. this city for years have been asking
during the past few days what Lady from Mon
is like, how old she is how she lives, and what
looks like.
The fact that she was so little known in New York
probably explained in the description of her charac-
terstcs given by the few who could be found
here who had known her personally while she was In
this city. According them, Miss Jeanette Rankin
is of the most noted type personally ana II one VIII
talk suffrage other problem in which she
interested she will not talk Of it herself When she
began to study public speaking according to her
this subject, who is living here,
Miss Rankin really timid.
GOT INTO POLITICS EARLY.
She is about thirtyfour years old and is about hVe
four inches in height, slender, with light brown
hair-not red, her friends nsst-and has an unusual
of energy. She Is the daughter of one of the
best known of the Montana pioneers, who went west
when the state sparsely settled that 1t resem-
a Wilderness and she and her three sisters have
learned to rough it" in the big She
graduated the University of Montana, became an
ardent sufragist while girl and went to Seattle to
study voice culture, and then came to New York City
to a School of Philanthropy in this
city.
Miss Rankin was among the early and most ardent
workers for suffrage in the west before any states had
granted the vote, it said, and fought
actively for amendments in Washington and California
In these campaigns it is sad she went into mines and
farms argue personally with men and women to
as a field secretary of the National American Woman
Suffrage association after leaving New York City and
went to Florida establish suffrage organizations
there Then the campaign for woman suffrage in her
home state taken UP, and she resigned as field
secretary of the national body to begin campaigning at
home
She is credited with having done perhaps than
any other in the state to obtain suffrage for the
of Montana Then after hard fight she was
congress by overwhelming vote in the
primaries the primaries and election day,
it is reported she had to fight the old guard
Republican leaders in her state well as the
Democrats. She did a large part of her campaigning
horseback
Her friends Joined her in creating electioneerng in
didn't finish her campaign until election
night election day her friends telephoned
practically everybody in the state who had tele-
phone according to reports received here and greeted
whoever answered the telephone with CHEEKY:
Good morning Have you voted for Jeanette
Rankin"
MAKES FAMOUS LEMON PIE
Miss Rankin is feminine woman" one young
who had known her here and who is now
She dances well and makes her own hats, and sews,
genuine fame among her friends with the
wonderful lemon meringue pie that she makes when
hasn't enough other things to do to keep her busy
"She is the sort of girl who won't stop until she
got results she is after and 1t will be lots of
her in her first hight in congress- She is this
father trying to of his houses in
Missoula, Mont and there wasn't sidewalk in front
it, prospective tenant found, but the tenant
said wouldn't take the house unless it had a side
walk Jeanette called some carpenters and found
them too busy lay the sidewalk. And she bought
lumber borrowed hammer and saw, and laid the
sidewalk herself"
Among the things which Miss Rankin has announced
that will for in is extension of the
child labor intends to represent children
we'll as women in congress-natonal suffrage,
mothers PENSIONS universal compulsory education and
similar propositions 1t is expected that she will intro
duce a new national suffrage bill she has
oDportunity.-New York Times