Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-05
WOMEN JOIN IN INAUGURAL PARADE
FIRST TIME IN HISTORY OF NATION
BY M'LISS

WASHINGTON, March Sit was a
clustering flibusterer, somewhat the worse
for wear, that opined In loud and continual
tones that women should neither be seen in
the inaugural parade nor heard on the
grand stands.
And it was Il peaked little women. her
nose blue from the cold, who out-I.a Fol
letted him with her enthusiastic suueal:
"lie kept us out Of war and he didn't
keep us out Of the parade Hurray for
Wilson :"
It's big tremendous day for the nation
it's bigger. more tremendous day for the
feminine part Of it. For the first time in
womcn's history they have been allowed to
take their place, shoulder TO shoulder. with
the men in the hroat-grippng. sOul-stir-
ring ceremonies that have grown up around
the ushering into Office of the first man of
the land.
Unit by unit the women wen bv to the
number Of something like 500. They were
not segregated and reegated to the rear
end of the magnificent procession, after the
manner of squaws following their chiefs. ON
the contrary their sections were scattered
with fine impartiality throughout the civic
division which followed the military Per-
haps this was because they were ably
represented by woman on the inaugural
committee, Mrs Wesley Martin Stoner, the
first ever to have such IA privilege.
Their heads were up; their chests We're
out. There was nothing suppliant nothing
cringng. nothing even very grateful in
their attitude. They high-stepped along
to the wonderful music Of the bands in
manner which said;
We helped put you there. Mr.. Wilson, we
helped. you know. Where we had the
opportunity to deliver, we delivered. See
that you do your part
NOT AS SUFFRAGISTS
Sunragists as such, had no part in the
march. Many Of them who belong to the
Congressional Union were not even on
the side lines. hut were expressing their
chagrin at President Wilson'S failure to re-
ceive them yesterday by hanging back in
their offices taking counsel for new moves
to be made in the near future.
But as members of the trades union and
| of the political and patriotic societies there
were suffragists in line. Old girls who want
| TO vote now, young ones of the camphre
variety who expect to have it by the time
| they reach their majority, all ages of the
sex, If not from the cradle to the grave,
at least from the sChooroom to the fire.
side. were represented.
Down at Delaware avenue and Il street
the Pennsylvania women swung into line
at . o'clock. Immediately preceded by the
loyaI women of Washington, headed by
Mrs. Stoner the Woman's Woodrow Wilson
League of Pennsylvania and the Women
Democratic club of Philadelphia, led by
Miss Mary Kelsey and Mrs Anna Orme' OF
Wayne, with nitN lOllONeES III NdlhlhS
costumes. took up their stride, walking III
the shadow of huge state nag.
The jefferson club with rare chivalry
delegated sixteen of it's feminine members
to the front ranks of its unit, captained by
Mrs Carrie Hersch, The women made
Colorful cluster in their royal purple mill
tary coats Of silk, their white hats, shoes
and gloves. They could not carry a ban
ner such as the voting women Of the West
did bearing the eXutant words we did H.
| hut their presence testified to the fact that
| had they been permitted to east a ballot,
| they would have cast it for their beloved
| Woody
And what Of him. of whom it has been
| said bv enthusiasts that in the last four
| troublesome years he has made the chair
at the White House glitter more brilliantly
| than any throng?
| WOODY" TRIED TO SMILE
| Well woody" was there trying to smile
out of his long llapsburg face the deep,
| deep lines that his last term and the
! prospect of this coming term have placed
| there His tall black hat was scarcely on
his head in his ride from the White House
| TO the Capitol and back again through the
| tumultuous multitudeS-nOt such a great
| multitude it was said, as that which as
| sembled four years ago, but jammed and
| excited enough to make one realize that.
| despite almost, superhumanly efficient po-
lice service, crowd can be the most for
midable danger in the world. And Wilson's
erstwhile rather nondescrpt sandy hair is
almost entirely gray--a concrete evidence
! of the strain he has been under
Bv his side rode Mrs. Wilson, very
sweet smile relieving the imperiOus triumph
of her expression Her high color was