The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-20

l tana,' IS "reGuidr person." ana
 almost makes you forget your hap py home when she talks about suf-
 frage and the federal amendment. TIT IF to the present moment I've seen 1 II no fashion magazine instituting l a department entitled Correct Frocks for Forensic Functions" but should they desire to do so, they'll find 1 the Hon. Jeanette Rankin, "the lady from Montana most interesting study of politics in petticoats.
 ! I don't know exactly what I expected Miss Rankin to be like when l called on her yesterday; sort of "mannsh,' I be- leve; sort of western, I'm sure; sort of ll-er-er-anything almost, but what she really is: gentle, refined, real sort of woman.
 l I think it was rather natural for me to have formed unique impression ot her type; she's a westerner, from the wild and woolly hills of Montana, and ITd never seen a congresswoma tor do you say congressman? ? before and was surprised and most agreeably so.
 1 Miss Rankin dresses charmingly; is beautifully groomed; pays no little at l tention to the essentials of becoming | things, and for the benefit of the car toonists wno rearure the millinery or petticoat politicians, I want to say that Miss Rankins bonnet was "a perfect dream"
 Desexing somehow has always tagged up with clothes; and, incidentally, with brains: it has always made me terribly tired to hear people say "She has a hrain like a mans" as If brains were a matter of sex, masculine or feminine, any more than teeth or hair or foot or hand.
 Don't you know they'll ''doll up" a girl in tussy clothes and yards Of flap ping skirts and corset her into the .wasp waist" effect and all that, ana tilt her on a pair of Louis heels al an angle of 45 degrees and say wiidiy' "Isn't she deliciousiy feminine? Ger
 tainlv-foolish and inconsequential-but feminine; but if she has modlcum or lbrains they'll begin to declare she's like Ia man and never give her credit for an
 atom of femininity, so l was really very
 much pleased to meet the complnatioi, II yesterday in Miss Rankin-femnine anu
 with brains, plus-to her credit.
 The strongest impression that l gained
 of Miss Rankin is that she is "regu- lar person." there's no reason, or course'
 why she shouldn't be, except the ones I've related, but it isn't just exactly expected of her. you know, because ever since the day when Thomas oelierson bitehed his horse to the capitol renee
 and strolled nonchalantly into the struc- fire to take the oath as the nation
 chief executive our knfcKerbockered cltl-
 zenry have fixed their youthlui eyes Innon the glittering dome at Washington
 much as the pious Mohammedan turns
 toward the minarets of Mecca at the hour when his soul seeks peace. and } have left the feminine part or the pcpu- Ilation at home not coveting the honoi | of representing their country at the na' tional capitol, but rather to rear Iahi' ily from which would come some das
 a scion who would be called President!
 Hence-a woman congressman-d chapter of politics III petticoats uoos
 set one to thinking.
 Miss Rankin's election to Congress smells the first step for suffrage; the
 first step for the equal rights Of mer
 and women; the first step for the eman cipation of women, and It IS lnterestlhs : to know something of her personality My campaign was spectacular " that was the only republican elected
 Miss Rankin said modestly With democratic majority for all the others i naturally my election melted grea P deal of comment. In every campaign :. no matter what the purpose may pc
 there must be leaders to direct II
 policies and activities these leader
 who bear the responsibilities of tn V campaign are the generals of the hgh' r and so the political campaign l passe :. through was but reflection of wha e campaigns for suffrage must be in tn : various states, which mean orgahl1a
 ton and enthusiasm <,
 "The victory in New York state speil s victory in other states" Miss Rank ' declared, enthusiastically, and l can D not think that the men of the sout P are less eager to give the women wna
 they want than the men of the nortn'
 "The federal amendment is the mos ! expedient way for suffrage to ootaih' o Miss Rankin continued. "The advantag 'r of the national amendment lies Tn n \ fact that it limits the tasks of SUI
 fragists to securing majority vote tbe Legislatures of three -fourths or tn . states of the union instead or havin : to carry on separate campaigns Tor '' referendum vote in every state
 means in other words that campalgi z ing may be concentrated upon a le o hundred legislatorsSinAt three -fourths z ithe states, instead or upon tne seSer' \ hundred thousand voters
 "rrhe Susan E. Anthony amendment
 M;ss Rankin continued. which pr' ,p vides for this great conservation
 funds and energy. when conservatlc
 ; avarv line of work is emphasized l.