The Washington herald., 1918-06-26

Good old Doctor Sayce, the kind
ly Opposed scholar who presides
over things ever so ancient at Ok
ford University, has dug up some
thing from the 5000 year old activ-
tiles of the Cappadocians we just
cannot help bringing to your atten-
ton. readers.
The doctor found out by deciph-
ering some of the hieroElyphics on
an ancient tablet or two that wo-
men mayors shared the responsible
ity OF ruling towns in those days
which wouldn't be at all bad to
adopt nowadays and placate the
women sutfragists with as a piece
meal demonstration of their utility.
The suggestion, OF course. would
be to have the wife of each man
chosen to high office-no bachelors
in this game, by any means-share
with him the responsibilities and
duties OF the Office. She even might
get in on the salary. She would
be expected to look after the phases
of the office she deemed proper for
her to attend to. leaving her hus-
band free to attend to such duties
as he wanted to assume II the
husband made good and the wife
would, too. they would stay in Of
fice. But If he made good and she
didn't they could be reduced to the
ranks-and IL he failed to make
good. and she. did. then she would
have to follow him to Oblivion just
the same. Rather unfortunate the
necessity of looking at the matter
In this seemingly unfair light but
the penalty OF the one suffering for
the others misdeeds or failures in
Office would bring them rapidly to
team work and TO the accomplish
ment of things in a dual capacity.
They would not run along single
tracks but would fuse their judg-
ment and gain inspiration and in
formation from each other.
Picture the effects of such a sys-
tenn on our Congress-think of the
435 wives OF members combining
their judgment with the members
themselves. How long would they
puzzle over the BorIand amend
ment? How long would they argue
and debate and fret and stew over
revenue legislation? How long
would they permit mono-sided lob
byists to thwart legislation? How
long would they tolerate delay and
incompetency in the management OF
any part of the government?
Verify we think, the Senate might
have interesting sessions, too, and
doubtless would accomplish some
thing in a manner far different tina II
now noted on the Record Commit
tee meetings might take on the pro-
portions of forenoon tete-a-tetes to
be true. sometimes. but in the end
there doubtless would be something
to report to the folks back home
Participation of women in gov
ernment in this sanner-without
giving them the right of the ballot
to choose rulers in this family fash
ion-would crafty some women's
desire for power. Ambitious wives
could persuade reluctant husba nds
to seek office with them-and am
bilious husbands, in order to make
good their desires to hold public
office, would have to gain their
wives consent before they entered
the races. 1t would be a happy So
luton for the politically overrur
home--it would make it possible
for homes to be all-political and
not at all political. Good old Doc
tor Sayce earns a medal for the
possibilities of the suggestions
which he has produced from five
thousand years back. We have beer
taught to look to the future for
ponderous governmental achieve
ments, but in what the Doctor aha {
revealed to us we must say we are
more than astounded at what the
long gone past has left for US.
Governor Neville. Of Nebraska
who happens to be the youngest
governor in the nation, is in the
city. He has just taken stringent
means to fire" nonpartisan league
organizers from the State and has
warned leaders who called on him
to protest against the "roughing'
given league workers that they may
expect to look for the utmost pun
ishment possible to give under the
State law. IL they persist in theiI
malicious, unpatriotic methods.
Most of the men identified with
the league in the State are good
men. But they have bad national
leaders. II they want to have the
protection of the State Of Nebrasks
they must separate themselves from
their false political gods. They
must gain inspiration from othel
sources. There are features of Tho
movement which are proper. But
there are many features that moi
II q gTNr.