The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-14
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
UREAU
TREDERIc ]. HASKIN. Director.
Waahinxfon. u. C.
A WOMAN IN THE SENATE.
Washington. D. c.


related in Washington that Senator
Henderson Nevada. who is filling
the vacancy caused by the death OF
Senator Newlands, and is the regular
Democratic nominee for election to
that office, said when asked about
campaign prospects:
This woman, Anne Martin, is Civ
ing me a hard battle. She manages
her campaign like an old stager."
1t is a fact that politicians of all
sorts are looking toward the present
three-cornered senatorial race In Me-
vada with a considerable degree of in
terest. There, for the-firet time in the
history of the country, q woman has
publicly announced herself as a. can
didate for the senate. The woman is
Anne Martin, educator, social worker
and suffrage agitator. of Reno. She
launched her campaign early in the
spring, and both her opponents are
said to be regarding her progress with
considerable awe and alarm. Suf-
fragists turnout the country who have
espoused the cause of Miss Martin ARE
putting forth for her confident claims
of victory.
There is a possibility that the COM
ing election will decide the fates of
two woman senatorial aspirants. Rep
resentatiye Jeanette Rankin of Mon
tana, decided on the eve of the pri-
maries, to contest the Republican,
nomination in that state. She was
heavily showed under at the polls
perhaps because she was unable to
prepare an adeauate campaign. It Is
said in some quarters that Miss Ran
Kin proposes running for the senate
as an independent. But in this re.
gard nothing definite has been learned
as yet. -
There is no doubt that Miss Martins
NC r.
ure responsible for the tremendous
hold she has gained on the affections
of the people of Nevada. She has
been described as "a born politician
who doesn't look it." Whatever may
be in that statement. It is evident that
much of Miss Martins political inter-
est and understanding may be traced
to~her early environment. Her father
was a member of the Nevada legis,
| lature, of whom it was said that he
might have been governor had he
chosen to run. At a very tender age
est in the questions her father dis
cussed with the friends he brought to
dinner. Bit by bit she came to under
stand them and, indeed. before she
! was ten she had decided more than
| half of them to her own satisfaction.
Early womanhood found Miss Mar
| tin keenly interested in the issue of
suffrage. In a short time she was de-
| voting almost the whole OF her atten.
ton to it. She campaigned the state
| many times in behalf of the cause and
| in one way or another, found herself
| being taken seriously at a time when
| most suffragists were not. Something
| about her-perhaps her candor and
| htforwardness-won for her the
| support of the rough and ready ele-
ment of her state. She is said to have
! gone unattended to the bunk house OF
"a cattle ranch and there to have won
for a suffrage petition the signature
of every man in it who could write.
l. Anne Martin has a. curious way OF
| receiving visitors. On entering her Of
! flee you find her immersed in work
from which she does not look UP foI
perhaps five minutes. The visitor
usually becomes self-conscious and
vaguely uncomfortable. Just about this
time Miss Martin, lifts her head and
with courteous smile says: what
can do for your"
| There is something about Miss Mar
tins What can I do for your" which
is different from the phrase as it il
used by most politicians. 1t sounds
| perhaps, as tho she really meant it
This 10 a point much emphasized b,
her supporters. They say she is going
to put the question to her constituent
| If she Is elected.
| Normally Miss Martin is quiet, re.
served and unassuming. When push.
ing cause she conceives to be a JUS
one, she is aggressive, tenacious ant
| relentless. It Is recorded that di1rinf
the recent agitation for the fedora
suffrage amendment she called on :
certain senator in Washington, to ash
his vote for the amendment. After 1
few minutes the senator told her h,
was very busy and requested her t.
leave. Miss Martin told him she in
81, lI g.
just why he should give his vote t.
the measure. The senator grew
angry.
'eWill you leave auietly?" he de
manded. "Or will I have you pu
out?"
helped pay for this office. You will
sit here ana listen to everything
have to tell you.'
The senator listened.
In nevada they tell a story whIc1
may or may not be true. They sa.
the driver Of freight train taking hi
engine round the bend of a mountai,
saw on the track in front of him
we'll dressed woman holding aloft
sheet of paper. He applied his brakes
The woman rushed up to the cab an,
forced the paper with a pencil into hi
hands. It proved to be a petition TO
a suffrage referendum. Before the,
knew 1t, both engineer and fireman
had placed their signatures on it. Tn
rest of the crew had rushed up to fin,
out the cause Of the stop. The woman
got their signatures too. The womai
was Anne Martin.
Miss Martins platform is terse an,
simple. tt is partly orthodox an,
partly not.
II stand for the complete mobiliza
ton Of every resource of the Ilatiol
necessary to secure maximum produc
ton of all war industries. I believ
in government ownership of interstat
railways. I favor government owner
ship of telegraph and telephone line.
Of water power, coal, Oil and nattrA
: gas. shall devote my attention. t
social legislation. such as industria
insurance. aleng the lines of the pres
ent war risk Insurance.; to the distri
button OF seasonal labor, ana to tn
| hour MorkdaY for Women The Ted