Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-08
G. @. P.LEADER
WANTS WOMEN TO
BE in POLITICS
How Participation Is to Be
Made Matter For State
Chairmen

/ New York. May S.-"There is no
reason why women should not have
the fullest participation in all affairs
of the political parties. ] belive
men and women of the same polite
al faith should work shoulder to
shoulder in the same organization.
How this participation should be
brought about is matter for the
state leaders," is the statement made
by National Republican Chairman
| William Ii. Hays, who left here last
night for Washington in accordance
with his program of fitting about the
the country to become acquainted
with the leaders of the party, and,
also, as he puts it, ito let the lead
ers get acquainted with him
When asked about the part women
should play in politics. he said he
would have to qualify what he had to
say by setting forth that he was eX-
pressing only his own personal opin-
ion and not trying to lay down any
rule to be followed by state leaders.
II leave such things as that to the
states themselves said Mr.. Hayes.
'and / wouldn't have them think for
minute that 1 was proposing or
suggesting that they take my advice
as to how they should organize their
party so as to give women. what |
think, is the full extent of the power
they should possess.
The time has long passed, if the
time ever was, when political parties
should be used for personal aggrar-
dizement by any individual or for
the advancement of any small group
of individuals. Political parties exist
in order that men and women of GER
tain well-defined political faiths
should come together and impress
that faith upon the government un.
der which they live. There should be
no question of personal gain. Every
thing should be centered upon the
advancement of the government by
the bettering of the laws and prin-
ciples under which we live.
"Of course, it is too much to eX-
pect that each state should adopt the
same procedure for the harmonious
working together of its men and
women voters. Take Colorado, and
Wyoming for example. In Colorado
there is a woman for every man in
every organization and committee
from the state committee right down
to the precinct committee. And right
across the line in Wyoming. the state
in which women were first enfran-
chised. you will find that women are
not included in the party organiZa-
tions in any way. Still they seem to
participate in the government so thar
the end accomplished seems to be
the same anyway, although the
means of accomplishing it are rad
ically different"
Mr.. Hayes said he had talked little
politics since he had been here. He
was asked whether his interview with
Governor Whitman had to do with
politics, and he said it had not. Most
of his time, he added, had been
taken up by visiting, and in receiv-
ing calls from leaders, and getting
acquainted. He chuckled when asked
whether Governor Whitman had
suggested that he would be candi-
date for the Presidency in 1920.
AS to 1920
TN all my trips across and up and
down the country" he said, Il have
not had a single man suggest that he
or any one else was to be considered
as candidate in 1920. Indeed, when
any one mentions 1920 to me l just
put up my hand and say, It's my
business to elect, not to select and
that seems to end it as far as / am
concerned. l am not interested at
this time in what happens in 1920.
That will take care of itself. What /
care about now is the building up of
the party so that we will have a real
/ organization when 1920 comes
around"
The national chairman said he did
not wish to discuss the coming Con-
Gressional elections because that was
a matter which was entirely in the
hands of the Senatorial and Con-
gressional committees. "Of course
/ will work with them, as | worked
with them in Wisconsin, but ] don't
want them to think that | am trying
to force myself upon them or to tell
them how to run their business"
on Mr.. Hays authority it can be
said there is really very little doing
in politics at the present time, but
that business may be expected to
pick up before long. When pressed
as to what the attitude of the ma
tional committee might be in the
Gubernatorial campaign in this state,
he said he didn't know, because that
would be primarily in the hands of
the state chairman. He limited. how
ever, that reports coming to him in
dicated that everything looked rosy
for Governor Whitman.
Mr.. Hays will spend more or less
of his time in New York, and expects
to be here off and on during the
summer. The headquarters of the
Republican National Committee will