Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29
An Interview With President Of National Woans Suffrage Associa
ton-Women Power Behind the Enforcement
Of All Laws Tending Toward Progress

be required to work in this great
field. They neither should be sighted
nor permitted to shirk.
when the suffrage amendment has
been ratified, as / have no doubt it
will be, the men will be astonshed by
the political competence of women.
sometimes I wonder if there is not
really larger body of women who
are politically competent than there is
of men.
Don't mistake me, for I am not
claiming feminine superiority. My
thought is that while men have been
considering politics purely along par
ty lines, many of them considering
absolutely nothing beyond party Gas
perhaps is natural; do not criticise
the party system), women who have
studied politics have regarded the
whole subject in rather a broader
light; perhaps they have been little
more than men inclined to consider
legislation with regard to the good or
evil erect which it would have upon
the welfare of the nation; they have
been. perhaps. a little less than men
swayed by the claims of parties or
the claims of individual politicians.
Il have no thought that women,
speaking generally, will regard poll
tics from non-partisan viewpoint.
some believe that they will align
themselves. generally. if they are
married. as their husbands have
aligned themselves. Others maintain
that Inherited tendencies will go fur
ther in influencing political action
even than those of matrimonial asso-
citation. Unauestionably, political in
heritance will be strong among wom-
en-; many will be republicans or DEM
ocrats because belief in one party or
the other burns in their blood, as ha-
tired for Germany burns in the blood
of the French, and vice versa.
But there will be many thousands
OF American women among those who
will be newly enfranchised who will
vote Independently. who will weigh
and study issues and men before they
vote, and these will reinforce the in
creasingly large number of American
men who have achieved similar
mental Independence. This will tend
probably rather in the direction Of
the improvement of the aims and
methods of all parties than in break
Ing down the lines OF cleavage be-
tween the principal parties.
Il hate positive statements in dis
cussions of mass tendencies II
America has one mass tendency only
a mass tendency toward righteous
ness and progress-she will be better
or than otherwise. But this I will
say without hesitation: Women will
not throw their influence in favor of
graft incompetence or injustice. for
political purposes. knowingly.
Il don't say that many men do,
but do say that it will take many
years OF political training--more. I
hope. that will be available in the
eternal calendar-so to train large
bodies of women politically that they
will follow blindly without inquiry,
unworthy political leadership, or even.
without investigation. follow leader
ship which, while it may have good
intentions, is mistaken.
II have worked increasingly for
many years, and l think events have
proved intelligently. to secure the
vote for women. Now we shall work,
1 hope. as intelligently to secure for
women the right sort of leadership
and education in politics. We shall
try to see to it that the women in
America shall be those voters who. in
all the world, are best informed with
regard to those affairs and questions
which. to any extent whatsoever are
to be influenced by their votes.
"As soon as the amendment actual
ly has been ratified the National
American Association. which has won
all the victories, will be merged in
the already existent League of wom-
en- Voters, and the first aim of the
Leageu of Women Voters will be to
secure in every detail of our govern
ment such changes as may tend to
elevate our whole political system"
will not that tend toward the es-
adjustment of a woman's party?'