South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-27
Women Should
Join Parties
By Mrs. George Bass

hC.a lie balance OF power, which
would make all parties nominate
better candidates and adopt more
progressive platforms?
sly reasons for thinking that won-
en- shoald ally themselves with their
PARTIES are quite plain and simple.
IL the hrst place. It is better for
the women. and in the second place
il IS better for the party. To as
sumo that large group of people
can have immence influence with
me parties by the simple process o.
staying out OF them is 20 accept
as a TACT something which has yet
TO be proved. II is perfectly true
that the parties do pay increasing
heed 10 the independent vote, but
Il IS equally true that the Inde-
pendent vote which wishes TO exer-
,ise real power tends in a compaT-
atively short time TO ally itself with
'h- national party which comes
nearest standing for it's policies.
The progressive campaign of 1912
swept into the RANKS most of the
discontented repu Diicans, who saw
little resemblance between the party
CT Lincoln and the party Of Lodge
ana Penrose, and many raqicaj
democrats. In 1916 practically al
the democrats had returned 10 their
original allegiance, and thousands
Of progressives bore witness pub
licly that the Wilson administra-
lion had carried out the pledges
hsa.r
and enrolled themsely es under the
democratic standard. Some Of the
iea0ers returned 10 the republican
party. for reasons which were con-
Vipcing to them, and now find them
selves once more under the leader
ship repudiated by Roosevelt. That
is their affair.
Share i'm Party Policies.
The reason so many OF the pro-
sressives entered the democratic
party formally IS that they might
have a hand in creating its policies.
Men and women who want TO do
constructive work know that they
vest he a part of the ank and
hle of their organization. When
,-.-. "oIE Ior ana with party they
nave 4 right TO EXPRESS their wishes
as to its platform and its candi-
dates. The principle of the direct
primary has been very generally
adopted as a recognition of this
right.
The independent voter Who stays
outside all party lines is compelled
to choose between candidates and
platforms provided for him by the
regular parties, when he might bet
ter have had a determining voice in
the selection Of the candidates and
the construction of the platform.
Far from compelling the parties to
make better nominations and more
advanced platforms. the very reverse
often happens. At "A time like this
in the worlds history the sincerely
patriotic citizen cannot be content
TO Ice mere bystdnder.
This does not mean that there is
no place for good worl; OF a non
partisan character. Most of the
work women have done for the bet
terment Of their communities Is non
partisan, and there IS no thought
that they Will ever cease doing this
work. They work in their churches
and in their clubs. in the Red Cross,
the Y. w. G. A, the w. c. T. L.,
fraternal organizations, of which
there are many, and a dozen other
lines OF activity. Much of their
work is really political in its char
'acter. though they may not have
thought OF il In that light In mU-
picipal campaigns there are many
elements that enter into each elec-
ton contest. in some cities partisan
nominations are practically forbid
den.
Field for n-Partisanship.
Since United States senators are
elected by the people there is much
less Of the old-fashioned partisan
ship of the narrowest variety in the
election of legislators. 1T Is newt
able that women will vote for legis-
lators who are willing 10 enact those
laws in behalf Of women and chill
dren which have long been advo-
Gated by women very generally
without any thought 10 their politi-
cal significance. In all these ample
llNluS AANiA- pal AASr1iiSlAAp VIII
To have the last word in the future
as it has in the past.
But the woman who takes her citi-
zenship seriously, who believes that
she owes a debt to her country, and
is anxious 10 pay II, will ind that
she cannot be content to watch the
procession go by. She will want to
be a part Of il. She will want to be
able 10 give a reason for her politi-
cal faith, and TO hear testimony that
will inspire others 10 join the party
she has chosen.
II on investigation she becomes
convinced that she believes in a high
protective tariff, even though by
tradition she Is a democrat. she will
find herself more in harmony with
the tenets Of the republican party.
II she believes that the rights Of
human beings are 10 be considered
before and above the rights Of pro-
l'erty, and looks upon tho splendid
record of the laws enacted under
the present administration as a pro-
gram worthy OF her earnest support
then she belongs within the ranks
cc the democratic party, no matter
what her family connections or
views may have been in the past.
We believe VIC have a program to