Evening star., 1919-04-27
BOSSES ARE WORRIED
BY LEAGUE OF WOMEN
Fear Organization of Newly Enfranchlsed
Voters May Break Up Old
Party Alignments.
F Party Alignments.
BY n. O. MESSENGER.

BY n. O. MESSENGER.
HOLITICAL managers in both
- parties are concerned over the
proposed League of Woman
Voters, now in process of or
ssn.sation. While the bosses point
with pride" to the accession of the
woman vote, they view with alarm"
thts suggested organization OF the
new suffrage element into distinc-
lively women's political body. Now,
isn't that '.just like man? The bosses
welcome the women to the polls, but
want them to come along with the
men, and not stand aloof In a separate
organization.
To b sure, the prospectus OF the
league seeks to allay the fears OF the
timid bosses. apprehensive Of the gen.
lie sex overreaching on them. 1t said:
''In the sense that a party aims at
political ascendancy the new union Is
not a party. There is no intention Of
massing women against men. Its OBJ
ject is to utilize the tendency already
existing among enfranchised women
of turning their vote-seeking associa-
tions into law-making agencies for
better social conditions
~.
This would seem to be fair enough
assurance against any sinister designs
upon the man
WOMAN VOTERS voters. but it has
A BIG FACTOR. not suficed to dis
pei the apprehen-
sions of the bosses. ever alert for the
appearance Of anything like a new
party or the intrusion of an element
of uncertainty into politics, something
which they cannot get hold OF and
deal with according to usual political
metho DDS"
The big fact Is that IN the next
presidential election women will vote
for presidential electors in twenty-six
states in the Union. They will have
full suffrage in fifteen states. possibly
more by that time. It il estimated
there will be about 100000 votes to
be cast by the women If they care to
avail themselves Of the franchise. Can
they be rallied into q compact mass
through the organization of a national
league Of woman voters and thrown
in one particular direction? On this
question there are diverse views. even
granting that there is such intention.
In the discussion OF the proposition, I
desire to acknowledge Indebtedness to
Anne Whitney Hays very Illuminating
article for much valuable Information.
Il
Efforts almost frantic arc being
made by the man bosses to head OF
any possible
FRANTIC EFFORTS stAmpeding OF
BY PARTY sossEs. the women into
q separate suf-
frage element. Both the democratic
{. and . republican national campaign
committees are paying ardent suit
to the new voters. exerting every po-
litical vile to win them. Just at the
moment 1t would appear that the
democrats probably are putting up
Quets are bigger. their smiles more
winning. They are going to make
special efforts to please the women
at their meeting in Chicago the lat
ter part Of next month. The republi-
cans are showing signs of being tor
mented by the green-eyed monster Of
jealousy and admit they will have to
brush up and bestir themselves.
The democrats have a national CON-
mittee Of women. corresponding in
number and representation to their
own national committee. The repub-
1icans also have a woman's commit
tee Of their national committee, but
the democrats are giving the women
a larger share of participation in
party management. The object of
both party managements is to keep
the democratic women within the
democratic party organization and the
republican women within the repub-
1ican party. constituting a known pe-
litical element which can be counted
upon, a tangible asset that can be
utilized on election day for the sup
, port Of the regular ticket-the full
1icket
The very detailed plan of organi-
zation which the proponents Of the
national league
PLAN A LEAGUE Of woman voters
IN EACH STATE. noun d
served to in
crease the apprehensions OF the
bosses that an organization might be
perfected which would make 1t pos
sible to defeat the object set forth
aforegoipg. a league of woman voters
Is to be organized in, each state where
women have suffrage, full or limited
State suffrage associations may be
merged into these. and then the
counties and the municipalities will
be organized, the whole to come into
one national body; this is to be &C
complished after country wide woman
suffrage Is attained.
AS Anne Whitney Hay points out in
her paper. lis there a woman ex-
Cept An acknowledged anti-suffragist
who would not be drawn int6 this
vast body of voters? Is there any
body of men which comprehends such,
an astounding number and which,
corresponds to the league OF wom-
an voters? The women will be
massed together regardless OF party
il they have already become repub-
licsns. democrats. independents. So
cialists or prohibitionists, they will
be asked to discard party affiliations
and vote for tho men the league OF
woman voters supports" That is Just
what the man bosses fear and are tryinS