The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-02-07
MISS RANKIN
SEEKS new JOB
Congresswoman Has Prob
lem For G.. O. P. Lead
ers To Solve.

Washington, Feb. Miss Jean
nette Rankin has passed up a lemon
and very sour lemon at that-to
the Republican leaders in Congress.
Her candidacy for the soft and lux
urious job of clerk of the House. on
which many an ambitious and hard
working Republican has his eye. is
what has caused the furry.
Of-hand it might seem easy to dis
pose of Miss Rankin's candidacy by
simply ignoring it or combining the
votes of the men who believe in male
domination against her, but. on sec
ond thought il is not as easy as II
seems.
The difficulty is that the Repub bill
can national organization is making
a particular effort to attract the sup
port of woman of the country to
the Republican party. Recently a
special woman's department of the
Republican national committee was
opened under control of Mrs. Medill
Mccormick, daughter of Mark Hanna
and wife of the senator-elect from
Illinois.
She u Lame Duck
Miss Rankin is the first woman who
ever aspired to a job under the con-
gressional organization. Further
more. she has the traditional advan-
tage which proposes that the clerk
ship of the House shall be bestowed
on a Lame duck"-that is, mem
Der of Congress, who has been de-
feated for reelection. Miss Rankin
is "lame duck"
Under the circumstances. with the
Republican national organization
reaching out for the votes of women.
it is feared by many political leaders
that if the kibosh is put on Miss Ran
kin's aspirations it will have a bad
reflex on the women of the country.
who may say that the mere men" are
standing for the sort of recognition
of women whish is designed to catch
their votes without Offering them any
OF the emoluments of office.
Kcntuckian Holds Job.
The clerkship of the House pays
$500 year and is usually given by
the majority membership of the
House to some defeated candidate
for election to the House. The place
is now held by South Trimble, of Ken
lucky, who formerly was member
of the House. His predecessors for
many years were ex-members of Con-
gress.
A vast deal of adverse comment on
Miss Raukin's candidacy has been
aroused by the fact that last year
she entered the Republican primaries
as a candidate for the Republican
nomination for senator from Mon
tana. Beaten in the primaries by Dr.
Landstrum. Miss Rankin made the
race for senator as an Independents
candidate and attracted enough votes
10 cause the defeat of DR.. Landstrunf
and the election of the Democratic
candidate, Senator Walsh. Thus
while Miss Rankin herself was defeat
ed. which puts her in the lame duck
class, she also was the indirect cause
Of the defeat of the Republican candi-
date. which is causing a good many
members to doubt her title 10 sympa-
thy on tho ground of hsr being
lame duck.
Some Republicans Glitter.
On top of this record many Re
publicanss are bit bitter in their
comment on Miss Rankin's candidacy
and they assert she has 10 right to
ask favors from House Republicans
They assert that they will no. sand
for Miss Ranhn's election TO the
clerkship and they are threatening
90 start IN active fight aga,ns' her
Miss Tankin's friends call atten-
tiOn TO the fact that she u' the nrst
woman TO hold q seat III Congress
and that the Republicans woull make
strong. bid FOR the womeu's votes
by thus recognizing Miss Rankin II
she is oIc.ted. they assert, it viii Do
The first ti,re in the hrf- ~ OF ibe
marty that , woman mas been chosen
for such 81 important place and It
would be pio II OF the frh-ndlineS% al
The party to the womens cause