The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-01-27
Chapter XIII.

ing friends, or give his friends the
best of it and give the state the worst
of it by saying nothing that reflects
upon their administration of public
affairs. This kind of a proposition
has been confronting me for several
weeks regarding the work and man
agement of friend of mine, who has
been taking prominent part in
politics and state affairs nearly all
the time have been operating this
newspaper, and have dismissed the
subject several times, only to have
it c me up again in all fairness de-
handing publicity of the just as we'll
as of the unjust. The fact that my
friend is woman makes some diff
ference, but when we considered ex-
tending equal rights to the woman
hood of this state, the advocates of
mission to stand up and be counted,
equal suffrage said they asked per-
and to assume their place among the
citizens of the state, eligible to Of
fee and ready and willing to bear
the responsibility that goes with it.
The suflragists have always said that
they did not want to be screened
from criticism in office by reason of
sex and yet men are generally
chivalr0us enough to put up with all
most anything from woman official
and try to forget it as soon as pos
sible but vote for somebody else next
time. i have gotten so I generally
tell a woman candidate that if i vote
for her 1t will be with the mental
reservation that I am probably not
voting for the states best interests,
and that if she makes good in office
it will surprise me. If woman is
at all dictat0rial would not vote for
her at all, and nearly all women be-
come dictatorial when they get into
office where they can boss their
fellow-women. do not think it
works the same way in private bust.
ness; at any rate, l do not find
trace of it in my own business, where.
we have an equal number of men
and women, and distribute the re-
sponsibility impartially. But to get
back again to the department | have
to criticise, the state travelling
library, it is managed by very esti-
mable woman and an assistant who
have proven to me that they are very
busy indeed doing only little, and
that one really efficient person would
accomplish more than both of them.
Criticising Women Officials
If they were inexperienced girls
just from the homes where business
and efficiency had not been taught,
should wait a year or two to give
them time to become proficient in
their work before saying anything
about it, but both of them are ma.
ture women and the chief in the Of
lice has been in political and official
work long enough to become effci-
ant. In order to have the reader be |
come aware Of conditions just as. I |
discovered them, ] narrate my own |
observations covering a period of |
many years.
About twelve years ago the state |
federation of women's clubs held |
some meetings in Blackfoot and
nearby towns, and my wife and |
were in rather close touch with their
work. We attended some of the con-
ventions, and we published page
'egularly for them free, in our news
PAPER. " During those years they
worked on the plan adopted by the
Germans during the world war-if
'ome leader or tin-god recited the
reeds of the free travelling literary,
hey all recited that If their leader
that the Idaho Acadamy
,e turned into some kind of a col
ege they all talked that. When
ONE leader gained favor and talked
hat there was need for segregation
i the boys and girls at the reform
chool, they all talked that; after
wo or three years when the man
Who had got that kind of talk to go
ng, dropped out and a new tin-god
old them there was no need of the
egregation and that it was better
or the boys and girls to be in each
Tiers company and that that was
ne way to bring up normal children
q normal condition. then the wo-
1en's clubs cut out that paragraph
vhich they had been carrying in
heir resolutions for some three
ears, and remained silent on the
ubject because Mr.. So and So said
e didn't want the segregation. But !
hru all this agitation their standard (,
lethod Of helping to advance the in l
srests of the free travelling library S
'as to recite the history Of how 1t {
1as established and who gave the
rst books. That was always it. If S
nybody asked what this free travel t
lg library is in Idaho, they told him '
he whole rig-marole, that it was t
tarted about ten years ago, twenty ,
ears now and that one Of the first G
asses Of books was donated by the S
Trade Dollar Consolidated Min s
lg company of Silver City, and that G
.ations and cases were added so and /
}, and that now it consisted Of about i
} many cases, and won't you add a
ase or don't you want to start /
alton in your town? / got tired Of t
caring that old story and for ten d
ears or SO quit paying any atten- t
on to 1t. Note what say of this
ID matter later.
A Womanis Office
Last October attended a news 1
aper convention at Boise, and after t
lie resolutions were adopted and the q
'Owd went home, took few days t
, look around the capital and check s
n IN Coo ~ a,r rocA1rkio-c x,rou, =