The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-11-12

for some time the real leader of the woman sui
frage movement. She founded the International
Worans Suffrage association and she was serving
her second term president of the National
American Suffrage association when II re-
Gently merged into the League of Women Voters.
She is probably the leading spirit In this latter
organization. The league Is nonpartsan 1t is
well organized. Should it turn to the purpose or
electing woman president 1t has the membership
and the organization to make itself felt. The
Herald writer says of Mrs. Gait, among other
things
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait might be the log
ical first woman president We will not ask the
National Woman Suffrage association leader
whether she would consider accepting the NOM
nation not. Her reply would spoil interesting
speculation She has battled so long and so earn
estly for the national franchise for women that
just now the only sort Of life that appeals to her
is spent among the chickens and trees and
solid home comforts of her farm at Briarcf If
you preached such thing to her as running for
any public Office she might take 1t bit Of
pleasantly Her blue eyes would smile at you and
the corners of her well-shaped mouth would curve
upward with expression Of amusement.
However. candidates have been forced into
nomination This might happen to the suffrage
leader IL the pressure of her 100000 adherents
were directed toward such end. There is
woman in the United States better known than
Mrs. Gait
Like Senator Harding and Governor Cox she
has had editorial experiences, having assisted her
husband In editing daily newspaper in an Iowa
town. When Mr.. Gait died his wife took a posi-
ton as advertising solicitor. Probably she set type
Just as did Senator Harding for his Marion news
paper, and she knew all about the business end of
journalism.
"While soliciting advertising her attention
drawn to the obstacles thrown in the way Of the
self-supporting woman And the more she consid-
cred these the more she thought of helping to re-
move them. She allied herself with the suffrage
movement and just 20 years ago was elected pres
ident of the National American Woman Suffrage
association.
"New York women voters have been urged by
their suffrage lenders not to vote for a woman can
didate just because she is woman. Mrs. Gait
was one Of the first to give this advice. Fitness
for Office is the great test according to their idea.
The question Of would hardly come up II Mrs
Gait were a presidential candidate. She Is
stateswoman Of broad and generous vision, stu
dent of international affairs; she has Travelled
around the world and has been closely associated
with men and women Of nearly every foreign coun-
try She is kindly. sympathetic, considerate. and
her mind has been trained to cope with the big
issues Of the day. And she has an organization
the like Of which man running for president
had to support him.
'When the women really enter politics both
state and national. the will begin to realize
the sort Of organization these vote yearners hive
been building up for more than a score Of years
1t might have the power to sway an election, II
brought to test"
The name of Miss Alice Paul, head Of the Ma
tonal Woman's party, would probably be the next
to occur to those who have kept In touch with the
long suffrage struggle just ended. Concerning her
tie Herald writer says, in part:
what sort of president would Miss Alice Paul
make? She has large following, though this
militant worker for the acknowledgements of Amer
lean women entered the fight recently, compared
with Mrs. Cats long period Of service. There are
women who assert that Miss Paul has presidential
qualifications. and In TIKI, event of her nomna-
ton she would be supported by members Of the
National Womans party, that organization OF