Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-07
THEY DON'T WANT THE VOTE
Women In Congressman Foeht's Dis
trlct Satisfied With the
Stand He Took
By GEORGE NOX MCCAIN


CONGRESSMAN BENZ AMIN X.
~ FOCHT. who represents the shoe
string" district ns the Seventeenth is called
almost invariably makes n round about trip
to Washington through Philadelphia half
dozen times year.
He brought nm interesting story from
Union county with him when he visited Re-
publican state headquarters the other day.
From start to finish he was one of the
most persistent and relentless opponents OF
equal suffrage in Congress. One Of the last
speeches on the floor Of the House in Wash
ington in opposition to the suffrage amend
ment was delivered by Mr. Focht.
Long before their final triumph the suf
fraSist protaGonists abandoned the gentle
man from Union county to his fate. He was
unaltprably opposed to their cause and their
plcadings made no impression upon him
whatever. They dropped him like super
heated sndiron.
''Thc attitude now take" said the con-
grcssman of the chcrubic countcnance, 'is
that since equal suffrage is the law we must
make the most of 1t. But the women in my
district are not interested in the question.
Only about half of them are registered. In
Hartley township. out of about 3T5 women
only forty have taken enough interest to
register.
'At ono of the first meetings ] addressed
| started of with the statement that j had
been opposed to female suffrage in Congress,
when to my great surprise the women ap-
plaudCd.
II have had that same experience num-
Der of times since. The registration in the
district would have been practically nil il
the various committees hadn't gone out and
persuaded the women to register.
Ninety per cent Of them in my district
DO not want the vote"
TUDGE WILLIAM NJ. LARGEST. who
- recently succeeded the late Judge George
Kunkle on thC Dauphin county bench, is
gaining high cncomiums for the ability he
has thus far displayed in the exercise of his
duties.
His years Of experience as deputy attorney
general stand him in good stead in his new
position. In addition he is the possessor of
a keen judicial mind and calm judgment. ,
Death has cut a wide swath in the Har-
risburg courts in the last twenty years.
John w. Simonton, John II. Weiss. Thomas
ii. Capp, Samuel J. NJ. McCarrcll and
George Kunkle have all died in the first two
decades of the century.
ONE of the oddcst cases on record was
" thnt of Judge Cnpp. who was appointed
to the Dauphin county bench from the ada-
cent county of Lebanon.
| do not recall having heard the inside
story of his appointment discussed in recent
years.
The late Congressman NJ. +. Olmstod was
power in Harrisburg for years. His su
premacy was never seriously threatened
until word was passed around that Dawson
Coleman, the ironmastcr of Lebanon county,
contemplated making n fight for his seat
Thomas f.. Capp was Coeman's principal
lieutenant in Lebanon county and was recog-
nizrd us II masterful influence among the
voters of the Eighteenth district.
According to the Sto"y. Olmstcd mmc-
diatcy started out to head off his opponent.
1t was about this time that the venerable
Judge Weiss died. 1t was the i'll wind that
blew fortune 10 Marlin T.. Olmstcd Tic
persuaded Governor Pcnnypacker to appoint
Cnpp to the vacancy on the Dauphin county
bench.
The Governor. as evidence of Capp's pop
ularity and ability, was presented with
petition which had been largely signed by
members of the bar when, some time before
Mr.. Capp was candidate for the Superior
Court.
That settled the question. Former Rep
rcsentativc Capp. of Lebanon county, was
appointed to the Dauphin bench. to the great
satisfaction of Congressman O!mStCd, who
saw in it the removal from his pathway of
the most potent influence behind his pros
pcctvc rival, Coleman.
But Judge Capp did not live long to enjoy
his hOnorS.