The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-03-08
HOW CONGRESS|NE|V
BID FOR ELECTION
Majority Spend Time Writing
Home, Says Miss Jeanette
Rankin

New OTk, MARCH o.-MlSS Jedu-
ette Rankin, who enjoyed the honor
of being the only woman Congress-
man and who is now the only ex-
Congressional in the United States,
has some unique views for improving
conditions in the country. One of
these is by running the daily news
papers like the public schools by
means Of governing boards, and the
Iother is to improve legislation by
having enough Congressman to do
he work which she thinks they are
not able to do under present condi-
itions.
Miss Rankin, who was in New
York the other day, told her views to
the members of the New York Alum
nj Chapter of the Intercollegiate So
cialist Society at one of its Saturday
afternoon meetings, called the Cam
araderie. and where the members
call each other comrades. In Miss
Rankin's proposed model daily news
paper every one would be allowed to
say exactly what he or she thought
but this might not be as dangerous
as it would seem, for the results Of
the expression of free speech would
not come back upon the paper, as in
the present method of running papers
but each writer would be individual
lily responsible for his or her own ut
terances.
If, however, any one should throw
all reason to the winds, in cantan-
kerous desire to tell an unpleasant
truth about some one else, the results
would not be very serious, for any
thing in the nature of personality,
Miss Rankin would have referred to
the subject before it was printed, and
opportunity given for an answer to
be printed with the attack. To OBJ
tain the news of staff Of reporters
would be necessary, but the vote of
the board would control the report
ers. and the editorial page would be
one of absolute free speech.
Il would have editorials printed
without regard to the subject, in the
order in which they were received,
one, two, three, four, etc." said Miss
Rankin.
One Of the women comrades
thought that even with this flexible
machinery it would be difficult to get
sufficient radical news into the paper
to which Miss Rankin replied that
that of course, depended upon the
education of the community.
One thing that Miss Rankin learn
ed in Congress was that for some
strange reason most Congressman
wished to be returned, and that the
only way to be sure of reelection was
to make themselves solid with their
constituents; to do this they spent all
their time in pleasing famenities and
consequently had no time for legis-
ilative work.
"T'lo result Of this was, I found"
said Miss Rankin. that about 400 of
the congressman sEent their time in
writing letters home to tell their con-
istituents what was going on in Wash
tngton, while about thirty really did
the work Of Congress. People give
their votes to the men they know best
Those are the men who are constant
ly writing to them and are always
ready to entertain them when they
come to Washington. They don't
have time for legislative work, but
they do get returned and the people
who really work are apt to get left.
= "Now If there were more divisions
! in each State and more men were
sent to Congress the responsibility of
: the work could be divided. There
could be one man who would have
time to write letters back to tell the
people at home what was going on
there would be one man who would
represent big business; there would
be another who would represent the
labor interests, and of course there
would be a woman to represent the
women. In that way all parts of the
country and all the interests would
really be represented in Congress and
the people at home would have a
chance to know what was going on
too."