New-York tribune., 1921-10-09

The Woman Voter
Sh0tcs an Alarming
Indifference to "Regu-
larity" as Men Knotu
1t, and a Disposition to
Lead Rather Than to-
Trail Along in Politics

Trail Along in Politics
general topics for a few minutes and thed
asking for support for himself and his party.
Not infrequently he forgot about the nartI
and just asked for the votes for himself TIE
women have supplied long-felt want in make
ing the personal appeal for votes and suppor-
from house to house. They are thorough. thev
are indefatigable and they seem to enjoy ths
task. Women always ke TO visit about an1or,-
their neighbors, and when they have a definite
object In view, such as the winning Of votes
for favorte candidate, the interest q
doubled The women canvassers are USUALLY
assigned to their own LOCALITIES, Sc thae thew
have the added advantage Of making their
pleas to their immediate neighhors snd
friends
he district that Is covered thoroughly bv
corps Of women house-to-house canvassera
IS won,' male leader recently remarked. ~
don'c care whether the candidate in whose be-
naif the women plead has any merit or has
even the ordinary qualifications for Office TIA
women can put him over. They can enliss
AID and sympathy for him where men would
fail dismally. They set forth the advantages
OF candidate IN ways that would never occur
TO men engaged in the same work and when
ever they WIN over q voter they obtain "A
promise that he or she viii spread the prop.
aganda among other friends So the woman
canvasser starts sort Of endless chain thaa
IS very effective from the point Of view of the
candidate in whose interests the work IS bss
ing done Whether It II as much n the in
terests Of the party IS another question. II
has happened already that the women havs
brought about the success Of a candidate
wholly unified for Office, from strictly party
point Of view, but whose views evidently an~
pealed to the women who worked for hiln."
Most OF the political organizations have reo.
ognized the influence Of women to tho
extent OF electing women vice-chairmen OF
clubs, committees and other ORGANIZATIONS. bps
there IS q feeling in the air that the women
viii not long be satisfied with this and that
they will soon be demanding chairmanshirg
In their battle for recognition and positioa
the women have not scorned to adopt the tag
tics of rnen- A favorite method By which some
men obtain and hold political Office IS legis-
ating themselves therein. The women bava
already tried out this scheme with soms sue
cess. Bills have been passed creating rosl-
tions cf women Investigators in district attor-
neys' Offices, charitable bureaus. atc Women
are seeking to become state Legislators. Have
ing not yet reached the zenita # their poif-
ical power, their opportunities have been lm-
ted, but politicians who claim 20 know say
that the women are just as quick TO grasp tho
details Of bit Ct political strategy and are
lust as ready to win legitimate advantage
thereby. The men say they are sarer Of their
ND Ioo
laid their cards OF the table feel nowhere
nearly az much fear 81 beng "doubis-
crossed" a. they might n negotiating With
their own sex.
There are men WHO still resent their intss-
sion Of women into thelr political club life,
but they seem 10 be In The minority 1iost
club members, recognizing the value of p
large number of women to TIE organ .za.an.
encourage their wives and daughters % rar-
ticipate actively An T@Nt'cal c'abs row aafe
women's auxiliaries or divisions. While the
auxiliary has its own set of officers and SIS
own meeting nights, frequent meetings are
held at which both the man and women are
present. This brings up the question What
effect has the presence of women had uron
the old-fashioned political Gathering
The effect has been refining, there IS 10
li'f-t-atc>
even with the women On hand, has not proved
so uncomfortable or ridiculous a place the
men pretended TO imagine The women have
not intruded. They have not sent around
committee before the meeting to tie pink bows
on the chairs; neither have they decorated the
chairmans gavel with baby ribbon They
have not even required the men to stop srnok-
ing, and, in most political clubs, smoking goes
on just the same while meeting IS In prog
ress. The men are sufficiently gallant 70 ses
hat the women have preference in the matter
Of seats but otherwise there seems not 70 be
any radical departures from the gatherings as
they were conducted before women had the
vote. The men, in the heat Of argument,
seem more careful about their language, but
every now and then an expletve slips our
and the women do not appear 20 be shocked
thereat. They look at the thing sensibly. too.
and by not promugating a no smoking"
rule and by otherwise letting the men deport
themselves as they please they have discov-
cred that the men are not such bad lot as
that and really didn't need much reforming.
When Jane Doe or Roberta Roc becomes
candidate for Mayor VIII she be able to with
stand the hardships Of The campaign? VIII