South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-25


years in her narrative-those years
which we hear of from the lips Of
others wherein her kind and neigh
borly acts made her the best known
and best loved woman in her part
of the state. Plunging into the story
Of how she came tC run for congress,
she said:
II was sixty-six years Of age when
\ they came TO me and told me was
the only person, man or woman, who
could win against the man running
on the other ticket. 1 told them it
would look funny for me, an anti
suffragist, to run for congress, but 1
didn't want to be a Stacker. I told
them TO wait and 1 would think it
over. I talked with three persons
about 1t that day and none Of them
were women, mind you, and decided
il was my duty TO run"
! She told how they abused her as
candidate. They asked her why she
didn't go and raise a family and she
replied that she had helped TO raise
and support more girls than one per
son in a hundred-and told with a
sad note in her voice how she had
| bought trousseaus for thirteen girls.
Her campaign slogan was, I'm
Christian, I'm an American. I'm
republican"
And then after I had won they
tried to count me out" she said,
but they didn't. If all the fighting
blood of all my fighting ancestors
hadn't come to my rescue, however,
they would have. I'm going to keep
fighting, too, until every white per-
son Il won't say anything about the
others) in my state of Oklahoma
who wants a chance TO vote shall
have his vote fairly counted"
Then she told about many women
who had come to her and complain
ed because the men had not done
this thing or that thing and blamed
the men in congress and out. Il
told them" she said, that they
would better see that their own back
yards were in good order before at
| tempting to criticize the actions of
others on nationwide and world
wide affairs. And, say. you ought to
see the letters some of them write
me. l tell them God made men a
little less than the angels and then
made woman one better, but now
she has stepped down and it is fifty
fifty now"
She practices what she breaches,
too. having a man for a secretary.
and is quoted as saying that it is a
mans job. Before coming TO Wash
lington she was proprietor of a sue
cessful restaurant in Oklahoma and
her Office here is right next door TO
the cafe in the house Office building.
whether by accident or intention is
not generally known.
Her hobby is justice to the Indians
She pleads for them at every oppor-
tunity and states it is the dearest
wish OF her life 10 be able to do
something for them during her SER
vice in congress. She only made two
requests of the committee on COM
mittees when she arrived, one to be
placed on the committee on Indian
affairs. and not to be put on the
woman's suffrage committee. They
put me on both" she said but they
tell me the woman's suffrage COM
mittee has 'innocuous desuetude' so
it is all right"
Another paradox about this wom-
an in congress is that although she
came largely against her wish she is
making good in the estimation of
everyone about congress. She has
the respect and admiration Of mem
bers and secretaries alike. something
as rare as a day in June about these
parts Everyone has a good word 10
say about her.
There is another woman who came
TO congress because she sought to
come. Women's political organiza-
tons wanted her to come and helped
her 70 the spotlight basking in the
margin by reflected glory. She toy
ed with radical voters and sought
perpetuatiOn in Office at the end Of
political rainbows like many a man
before her. She voted against a war
one Of whose primary objects was 10
protect the rights of other women
and little children 10 travel the seas
in safety and left q general impress
sion behind her that It would have
been better had she not come. Miss
Robertson Is doing as much as any
human being could 10 remove a
somewhat growing idea that IL
would be better II no other woman
should be sent TO congress-ever.
The pen pauses when IL tries 20
describe the impression OF moral
strength and stability which "the
lady from Oklahoma" gives Her
forehead. high and noble, strikes one
on first glance. She has a wonder
full face; II is intelligent; it is
strong; il is kind and motherly al
at once. While she was speaking
I had fine opportunity 10 study her
profile. II is a wonderful profile
/ strong, impressive. Again and again
II made me think OF Nathaniel Haw-
thorne's story Of the Great Stone
| Faca