New-York tribune., 1921-10-09

heen too recent IN New York State for the
noliticiaus of ths opposite sex to gain any
knowledge upon which to base an opinion of
what the women may or may not do at the
polls. TIE result Is that the professional male
politicians already have had some rude shocks
and apparently they are due for many more
before their eyes are opened to the importance
Of the political power welded by women
@You can't figure what the women will do,
is the excuse the politicians offer for being
losth to forecast the result of the balloting,
and 'you couldn't figure what the women
would do" is the alibi they offer after election
when they find their best Judgment has been
set at nsught-
The women have been so long accustomed
10 taking their politics at second hand from
husband, father or brother that they are just
awakening to their opportunities. The first
election after the enfranchisement of the
women in New York went pretty much as
the politicians predicted, for the women voted
then as their men recommended, not knowing
any better They couldn't be blamed either
for the political systems that men have been
years in building up cannot be mastered in
few weeks by women or anybody else. In
fact, SO quiescent did the women seem, so far
as showing any initiative and so acqulescent
in following the recommendations offered to
them by the men that the politicians were
jubilant
There's nothing to til" they chortled
Just tell 'em how to vote and they'll do it.
One candidate announced after the womens
first election that he had discovered the secret
Of now to win their favor at the polls
fore election, provided you're good locker
and make 'em few promises of how many
women you're going to appoint TO places, il
elected, and they'll fall for you hard" he said
But sad awakening mas come TO the pro-
fessiona politicians of the masculine gender!
The women have the great advantage Of
moving so little about practical politics that
hey can do as they please. Among the men
here are certain unwritten laws Of the game
hat must be adhered to. For instance, If
you claim TO be strict organization man
you must, in order to remain so, follow the
dictates Of your leader Otherwise you have
very little chance for that appointment to a
Job that turks ever Just around the corner
Sticking BY the organization or dropping into
political oblivion IS one Of the strictest laws
known to men who dabble in politics It Is
firmly implanted in their minds because for
years they have had the idea dinned into
their heads at every political conference and
ncst political meetings.
But the women have had no such years of
training Political naneuvers have been more
or less mystery to them, for husbands and
brothers, before equal suffrage came, were
always 50 condescendiug about their pet pre-
sogative thai many yemen disliked to ask for
al explanation that would prove lucid. So
no one can blame the women if, now that they
have the vote, they refuse to abide by the
-oles of the game as played by the men and
vote IS their consciences dictate, no matter
What the leaders have to say about It.
At Tire recent primaries the women in New
York City showed that they WELD q power
which TIE men may well envy In q certain
Assembly district the leaders named a pop
l!ar man for the regular nomination for As
senbyman. A woman who had taken an &C
tive part in the work Of the same organization
declared that she considered the day had come
when women should obtain more recognition,
ard she proposed to go after that nomination
nerSef a. the primaries The leaders gave
her 10 encouragement and she might have
decided The position was not worth the effort
rad not one Of them made the mistake of
,elng local newspaper men that he was
certain this woman wouldn't run and that
sas hid no chance for the nomination If
she dia
Before fts next Issue that newspaper re
ee.ted scorching letter from the prospective
woman candidate, announcing In no uncertain
fsFa's that she would run just to show the
zen hey weren't such superior creatures, and
nat sae felt every confidence In her success.
iae campaign between the man and the
woman vent along without attracting much
attention, for the Office involved was unim-
p9ftaat- The man declared that his opponent
nad 70 chance All the leaders indorsed him,
an m fet quite certain that was sufficient.
- Il would have been, too. If another man
aaa been his opponent, There would haye
oeen mighty fcw votes cast for a man run
1'ng azainat another man who had letters 10
Sroye that all tho chieftains OF his party
<anted him % be successful at the primary
so1z
eth the women it's different. On primary
'ay the women throughout the entire district
*eAE ~ the polling places in droves. The
@ea a'dn't bother to do 30
heZ QDt I. c5nehcd ANYWAY" they said