South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-02-18
FEBRUARY 10. 1921
THE NEW YORK GOVERNOR AND THE
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.

The fight In New York state between Gov Miller
and the League of Women Voters is an interesting
commentary on women as politicians. Gov. Miller in
sists that there Is no longer need for League OF
Women Voters: that the women now have the ballot
and that further organization Is unnecessary that
they merely using the organization now to
whiplash organized government into doing their
will. He says the League of Women Voters hopes by
q. display Of its membership control parties
coerce legislatures and executives into dancing the
feminine steps: employing that display as a poll
teal force.
So far as all this Is concerned we would not take
Gov. Miller very seriously; it might be a good
thing. Quite the democratic head of the New
York League Of Women Voters puts it; maybe
that is what the political parties in New York and
the Miller administration. and the state assembly
need to keer them thinking and thinking straight
However. wonder II the New York league were
o-sanized in Indiana. with a republican at
head whether Gov. Miller would be so antagonstic?
We wouldn't be surprised but what. If truth
were told, the trouble in New York is more parti-
san than ethical-qute trouble might arise in
Indiana K anyone cared TO take up the cudges
It is well enough for women leaguers talk
about their on-partsanship; how they are in it
merely for educational reasons; how they want
to get the women to thinking on public questions.
encourage them choose their parties, and in
struct them In the exercise OF the franchise 1t
listens hne-provlded you like jazz. To our mind,
however. it would be infinitely jazzlile if the
purpose Of the league along the lines of which
the New York executive complains. There would be
more OF a sembance Of non-partisan force to it
then. to say the least-but human nature is human
nature, and there is much OF II in women the same
IN men; likewise in feminine democrats and fem
mine republicans and probably as much in the one
as the other.
You pretty nearly depend upon it then that
whichever political party is control of the league
the major contrel-is going TO control it in the
interests OF that rarty much possible It needs
is few positive determined, designing women
and the rest of the membership too polite TO ohal-
lenge their audacities 1t will be easy enough then,
in the appointment Of committees and the arrang-
ing OF programs 90 lay the wires to "get the wom-
en- to thinking on public questions much as pos
sible the major party in control would like to
have them think. TO encourage them in
choosing their parties to choose that party and
exercise their franchise behalf. 1t the thing
that Is going all the country and the women
OF both parties playing 1t, Teddy would say.
'to a frazzIe."
They are doing it in perfect honesty too They
think they neutral but they think it merely
because they don't understand the word and are
only slightly acquainted with themselves. People.
and women alike just naturally follow their
own noses-and the trend OF their own thoughts,
the OF their bias their prejudices and their
Ideals. II they are worth the while folks are lead
TT to lead. they likely to lead people
away from the goal that they hope to make. We only
wish the motives of the League of Women
Voters throughout the country what Gov.
Miller says OF it; that. rather than what
the unguarded practices OF it seem TO be.