New-York tribune., 1921-11-27
Women Greet
Miss Mathews
AS Trail Blazer
First Of Sex to Win Elective
Office in New York City
Told That the Rest Can't
Afford to Have Her Fail
United Support Pledged
DIR. Davis Advises Attending
4 All Meetings Where She
Thinks She Isn't Wanted


Miss Annie Mathews, the first woman
80 be elected to public office in New
York City, was the guest of honor at
. luncheon of the Women's City Club
yesterday at the Hotel McAlpin. Women
Of all parties, led by Miss Mary Garrett
Hay, president Of the club, united ssin
Offering congratulations and promises of
loyalty to the new county register, who
is we'll known to most Of them through
her work in the Woman Suffrage party.
ssThe affair also took on the nature of
q welcome back to public life Of Mrs.
Norman der. Whitehouse, former chair
man Of the New York State Woman
Suffrage party, who has been ill for
two years. To her was intrusted the
duty of delivering message to women
in public Office" by way of greeting to
Miss Mathews.
Finds Prejudice Still Alive
"Women are not yet on an equal
footines with men," she said. 1--WE
thought, perhaps, that we had proved
to the world that we were people when
we won the suffrage, and then when
we had q woman in Congress and now
woman County Register, but we ma
at every step that other people are
not ready to accept us as equals In
new ventures. 90.
"Mv message to women in public
Office is that they can count on the
support of other women, that we Will
stand united behind them to make
their venture success, in order that
the way may be easier for other women
who come after.
ss"The necessity for solidarity among
women has been brought home to me
recently by an experience OF my own
Mrs. Blair and / decided to, go into
business. We went to consult great
captain of industry about our prospects
and, would you believe it, he told US
in effect that woman's place was in the
home. AS for business, we might make
candy, he thought, because all women
could cook, or we might decorate
houses. because, of course, all women
had knack for fixing up their houses,
and, besides, other women had been sue
csssful in these fields. But he gave US
no encouragement to break into new
fields, such as making shoe strings or
wire fencing or anything else where
women had not already succeeded.
Still Political Pioneers
$50 realized how important the first
womanss venture into each new field is
and how the success of one woman
makes it easier for others to succeed.
The same is true of women In the
political field. Each woman pioneer
must not only make success, she must
make very great success, so tnat
she can be a conspicuous example Tor
other women to profit by.
"The obligation is not all on their
part, however. We must do our part
by supporting all women who open
new door in public life. We must help
them make their success. We must let
them know that we are standing back
Of them, and then they viii! be able to
60 ahead courageously and lndepend-
emily, and so make good
DIR. Katharine B. Davis, the first
woman to hold an important city office
by appointment, gave the new official
some good advice from her own expert
ence as Commissioner Of Correction
under Mayor Mitchell.
"The men wanted to smoke at our
official conferences" she said, "and l
made compromise with them, to the
effect that they might smoke if they
would allow me to knit. finished off
many a pair of socks for the soldiers
while presiding over official meetings.
Another policy of mine may be of
value TO Miss Mathews-that is, made
point of always going to meetings
where thought the men did not want
me-committee meetings and official
gatherings to which they had to invite
me because Of my position. I knew if
I stayed away it would establish a
precedent for other women in public
Office which might some day seriously
embarrass my successors"
Promises Fairness 30 All
sMiss Mathews promised the womer
that she would remember the fortune!
Of other women in public Office de
pended upon her and that she woulG
not fail them.
81 believe women are not so VIC
lently partisan as men, and so l charge
you to see that justice is done to al
persons, women or men, in publ,
Office" she said. "Thc painful expert
ence of fault finding and undeservet
criticisms to which we Americans sub
ject our public men keeps many valu
able persons out of public life. The
most important business of American:
to-day is to make democratic govern
fetically, and this cannot be done in al
tmosphere of abuse and misrepresen
rtation.
Mayor Hylan told me that it was al
most more than he could bear some
times when certain groups of people
not only attacked him but carried thei
abuse home to his wife. / hope w,
have seen the last campaign of mud
singing"