Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-25
Feeling Against Party Or
ganization and Ward
Workers Growing More
Intense Daily
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Neased Wire Service to The Journal. }

Copyright, 1929
WASHINGTON, May 23.-Political
phrases are banded about loosely.
but the indications are that cam
paignirg hereafter will require a
more accurate definition of what's
progressive" and what's "reac-
tionary" or conservative"
The concensus of opinion here is
that the women are leaning toward
the progressive side in each of the
big parties. But what is the pro
gresSive side?
1t is still what it was in 1912-a
revolt against party organizations
and the conservative policy of let
well enough alone? Is it a protest
against machine control or is it an
affirmative activity, a course of po-
litical action with well defined OBJ
jective?
Well, whatever it may have been
in the past, whatever personal fond
ness for the Rooseveltian philosophy
or doctrine it may have meant to
Republicans, or whatever affinity it
may have denoted in the Democratic
party for wisconsin, it is going to
mean something definite this year.
Politicians already have sensed
some Of the tendencies of The wom-
an voter, and are beginning to an
alyze and study them further.
The first and most decided char
acteristic which has yet appeared is
the judgment of the individual-his
mental and moral value to the corr
munity. The women have shown a
remarkable inclination toward the
candidates whose personal reputa-
ton is devoid OF the faint of profess
Sim al TIn1ifinc A Txyhn ho hnnD
playing politics" all his life and is
part and parcel of the old-time po-
litical organizations, has much less
chance nowadays as to opposed to
new blood.
Women Not Radicals
Second, the feeling against party
organizations and previous methods
of party canvass is growing more
intense, every day. The solicitation
of votes through the hiring of pro
fessional ward workers may have
worked all right in the past, but from
what little can be gathered from
close observation of the woman
vote. the custom is bound to hurt
the political candidates who use it
rather than help them. In short,
the women are inclined to be rather
resentful Of attempts to influence
their votes-they want to be left
free to- make up their own minds.
Third, the women are anxious to
quiz the capdidates and get them on
record on definite queries of inter.
est to them and the community. This
is getting to be more noticeable in
state and local elections where wom-
en- have organized and the candi-
dates are showing much more re-
gard for these questionaires than
ever before. And what's more, the
women are beginning to check up
after election and see whether the
candidates have sincerely kept their
promises.
Is the woman voter a radical? Far
from it. Candidates of proved worth
to the congress and state legisla-
lures who are conservative in their
policies but who work hard at their
Jobs and attend to business have re-
ceiVed the support of woman voters.
1t isn't so much the particular
trend of a candidates thought on
public questions as his sincerity and
earnestness of purpose which wins
the woman vote.
Interest of Women Grows
The tendency is to vote for men
who are believed to be honest and
courageous and to depend upon them
to vote for the best interests of the
community, national and state.
i've seen women in three states"
said Mrs. Maud Wood Park, presi-
dent of the National League of
Women Voters, on her return from
conventions Of state leagues in
Ohio, Indiana and New Jersey, land
many of these women were not in
sympathy with the suffrage move
ment in the earlier day but they
show a growing interest in our creed
of education for efficient citizenship
and 1 am deeply impressed with
their earnestness. It's going to
mean a tremendous thing when
every mother can give her child
the foundations of his or her politi-
cal education, and it is because wom-
en- feel this so strongly they are at
tending out league schools of citizen
ship. It's ordered that we should
have boys grow UP regarding the
intelligence of the vote as sacred
duty w@en the mothers reply to
questic%s about local government
and politics was usually ask father
when he comes home The psychol-
ogy of it was wrong. The child
doesn't have to wait to ask father