Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-25
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
Mrs. Warburton Nails q canard and
Explains the Plan Of the Repub-
llean Women Of Pennsylvania
to Finance a Campaign
By SARAH u. LOWRIE
IF THERE is one thing | am surer Of


unable to answer. will be answered none
the less-and in the most satisfactory way
poSSible-by nightfall. 1t is one OF life
"habitual surprises.'
| had letter from very conscient ious
| objector to most things handed to me by
| friend with this sentence in it:
| what does Mrs. Warburton mean by her
| $1,000 bribing Of the women voters? Does
she think she can carry the women who
stand for free choice, without coercion at
| the polls. by such methodsT'
| We'll, the thing was an entire enigma to
| me. | had missed three days Of the PhiIn-
| delphia papers, having to be content with
| the world news through the fractional
| viewpoint of New York City local What
| indeed could Mrs. Warburton mean that
| could have been 50 garblcd? The only
| thing | was sure of was that she had not
meant anything that bore the faintcst re-
| semblance to bribery. or to coercion. / wns
| as sure of Tint ns any of the ward po!iti-
! clans of my native town have grim reason
to be. But as to what some ignorant and
| perhaps over cxcitable political lady thinker
had commented on what she believed Mrs.
Warburton had said-that was another
matter.
A IL the hack issues of the Philadelphia
n papers had gone to light tho numerous
fires this cold wave has involved mp here in
tho North Woods There was no one in
sight who had been in Philadelphia recently,
7 forgot my habitual good luck Of getting
an explanation out Of the Everywhere into
the Here. and I was guessing what to do
next. when in the most awful dcluge of the
entire season. when every leaf poured
torrent. and the golden glow and the phlox
were mixed in one drench of moisture, at
that moment some one said:
''lIcllo. where are you?'
And in walked Mrs. Warburton!
She was motoring in the Adirondncle and
StOnDpl in tlauCh nlonp with me- for
hriof moment.
Naturally when we got settled for a talk
I asked her about that $4,000 bribe" md
in fact gave her tho anxious politicians
feminine gcnder-lettor to read.
She gave n little sigh md stopped laugh
ing. shook her head loubtfully before en-
barking. and then said:
"Oh. what IS the use. ="
However in the end I got from her what
had actually been said through tho publicity
department Of her Office after n slowly ma
tured plan that had been passed upon by II"
powers that be, in the State and the
National Republican Councils.
TNIIE coming election. It had been decided.
was tn" time to recruit the women Of
this State into Republican organizations
along local and unofficial lines This is
partly being done by the organization forces
already in eXistcnc" in what is known as
''machine commttcrs": It is also being
done by clubs that are offShoots Of the in
dependent Republican bodies, notably by
such q markedly influential one MS the
Republican Women Of Philadelphia. Of
which Mrs. I.orimcr and Mrs. Blankcnburg,
Mrs. Dunniug etc. are leaders; and lastly
il IS being done by certain women here and
there who were appontc"s of the Governor
during the first year tho women In the
state had the vote, and who while no longer
members Of any State or County Republican
Committee are in positions of influence in
their particular localities at least ms leaders
Of factions within the party.
Now there are no funds ut the disposal Of.
the State headquarters or Of these unofficial
Republicans for force Of export organ
tiers who will enroll these varying elements
Of the Republican Party into some sort Of
an adjustable force for the coming election.
Yet it is important for those backing the
candidates. from tho Governor and the Sem
ators 70 III" county representatives. to have
some reliable data as 70 IN" way the women
nre going to stand back Of the party candi-
dates Ht the fall elections. The women who
voted for Altcr-and there were m npprcci-
able number in somc Of the counties. espc-
ciallv Allegheny County. where the League
Of Women Voters IS strong and whore some
Of it's leaders were frankly for him--how
they were going to stand by the choice Of
their party as a whole was the question.
OF COURSE, great deal Of money could
Ohnve been collected and spent to make
n campaign from headquarters with these
Alter voters 10 stand by their party in spite
of tho fact TINT Pinchot and not Alter was
the party candidate. but It was thought
hotter 10 have the work for this propaganda
for fair -mindcdncss come from the local
leaders in any of the above mentioned
groups.
And in order to insure those local leaders
who would have to spend money for such
Io NJ
meetings. speakers ETC.. 1t was decided
Tint where any woman had shown herself
able to collect n body Of Republican women
who were willing to back the ticket, ire
spective Of their previous primary vote for
Alter and the machine candidates who had
gone down in defeat. her Legitimate ex-
pcnscs as an organizer should hc paid. II
there were no other funds available then
by fund from headquarters collected by
n general subscription. But, of course,
those reimburs"mcnts for money expended
would naturally have to be kept down to
minimum, probably not less. say, than 50,
and II was dcvoUtly to be hoped not greater
than 500 in any case. No sum Of money,
however, was stated, Mrs Warburton ex-
planed, nor were the plans for the local
leaders. machine or independent or other
wise, enough formulated TO b" put on paper.
The idea was given out by the publicity
department 10 get reaction from the various
types Of leaders. Before they could answer,
however,
Governor took up n strange invrrsion--almost
an nbortion--of the tentative plan and made
campaign poison out Of 1t to suit his very
apparent needs. Later some Of the women
who arp politically minded, without being
affiliated with either party, took It up 10
attack it from a mistaken premise that
prizes were to be offered for votes instead
of campaign expenses assured for party
organization.
MRS. WARBURTON was not apparently
lNl exercised at the 'sid". wipes" that
we're being made at her own good sense,
but she was troubled that tho attempt thar
IS apparent in some quarters Of III" machine,
to confuse the victory gained at the primary
by splitting the party vote at the big cleo
ton, should be backed by some Of the So
called high brows and the conscientious
voters, who. under the guiS" Of voting for
whom they please next autumn irrcspec-
tive OF the party majority for rinchot, ETC.,