Evening star., 1922-06-09
Women's Place in Politics Con.
tinues a Disputed Point.

! Broken engagements are quite all
right in a good cause. This eonciu-
sion Is drawn not from the etiquette
books but from editorial discussion
of President HardinS's failure to at
| tend the dedication OF the Ma
tional Womans Party headquarters IN
Washington. after accepting the IN
ritation. In the absence of any OF
fetal explanation. the papers gen.
orally accept the Interpretation that
; the Presidents action was due to his
persistent stand against "blocs" OF
all kinds. and to the belief that
"woman's place" now that she has
the vote. is in one of the existing po-
! iitical parties. and not in indepeud-
ent activities. From this point OF
view. most editors believe the Presi-
dent was correct" when he admins
tered what the Springfield Union ire
publicaD calls 'praisewcrthy
snub."
| There is still something to be said
from the etiquette point OF view,
however and the Providence Tribune,
an independent republican paper.
takes occasion to say it. Admitting
that the Presidents participation
might have been politically unwise.
'it does seem a drop from courtesy
In the Tribune's opinion. ito have
failed to appear at the last moment
after having accepted the invitation.
and with no excuse whatever for his
non on-appearance. His letter announc-
ing that he could not be present was
| vague. shadowy rhetorical and on
to
Had he refused the invitation when
1t was first offered to him, there
would not have been the sting to
| the blow delivered at the party that
was felt on Sunday. But to have
| adopted the slpshod. dilly-dallyine
praiseworthy."
From a southern democratic paper.
the Columbia Is. CD State. comes the
suggestion that perhaps the President
| was a bit "off his feed" SO to speak.
| where voting women are concerned.
80 'stung by the defeat OF his IA
| vorites In Ohio. Indiana and Pennsyl-
vania largely the work OF the wom-
| en-" he ''brusquely. refused to attend
! the meeting"
However. the majority. while per-
haps not so fulsome As the Boston
which declares the Presidents alb
sence from the dedication ceremony
| ''the most courageous single act" of
IAN administration that has not been
lacking in this characteristic" feels
with the Observation-Disclosures fAi-
dents attitude is correct. and the
the only cause for regret is that the
attitude of few women compelled
him to decline their invitation" He
was too conscientious to approve" the
spirit behind the dedication, the st.
'and too polite to oppose 1t. SO he did
the wise thing and remained away"
The National Woman's Parity. ac-
Cording to the Detroit News (Ind.),
"is an organization professedly polit-
ical and nothing else. which seeks to
ness" and the Presidents "snub," the
Canton (Ohio) News (democratic)
suspects, was INTENDED as q rebuke
for the activities of certain women
| In trying to divide the voters on sex
lines"
as there a CALL" the Rocky Noun
tain News (Denver, independently says.
'for a political nartv separated from the
other political parties purely as a sex
proposition?' This question the Roam
oke World News (democratic) an
swers unequivocally by declaring that
tics for wonen's party or bloc"
But the western paper that raises the
question Is not so sure Of the reply
as Is its southern contemporary. for
"it Is not SO easy to answer as might
appear at ti.>f ',rYSn' As h. IL. r
paper sees it. Involved in the Ques-
tion are things outside politics. Sex
IN economies comes into play.
The one is twined with the other. II
| there Is no economic issue between
the sexes, there can be no serious
political one"
But most men doubtless believe
that there shouldn't be any woman's
| party or partisan political organiZa-
tion whose membership Is based ON
| sex" the Minneapolis Tribune (repub-
lican) says. and many women concur
| with the men in that view. 1t Is
safe to say that a very great ma
jority of straight-thinking American
women take that position II the two
old parties are faulty mediums
through which to make progress" the
tribune continues, "the women Of the
country have 1t in their power to
mako them better mediums. but they
will not accomplish 1t by any vivid
haunting Of the sex factor In parti-
san politics. These two old parties
ara not mems parties any more. Re-
cent primary results in Indiana and
Pennsylvania show that fact"
Undoubtedly, the New York Herald
independently comedies. women have
1t in them to exercise great good in
our political life" and rightly ap-
ship. will bring us better politics"
but wrongly applied it "can do Inn
measurable harm, and there 10 no
surer road to this end than for women
to combine In . political bIoc-a
wholly feminine political bloc" Aud