Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-09-07
WHY SHOULD WOMEN
JOIN A PARTY?


When men attained suffrage, it
was the &C &c Of Mrs Gait that they
should go ITO the party Of their
choice and be active in it, having an
inf1uenhe on its rolicies-otherwise
what was the use of the ballot? They
had indirect influence" before, and
if they were to stay outside of the
parties, they night as well not have
the vote
AsiEdividuals we have a vertain in
buence-not very much among more
than one hundred million people
but, joining with others, moving in
the same direction we are going, we
are force which is not ony the sum
of the force of the individuals in it,
but the group gains a certain addition
al momentum of its own.
Do you remember the Roman story
of the bundle of sticks? TWAS easy
to break one alone, but, bound toget-
her, they could not be broken.
Women's clubs discovered long ago
that if any individual should suggest
to the mayor that she would like a
drinking fountain on the corner, she
would be ignored, but if the club ap-
ported committee to interview him
on the subject, it would bring re-
suits.
So it is with political party.
Speaking for many, it's voice is pow
erful. If the party is in authority,
it's voice is all-powerful, for the po-
itical party in power is, for the time
being, the government.
You belong either to the govern
ment class or the governed class.
You take your choice---since the ball
lot is open to every adult citizen. 1t
it told of Roosevelt, when youth,
that he suggested one evening going
to a meeting fthe ward politicians.
Certain of his family demonstrated
with him saying, 'They are a low
class of people, saloon keepers and
ignorant men," sThen," replied the
young Roosevelt, at is all the more
necessary that I go. They are the
governing class for they are control
ling politics. We who stay away
permit them to govern. ! intend to
belong to the governing class"
The other day / noticed in an inn
cense national park, that there were
no pedestrians, although walking
was not forbidden, but afoot one
would never get very far on the long
stretches of winding road. With the
incense complexities and problems of
our great country, one-man effort is
negligible. To get anywhere we must
annex ourselves to modern, organized
methods. That is very easy thing
to do. There is nothing exclusive
about political party. On the SON.
trary it is continually bidding for
workers.
At this period, the Republican par
ty is especially amenable to the effort
Oh WOIneL. ANY cdIHSot Woihoh VIM
wants to name her ballot of real use
for the betterment of her home, her
community and her nation; and who
has high altruistic purpose to serve
her generation, will find responsive
fed for her activities in the Repub-
lican party. The Republican party
gave the ballot to women. 1t has
already placed women in Office in
towns, states and nation. It NOM
mated and elected the only two wo-
men who have thus far been mem
bers of the Congress.
In the present campaign, it has on
it's tickets, in localities where there
is chance of election, more women
candidates than all the other parties
put together.
Other parties have nominated wo-
men candidates where there is no pos
sibility of election; that is no COM
pliment to the sex, but rather shift
ing on them something which nobody
wants.
If any woman wishes to, accomplish
anything politically she stands a
splendid chance of doing it in the
Republica party-much better than
anywhere else.