The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-09-03
WOMEN LIKE ID ASK CANDIDATES
 MANY QUESTIONS
League of Women Voters Strong For 0uestlonnaires. State Branches Frying
 Into Past Lives
Ny CAROLYN VANCE Special Correspondent of The Age-Heraid iCopyright, i02e. by The Age Heraid)

special Correspondent of The Ake-hertsAo
 tCopyright, le22. by The AEe-herhid)
 Washington, September 2.-Hones- ty and truth telling will be Injected into next falls campaign in every state in the union. Candidates for public office must stand up and be counted. Officials of the League of Women Voters made this very plain here today. They asserted that their membership. country wide, had no in tention of voting blindiy. All wome ; frankly are curious. they explained. and ss election day draws nearer they will become more and more curious.
 Tho fayorite methods of the league will be to usa the auastionnaire, In those states Where primaries impend, such as in Massachusetts and Wash tngton. candidates for office are at this very moment sweating nervous ly over those questionnaires. None dare refuse to fill out the blanks.
 An invitation from unit of the league for A candidate to speak be- fore it is nothing less than royal command disobeyed at tn eril of his political life. And the league au- dience is not at all adverse to heck ling the invited speaker. Indeed, there Is something really pathetic, the women laughingiy assert, in sec ing & great hulk of a political boss explaining his position as best he may before those curious league members. Stray thoughts of Roman amphitheatres. lady iionesses and bulky dying gladiators fit inexplain- ably across the mind at such mo- ments.
 Popping questions at candidates for office is something out of which enjoyment. And they are not always satisfied with mere verbal and eva sive replies-hence the questionnaire.
 Promise on Paper
 Many of the state leagues have evolved eoluminous and labori- ous questionnaires which they send to all political candidates. They want the stand of all aspirants on public questions down written" No airy, fairy before election promises for the league members that are disregarded just as airily after election.
 The questionnaire of the Nebraska League of Women Voters was bulkier perhaps than that of any other league. Expressions of opinion were demanded of all candidates on a great mass of public questions that were of peculiar interest to that state.
 "Women's olitical m .hods are making candidates candid" says Mrs. Maud Wood Park. national president of the League of Women Voters. And from candid in the modern sense of candius w'th its ancient meaning is not s~ far a journey that women need despair of politicians to takt 1t.
 d. -~udE4nsa fl. ~i~hs Ia aaoffV ing to answer trivial or impertinent questions from snauthorized persons. but no right-m.nded candidate would , object to ha.,.S his replied to our questionna,rss made public, since the league Is made up of women Of both parties who wished to be informed.
 The Kansas League of Women Voters Is compiling a second ques- tionnaire to be sent to the winners in the primaries. They are seeking definite expressions from the repub- lican and democratic candidates and 1t Is proposed that Legislative committee be organized in each dis trict to fight for the candidates that are supporting the woman's program and oppose those who do not reply to their questionnaires or who express opposition to their plans.
 Investigate Past
 The Ohio league members have served notice on all speakers that they were not to indulge In empty eioquence nor vile eruption. They wish to be given exactly what the man who speaks stands for and what his convictions on public questions are. The women want to know what q side Is more than they want to know what the other side is not. ~f ha laa ott TtaRt IL osity is concerned with a candidate 8 past. A great white inquisitortal light beats searchingiy upon all past political performances. Each state branch busies itself with the "pasts" of the candidates for office within that state. No bidder for office, no matter to what party he belongs, may hope to escape the Pauline Pry assigned by the women's organiza- tions to dig up his past. Nothing is disregarded in this exhumlng process, whether 1t is record of a vote or the diagram of his teeth filings. There Is never a Il ellie corpse than dead past politicion who Is be- Ing investigated by the womens or- ganizations. When all information necessary has been collected if Is Haunted before the league members without fear or favor and regardless of party utilization.
 No man may aim too high or too low to be sighted by Miss Pry, whether the aim be seat in the Senate or in dog catcher's wagon. The women gre inexor lc IT, their judgments and 70 politician with a iurid political past may hope to get by their organizations with grand promises concerning his future con duct
 Curiosity Is well advertised ex- terminator for cats, but the League of Women Voters seems to thrive on 1t. which. incidentally. may prove that they are not in any way related to the feline family at all. at all.