Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-10
As ONE WOMAN SEES IT
Not Organized Women, but the ordI.
narliy stay.at.Home Vote May
Provo the Deciding Factor
at the Primaries
By SARAH n. IOWRIE
A NEWsPApERMAN asked me toda

r"te oi cn,huslasm. 1 returned MS ques.
ton t by another to this effect: Why did he
think the women were 'olt for Pinchot"!
He said because he had been more ap.
plnuded than the other candidates at the
League of Women Voters luncheon last
month"; and that he had been backed politi.
cal lly by certain Of the women leaders ns
their choice for Governor by signed in.
tcrviews.
IL called his attention to the fact that Mr..
Tfnchots speech was applauded very unani-
mous " when he spoke OF enforcing the law.
meaning the Eighteenth Amendment. Any
candidate who means what he says about n
citizen,s and an officials duty in the matter
OF Keeping the laws. Federal or State, will
Jority. Applause, however, does not mean
votes nt the polls, nor does the frank in
dorscment of one or two leading women
mean that Mr.. Pinchot will be carried
ease
As matter of fact. the women in this
state nre liable to come out in a great
spring tide for him because they believe that
law and because his whole stand in the
matter of his job Of forestry has shown him
70 be person who can carry out his ideals
bS making the public his partner. and be.
cause. though he is a man Of very liberal
views as TO labor and capital. he stood like
rock IN the path Of the radical Socialists
who during the war tried to sweep the de.
structive forces in the Labor Party into
power.
But it is not the womcns vote alone that
will put Mr.. Pinclot where very great
man! want to sce him. Nor will the
woincn's enthusiastic clcctioneering give
MIN the only sure backing that he must have
10 come out ahead. Il is not n case even
where his very agreeable and beautiful wife
can make enough votes for him by canvassing
the State. English fashion. to ask for nd
herents on the ground Of his worth and
nome intentions to govern well.
vnf NI,aN
ford Finchot over are in the keeping of men
VINO seldom use the franchise-the great
neglected vote Of this State which the rcgu-
lar politicians count rs of no account, be.
never a sign from their owners that they
exist lot alone that their owners care who
governs the State.
TT WOULD be foolish to suppose that at
L this juncturc anything compares in i'm
portance with those neglected and neglectfu
voters. II Mr.. pinchot is wise he will go
nfter them and get them for the good Of the
state and of the party--thc voters that no
candidate has sought for many and many a
year.
They vii, need careful and sure handling,
and no women or group Of women is capa-
bi" or handling them. or can hone to stir
them into decisive action. 1t has got to he
the individual enthusiasm of men who un-
dcrstand the business of getting their neigh
OF this big State. Enthusiasm of n crisp
masculine sort will be Of far more weight
Just now than even the applause Of sympa-
thrtic women. II may be allowed to send
would like to say:
1T is probably true that you and 1.-THE
women voters-hold the deciding card. It is
probably true. too. that unless VIC play it
with decision and timelincss We will lose the
game for the men and for ourselves. But
~ Is vital that the men should play up to
the chance with all that they can muster.
Ihcre Is no use of the women's enthusiasm
unless the men come to the front with all
ihcir powcr-the men who have power but
seldom exert it politically. 1t is not so
necessary either that they should make a
@ srcmt display of that power as that they
TT is always we'll TO remember that what
rcakens Il political opponent is the thing
by counting heads. The strength Of the ma
chine vote in this city and in the Stnte is
rs surcncss of Il certain number of votes |
that always make good: each district !
leader Is pledged for so many. and he knows !
them all by name but he also knows that
they arc not all the votes. not by a long
shot: His only comfort is that no one owns
those other votcs-th"y are cadcrlcss votes,
generally inactive votes.
II he Is kept guessing as to how many of
those lfad"rlrss. inactive votes have stirred
IN their long sleep and are about TO 'comc
TO-. h" is little stampcdcd. and STAN
ped" mat Is general is panic, and n panic
sometimes means rOut. On the whole. then.
the women can best help their favortc can
didat's. whoever they are by n rather kent
in leash determination to see them through
at IN" primaries by steady mouth-to-
mouth propaga ndn--a quiet Understandings
rather than brass bands and specchifying,
Meanwhile, on the evening of Registration
uay-this Wedn"sday--there is unique
chnn"" for the women of tho q. o. r. in
Philad"lphin who arc politically minded to
com" with thcir menfolk to the great dinner
that the Republican Woman's club of Penn.
sylvania is giving to the candidates for
Governor and the United States Senate at
the l'l!cvnc- Stratford April 12 at O'Clock.
AS the audience will be composed of ali
the factions that now make being n Re-
publican a lively experience. and as the
speeches are 10 be short and to the point
and the guests are 10 be- notable and the
dinner very good. it is likely 10 be n marked
evening for all who participate.
T CONFESS that nm going from curl.
L oSty. OF the three women who are
scheduled for short speeches. it would be
difficult TO say which is the most important.
Mrs. Upton. Of Washington. has been Mrs,
Mcdil' Met 'ormick will be, but Just at this
moment OF time Miss Alice Robertson the
House member from Oklahoma is OF tho
candidates it would be more difficult stiI TO
say which is the most important OF course
the on" who will eventually be Governor.
But. them which one Is he?
As they are all guests of the club ,hcy
win each have tho same hearty welcome nnd
interested attention; no partsanship thar
would mean applause for ono az tho EXPENSE
Of another would be permitted by the host
cSseS. yet even 80 astutc observers NAV bc
able to gauge by the spirit of that crowded
ballroom what tho outcome Of this most mo.
m"ntous Of elections is likely 10 be-
Which is why probably SO many of tho
big ncwspapermcn and the leaders among rho
politicians have accepted with nlacrity.
Possibly the further fact that II is n husi
ness dinner and not n social banquet and
that dress coats ar" not obligatory. has made
tho men guests serene about putting in nm
appearance.
Women like foStye clothes and olwoy,
will. 50 that IL they grace the occasion by
lnnkiny VOL sci up. II will hn hncauSn tLar