Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14
BY JAMES A. BUCHANAN.


world II you are conscientious,
are true to your ideals and
have plans that you believe should be
adopted. Your lot Is not made any
easier by the fact that you are a
woman who has been elected to Con-
gress and whose congressional dis
trict comprises a whole state, as
it does in the case Of Mrs. Winltred
Mason Huck, daughter OF the la.e
William E; Mason who for a number
of years occupied a prominent posi-
iton in the House of Representative
and United States Senate.
It is true that Mrs. IIuck Is not
the first woman who has been honored
By her fellow citizens, but for many
yoa.s she was BILLY" Mason's right
bower, and from tho early period of
her life until the time Of his death
the twain were wont to confer on
matters that affected the public veal.
The writer remembers a visit,
several years ago, at the Mason home
when he listened to an argument be-
tween father and daughter over a
certain bit Of legislation. 1t was an
interesting debate, for 4 debate IL
vas, each presenting his Or her side
of the case and then the other answer
ing. The father finally was compelled
to acknowledge that his daughters
arguments were better anil that he"
presentation OF the case had trrIly
fixed in his mind the correctness OF
his position. Those who ever had
20 OF, I,v IIfi-njs
statesman were sometimes o. the
opinion that he took one side of a
question In order TO prove the sound
ness of the other,
{XyHEN the news was flashed
w throughout the country that Mrs.
IFuck had been nominated TO make
tho race for congressvomena at .larse
from Illinois there were a few who
thought that she would come TO
Washington, If elected. chiefly to en-
Joy the social end of the game. but
they reckoned not on the doughyt
daughter of the one-time republican
wheel horse. for Mrs. fIuck had in
her head ideas as to what a congress
woman should really do. Wner she
took the stump during the campaign.
she convinced the voters that she was
a candidate who. II elected. was COM
ing to Washington and endeavor to
secure legislation that would lie OF
benefit to the entire country. The
result was, according TO the fastest
figures, the official figures not yet
hnin nlN IN hi
clean sweep Of the state.
OF course. the great novelty Of
woman sitting in either branch of
Congress had somewhat abated when
abe arrived, but there stood pointedly
forth the fact that Winifred Mason
Iiuck had mapped out . definite
legislative program for herself and
that she was going to sit there, not
80 the wife of a successful engineer.
the mother of an adoring family or
a member of the sex. but AS a duly
accredited member of the House of
Representatives. 1t also was apparent
that she was going TO ask no favors
on account of being a woman. She
was a member of Congress and would
play the game according TO rules.
When you go into Representative
Auck's office you don't see any fancy
sofa pillows, doilies or other feminine
gimcracks cluttering up the place.
There are desks and tables, fling
cabinets and other articles Of a useful
nature. In her Office there is an at
mosphere of quiet yet forceful dig
nifty, and she loses no time in getting
cd. AS she explained to one visitor,
she wanted to be courteous and just
to all, but the many demands made
upon her time necessitated her being
brief and TO the point. She said 1t in
such an honest and frank way that
the visitor could not help getting her
viewpoint.
With the advent of women into
political life there naturally has
arisen in the minds OF thousands the
query as to just how this journey into
the unknown realm will affect the
woman of the future. The writer
asked Mrs Huck number of ques-
tons. among which was this: What
effect will womans emancipation
have upon the woman of 1902" Mrs.
Huck said:
81 believe that the womar's eman-
cipation of today will be the founda
ton of her real education, and, as a
result, the woman OF 1850 Will have a
broader view and will be better equip
ped to meet her problems.
will she be less feminine? In my
estimation she will not be less femt-
nine. The history of the short time
that she has been in politics shows
that the mannish woman Is not popu-
lar politically. ! am speaking of the
woman who is mannish in outward
appearance. I am not speaking Of the
woman who has the intelligence and
the force to handle the work that
heretofore has been handled by men.
There Is no doubt that the mannish
woman exists, but her kind will not
be encouraged in the political world"
= \ I: x
THERE are those who have thought
l. that perhaps woman's entrance
in the political arena would cause her
to forsake, In part, If not wholly, her
attire, or perhaps would dim the ages
old love of pretty things, and while,
OF course, it is not possible for Mrs.
Huck or any other mortal on the face
of this earth to successfully prophesy
what milady OF 1860 will wear, yet
she is of the opinion that women will
dress pretty much as they do now.
To put 1t into words. Mrs. Huck said:
1T is hard to say what the next
change in woman's attire will be, but