Evening star., 1924-11-10
WOMEN SATISFIED At ELECTION
IN SPITE OF MANY DEFEATS
Take Com fort From, State Successes for Defeats in
Congress Races-Only One Con,ingto
Washington This Time.

Though only one woman. Mrs. Mary
T. Norton, wife Of Robert F. Norton
| of Jersey City, n. j., won a seat in
| the National Legislature, and this, de-
spite the fact that round dozen OF
| feminine candidates were announced
| from the regularly organized commit
tees OF two Of the major parties. To-
, cal suffrage societies are miles away
| from considering the results of the
recent election setback to their am
billions. 1t seems that these dozen
| women whose names appeared as
aspirants for congressional honors
were all indorsed by the Democratic
party or by La Foilettes following
and a few had the support Of both
| of these combined and the prohibition
party besides.
| Miss Nellie Kline. running in the
sixth district Of Kansas, received
| such substantial support that for two
days she was reported elected. The
same was true in several Of the Far
Western States, until final reports
eliminated all OF the women except
Mrs. Norton.
Republican managers frankly re-
fused women the honor Of running on
| their ticket for Congress. They ex-
planned that, at this crisis IN national
affairs, they could not take the risk
| But they cordially Endorsed women in
other positions and backed them to
| the last atom OF influence and the
party funds. Mrs. Florence Z. s.
| Knapp, for instance, won the honor
of serving as Secretary Of State for
New York in spite of the sweeping
victory of Gov. "Ar" Smith. Mrs
/ Knapp has been for years the chair
| man of the Republican committee of
T Canandaigua County and she had the
warm encouragement OF Senator
| "adsworth in her struggle. She is
| the widow of Philip Schuyler Knapp
| of Syracuse. and was for years a
! quite forceful worker for the Re-
( licans elected Mrs. Emma Eaton
! White. a well known political writer
Of Indianapolis, as official reporter of
| the supreme court and there are
scores of minor offices to which the
| G. o. p. elevated their sister workers.
Open Wide Vista.
| But in one aspect the various par
ties fighting for equal rights and
| other privileges for women consider
the recent elections as opening a wide
/ vista for their future success. This
| Is in the overwhelming number of
| women elected to State legislatures,
! more than three times the number
I this election than two years ago and
six times the number four years ago.
States like Nebraska which have never
| honored women in this way, have this
| time sent two. These women will sit
| in the State legislature in Senator La
Follette's State and they are the first
! to be honored. South Dakota has
elected four women and from every
| section comes news OF victories in
! this line. So many of the national
| legislators graduate from State legis-
! latures, and In fact a glance through
| their official biographies shows that
| route the accepted one to congress
sional honors, that the capturing Of
seats In such a wholesale way by the
feminine aspirants for political power
| is the outstanding feature of this
election. 1t argues that In another
| four years there will be a strong
! body of women who have served in
| State law-rlaking bodies and who can
command sufficient support from their
constituencies to force party man
! ayers to accept them for national
| honors.
! Two Woman Governors.
| Feminine interest all over the coun-
| try centers with pride on the two
| woman governors, Mrs. Ferguson of
Texas and Mrs. Ross Of Wyoming,
and if President Coolidge Is open to
| persuasion he will depart from his
intention to be inaugurated, if any
| thing, more simply and unobtrusive-
| ly than his immediate predecessors,
Wilson and Harding, and give these
ladies the chance which might never
again be theirs. Coming from such
States as Texas and wyoming, both
must be superb equestriannes, and
| they could without doubt devise a
| resplendent uniform and gather a
| glittering staff, and If these were re-
| Inforced by scores Of other women
In jaunty riding apparel, Pennsyl-
! vania avenue would witness a pag-
cant unique In the long history of
| its inaugural and other parades.
| Further analysis of the voting last
| Tuesday as it affects the members of
| feminine political organizations dis
| closes that those women who were
successful, like Mrs. Norton in Jer-
sey City, did not belong to Suffrage
centers. but made the fight on the
platn issues as they concern Republi-
cans. Democrats and followers of La
| FolIstte. The Woman's Party, with
headquarters here, Is striving for
equal rights for women, and in every
State. But Mrs. Norton expressed
herself as totally Indifferent to this
policy. as she had, in fact, been to
the gaining Of the vote in the first in
stance, and she won her victory on
simple party lines and because of
| personal popularity. 1t is of interest
| to know that she believes in repeal
| ing the Volstead law, and she has
prepared some staggering figures
about the misery, crime and poverty
right In her home town allegedly re-
! sultant from the nineteenth amend
ment. In this she has the support of
some prominent public men of Jersey.
Senator Edge for one. She stands
| for light wine and beer. and she de-
| mands trial Of 1t along the lines
now in force IN Quebec.
Mrs. Norton IS 4 breezy, genial sort