Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-28
ACTIVITY OF WOMEN
URGED BY VOTERS
LEAGUE PRESIDENT

Buffalo, April 20-AddreSsing the
| National League Of Women voters
at its fifth annual convention here
tonight Mrs. Maud Wood Park, it's
| president, said that details OF the
Leagues immediate program must
be regulated by the fact that a ma
tional election was impending. She
urged upon women the Importance
of taking part in the legitimate &C
tivities of their parties. Planks COW
ering the issues most important to
women should be prepared and pre-
scented to the platform committee OF
! the political parties and to the can
didates.
I IN all the efforts of the League"
Mrs. Park said, ut has had the ad-
vantage of the opportunity afforded
by the reimbursement at one time
of approximately 20,000.000\ women.
In the nature of the case, this OPP
portunity will last only few years
and ii can never come again. Only
for 4 few years shall we have the
possible advantage of an enormous
number of new voters. untrammeled
by carelessly made political affilia-
tons, with no bad political tenden-
cles to undo and therefore free to
form good political habits from the
start.
TO be sure many OF these we'll
meaning new voters had not been ac-
customCd to think in terms OF gov
eminent. many of them were ig-
moran of public affairs and pro-
foundry indifferent to their new OPP
portunity. They needed awakening
and chance to learn. Large num-
bers Of them need 1t still. That is'
why so much of the recent unfav-
orable criticism of what women have
done with their votes Is superficial"
Mrs. Park said she looked for in
crcasing interests and activity on tho
part of women voters and II larger
part in the coming national Conven-
tons than they had four years ago.
and believed that womans distinc-
tive point of view would become in
crcaSInSly impoi amt in public af-
fairs.
During the past year the League
workers had been preparing for Ii
NJ ton. Wide CHmpa n to get out the
woman vote this year and she hoped
1t would result i'm an increase of at
least % percent over the vote of
four years ago
Unless the league Is to make rad
ical changes in its purpose and pro-,
Sram." the speaker continued, "our
own part in tho high undertaking OF
applied democracy Is reasonably
clear. First of all, we have to make
more women alive to their great new
privilege. In the second place We
must see to 1t that the girls COM
ing of age to vote arc enlisted year
by year in the interest of good gov
eminent. In the third place we must
all turn to. young and old. to see
to 1t that the next generation gets
n good chance at civic education.
Next to education in importance
on our program, and second only
because IL depends upon education.
comes international cooperation to
prevent war. To many of our mem
bers this form of work transcends
all others in interest, since without
peace, constructive civilization Is
impossible.
There is another suggestion for
future work that fires the magma
ton OF good many League mem
"ogs," Mrs. Park said. This Is tho
- of campaign TO put more wo-
men into public office. To my mind.
,dcn an effort is justified only by ono
of two premises. That women are to
be chosen who are better qualified
for office than are their men oppon-
ents, or else that the qualifications
being equal, more women in public
offices are desirable because women
have distinctive opinions in regard
to public affairs that men cannot
express"