The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-30
Women Leaning Co-operatlon
 In Politics

Springs, the charming woman from South Carolina who created a small furore recently at the democratic national convention-one of the most conspicuously brilliant and successful of the women to enter politics. The first woman ever to be put mp as a nominee for candidacy for vice presi- dent of the United States.
 Mrs. Spring said nothing about the respective merits of beauty and brains in prevailing upon the intrenched mas culine lords of politics nor the respect i've efficacy of vamping and straight talk. When asked what she regarded as the most necessary quality for a woman in politics, her answer came quick as a flash, Play fair with other women ;'' then added, ''in politics and out"
 I expected Mrs. Springs to say some thing about never forgetting one was a woman, and that woman should be beautiful. She could well have said it, but she didn't. She launchel into an enthusiastic-not rabid-praise of her fellow workers.
 "If there is one thing I believe in, it is women being square with each other. That refers to every single thing a woman may do. It's lack of this that has kept women back and pre- vented them accomplishing all they could and should for themselves and their sex and the world. Women have lived so long in their separate homes that 'cut-throat' is the only game they know. They've had a notion that what is one woman's gain is another's loss. To forget themselves and work together for cause is their greatest need. They must show the same disinterested de- votion to things outside their homes thta they've shown for their homes and then things are going to happen.
 But Mrs. Springs believes women are learning cooperation rapidly. She be- lieves they have an enormous capacity for it, once they've awakened to its importance. It was playing fair, going in and rolling up her sleeves anG doing the dirty work when she might have sat back and doIe only the pretty work that brought Mrs. Spring as a delegate at large to the convention and made her one of the most conspicuous figures in it. Not that she permits you to re- fer to that. But she Les want to tell you how the four women delegates at large with half vote each insisted on including her in their delegation, there by giving up a fifth If |, vote for the presidential candidate.
 Now when four women will do that for woman easily more beautiful than any of them, you 'can believe that woman's opinion is entitled to consid- eration.
 Even the south and the insidious in fluence of politics won't make Mrs. Springs proclaim that "woman's place is sin the home," but she does proclaim, and very insistently, that if woman is SO far fortunate as to have a home, her first duty is to it.
 F'It she can't run her home-not just her house, but her hOme-she shouldn't try to run the affairs of her town or her state or her nation.
 s'But she can do both. I firmly be- lieve that. Every woman has some leisure. Most women have lot If they want to devote that leisure to bridge, and tea, all right But they're shirking responsibility. They have a duty toward public welfare in one form or another, and they can all peform it if they will"
 It was through her particularly femi- nine contribution that Mrs. Springs first entered public life, and then with no thought of entering merely of getting
 
 .'It was through the Red Cross that first raised my voice in meeting," she said. During the war, of course, I fOand myself terribly excited about some issue at stake, and, scared as was, l got up and spoke SbOut it. First thing l knew 1 was county chairman Then l learned how women can CO., operate and work together. It was wonderful.
 t'NOw I'm state cairman-yes, chair man, without a man over me-of Near East Relief for South CL olina. re- gard that almost as important''-she hesitated and looked timidly about, then in a whisper, quite as important as my political work. It's the charity that we have given to Europe in distress. particularly to the coming generation of Europe and the Near East, that is one of the biggest things that we can do for world peace. Tht's why I'm doing my utmost to feed those thou sands of little orphans out in Armenia and Greece-nOt just for them, but for ourselves and the future happiness of the world. It isn't enough for woman. to care about her own children; she must have an interest in the welfare of her neighbor's children, of her coun- try's children, of the child. en of all the world. More cooperation, you see, and actual practice of the Golden Rule"
 As l reluctlantly yielde, my place to the group who were pressing hard upon me, Mrs. Springs, the most beautiful and successful politician from the south, called out, And don't forget, women can play fair with each other, and they're learning tO do if '"