Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1924-11-20
With Woman Governors in Texas
and Wyoming, Politicians Are Won
dering How Long Before Feminine
President Rules Nation
Written for Leader-Enterprise
By ROBERT FULLER

(Thru AutocaSter tSerV1ce)
Now that more than five million
people. citizens of Texas and Wyoming
will be ruled by women governors,
many people are wondering. They are
wondering if the election of two wo-
men as governors of sovereign states
is an indication of what may come in
the future.
They are asking themselves, will
there some day, be woman president
of these United States? Will woman,
by popular vote. some time go to
Washington and take up the reins of
the government?
Both of the women governors are
mothers. One is the wife and the 9TH
er is the widow of former Governor
of the States which they have been
elected to govern. Both are well equip
ced to carry on the duties required of
them
They are Mrs. Miriam MA" Fer
guson, governor elect of Texas, and
Mrs. Nellie Taylor Ross of Wyoming.
On to Washington! and people are
wondering just how long it will be
before a woman will siti in the White
House.
When will the nation elect wo-
man as president of these United Stat
es? When will woman, by popular &C
claim, be honored by this great office?
People are wondering.
In the peculiar fitness of things po-
litical in this country, it is right that
woman should be elected to the
governorship of Wyoming. This
state gave women suffrage in 1870
1,1fad fhara fsffxY-
four years ago.
Since that time suffrage, woman
suffrage, has been taken more or less
as matter of course. There was lit
tie or no opposition to the nomination
OF woman candidate for Gubernator-
ial honors in that state, and Mrs. Ross
had only her opposing candidate to
fight il. the recent campaign.
In Texas "Ma" Ferguson had i, a
different sort of fight on her hands.
The citizenry of that sovereign state
were in general opposed to woman's
suffrage. 1t was necessary to lnst1ll
the thought. "A woman is equal to
man politically" in the minds of
Texans before her candidacy would
be taken seriously.
When Mrs. Ferguson came out and
placed her name before the people
of the state and told them just
where she stood, they began to
listen. Her race for governor was
taken less as a jest then, and more
as a reality Her enemies bitterly
assailed her throughout the whole
campaign In Wyoming, Mrs. Ross
faced not such obstacles.
In Wyoming women have held
minor jobs in the States political
offices ever since they first began vot-
ing. In Texas there have been very
few women in the political limelight
ever.
Will Rule Five Million
They have both been elected to
the governorship of heir respective
states, and now, for the first time
in the history of this democracy,
more than 100000 people will be
ruled by woman Texas claims
population of 100000. Wyoming
boasts of 100000.
Mrs. Miriam A. Ferguson, nee Wal
lace, was born in Bell County, her par
ents being of Tennessee mountaineer
stock
Her early life was the ordinary plan
tation routine She attended the local
rural school, helped about the home
and in emergencies worked in The
fields. Later she went to Baylor I'm
iversity which was situated few mil
es from the Wallace homestead. AS
student she was known for her thor
oughness and accuracy rather than for
brilliance. To the neighboss, Miriam
Wallace was good girl" and that
was the whole story
Marries Ferguson
In 1899 she married James E. Fer
guson, farmer, later banker, and ranch
man. They have two daughters, the
younger now being her mothers sec
rotary.
The late Governor Ross of Wyom
ing landed in the town of Cheyenne
in 1901. He opened law office there
and it was in the West that he met
and married his wife.
She was born at St. Joseph, Mo-,
about forty years ago" she married
the late governor Ross in Omaha in
I 1902 She has three sons. Two of
them are in the University of Wyom
ing and the youngest is in public
school
Both women are home bodies" but
they have always watched their hus-
bands careers with interest and intel
ligence. Neither will go into the State
House with no understanding of their