Evening star., 1925-11-27
WOMEN D|SAVOW
TEXAS GOVERNOR
"Ma' Ferguson's Troubles
Not Blow to Feminism, Lead
ers in Cause Here Declare.
Bv Consolidated Pres.

BY tOuSpHGdteb lIt>=.
Here in Washington. where the
militant women of the country nave
their headquarters and their stalwart
representatives the tangled mess IN
which GOV. Ma" Ferguson is rindins
herself down III Texas is not held to
be a blow in any way at the So-called
feminist movement. Mrs. ferguson
never has been considered typical OF
the modern woman in politics. She
has not "hel"nged." The progressive
women Of the country did not hail
her election with any show OF delight.
1t was pretty Well known in ad-
vance that "Ma' Ferguson was run
ing in behalf Of her impeached hus-
band and was not making a hight TO
give modern Wofnauhood its place III
the sun. She did not enlist the SerV-
ices Of any Of the national femiriStS.
She made no special appeal because
of her Sex. She was just jim Fer
GusOn'S Wife and she let il he known
that ii she was elected jim" always
would be seated by her side, and his
counsel and advice would he asked
and taken on every problem which
might confront her
Ran for Her Husband
In short. Mrs. Ferguson ran for
governor last Fan simply because her
husband couldn't run. He had been
Impeached and the legal bars TO his
seeking public office again had not
been removed. Since Mrs. Ferguson
became chief executive of the Lone
Star State. however. an amnesty act
was passed by the legislature and
signed by her.
w hen the first Texas primaries We're
held last year and it appeared that
woman might he elected governor Of
Jhe State, the progressive women of
the country got a thrill which comes
once in Il lifetime. They had been
looking forward 10 just this sort of
thing. First ii woman governor. then
= woman elected to the United States
Senate then a woman member of the
cabinet and finally, in due course Of
time, q woman President at the White
House
In all this ambitious program there
has been perhaps Il disposition TO
overlook the role 10 be played by
The husband. For instance. what
would the husband of the governor
do? What would the husband OF a
feminist senator do, or the husband
o. q cabinet officer and, finally. and
most perpleXing of all, what would
be the place i'll history, to say moth
ing of the household, OF a husband
OF q lady President? Would the
gentleman look after the housekeep-
ing and be a sort Of ''tirSt gentleman
Of the land" while his wife was busy
with problems of state and interna-
tional import
A very brief and hasty inquiry 10y
the feminNtS in the Texas situation
soon disclosed that Ma Ferguson
e elected, intended To eXalt her hus-
band above herself and had no idea
Of waving the flag OF feminine indie
oendence. This finished Ma" with
Fhe WOmen's organizations OF the
country She was, in fact undoing
much that they thought they had
done. Ma" they said was being
used by the man politicians. The
Ferguson wing of Texas democracy
was using her merely as a cloak TO
put Jim" back in power at Austin
Husband May BE Handicap.
The women's organizations in this
CITY say they knew no good" could
come of the Texas arrangement, and
today they resent the idea that if
Ma is to he impeached it will rep
resent failure, or even partial fail
ure. of the feminist movement
While the feminists may be viewing
Ma" Ferguson with alarm. they are
pointing with pride to Mrs. Nellie
Ross, governor of Wyoming. Mrs
Ross succeeded her deceased husband
In the future the feminists may
urge for high Office only widows or
spinsters pledged to remain in single
blessedness. Husbands already have
proved a nuisance to ambitious
lCopyright 1928