Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-12
BY MIRIAM A. FERGUSON,
Governor Of Texas.
ARTICLE VI.
The Opposition of Women in Politics.

are three strange anomalies IN lcAdS
the opposition Of the preachers to
Atticus Webb, president Of the Anti
| Saloon League, to my offer to stop
rich bootleggers and rich violators
OF the liquor laws: the opposition
| Of the big-club women Of this State
to the first woman Governor Of Texas.
When I faced the general election
| last Fall against the combination Re
publican.Ku Klux opponent. the ciup
| women of the State went over to the
Republican banner. They said it was
| because my opponent was university
professor They backed him, they
| voted for him, they sorrowed with
their Ku Klux colleagues when he
| was not elected.
That is just one instance of their
opposition to me, an opposition when
, has in some degree leSSened in the
| II months 1 have been in office. l
think, as time goes on, the club women
will understand me better, as l am
| beginning to understand the club
| women better.
Have Demanded Much.
1t has been quite apparent that
these women. despite the fact that
| they did not support me, have de.
manded more of me than they ever
demanded of any other governor. They
have expected me, in IL months. to
accomplish more than had been done
in the past IL years.
There have been notable exceptions.
of course; there are prominent women
| in the State who have come to me
with problems dear to their hearts.
and as a woman and as a governor
I confess my qualification that I have
been able to do something for them.
That has only made the more marked
| the attitude of those club women, the
/ ones who have been preaching about
| woman's rights and womans suffrage.
who have held aloof from the first
woman governor.
And SO 1 have come to recognize
| their attitude as part of the organized
opposition against me.
Texas granted the vote to women In
1919, yet the big politicians of the
State have never been very gracious
| to the women. They have used the
| women's vote, used it without con-
| in a while they have thrown some
sop of small Office to women-a
| county clerkship or some such place
but they have been almighty jealous
\ of giving any woman an outstand-
| ing chance.
| Scores Methods of Foes.
|
governors Office, they met the an
nouncement with jeers. They We're so
amazed at my victory in the first
| primary. against a big field OF men,
| that they couldn't do so very much
about it. They were so desperate
at my victory in the second primary
that they welcomed the opposition the
| club women were willing to oner
| against me- and since / have been
| in office, they have been very busy
keeping the women stirred up against
me wherever they could. They have
used every argument they could de-
wise to keep antagonism alive. They
| have talked about the iniQuity Of my
| husband aiding me. They have held
up their righteous hands in holy
| horror that / freed a few poor con-
victs. They have charged my ap-
pointees We're grafters and incompe-
tents. They have fought my declara-
| ton that rich men have no more right
| to get drunk than poor men have.
! All these things have been cleverly
| told and retold until the women have
gotten so they believe them. Which
| is exactly what the politicians want
| them to do. 1t was planned with
animus: it has worked against me to
perfection
Finds No Chivalry.
! No woman who enters politics IN
| Texas need expect any chiValry be-
cause she is a woman.
| can tell her right now she wont
get 1t.
| held close to their hearts and their
pocketbooks the big Offices of this
| State. They fear, as they fear
deadly poison, the hold of any woman,
| with the innate honesty OF woman.
| on such an office.
| They Will fight her, as they fought
| woman suffrage, with every weapon
at their disposal, and they have many
! weapons, as we'll as experience In
| using them. There is no white plume
| of chivalry, and there is no chivalrous
| intent among them. They are out for
| blood, and woe to the poor woman
| who dares fight back.
II they can arouse other women
against her. so much the better for
their purpose. which, in this instance,
is the immediate discrediting of
| woman governor, and which in the ul-
! innate, is the disbursement Of other
women seeking high Office.
am not afraid of such opposition,
and 1 do not think that any woman
/ who is a fighter will be afraid Of 1t.
| But it cannot be disregarded, for or
ganized opposition is something always
| to be considered.
Gives Offices to Women.
| It would seem that the club women
| of Texas would have rallied to the
support of woman, would have used
all the influence they had to make
| her administration a banner success
| for all the world to gaze upon.
! AS part of my desire to help them,
in my inaugural address 1 said that
many women would be called to places
of responsibility. and at once I ap-
pointed a woman as my secretary Of
state. l have continued to give out
| standing women as much conSidera-
| ton as possible.
During the session of the Legisla-
ture last Winter and Spring, was
Just about as busy as governor could
be. I was far too busy to be having
any receptions at the mansion. Yet,
| the first thing l knew, the women at
| tending the session, as wives and
i mothers and sisters of the members,
were raising a mighty howl because
I had not entertained them, a howl
I in which some of the man politicians
| joined. Can a more incongruous sit
! uation be imagined? To demand the
social amenities of a woman busy with
executive duties! Yet this is an ex-
cellent example of what the woman
in politics can expect In Texas.
I do not despair of what women in
politics can do. 1 believe there are
great opportunities for her and that