Evening star., 1925-07-01
Politics at Large
By G. Could Lincoln

Massachusetts, has it's first Con
gresswoman, Mrs. John Jacob Rogers
widow of the late Representative
Rogers. Her election in the fifth Massa.
chusetts congressional district yester.
day over former Gov. Eugene N. Foss.
the Democratic candidate, is hailed
indication that the Coolidge admin
istration has lost no whit of its popu-
larity.
When the late Representative Rogers
died. cut short in the midst of a
promising career. he was very pOpu-
lar In his district. Immediately there
was q demand that hts widow be given
his seat In the House-a sentimental
idea that has found expression in a
number of other cases where men in
public ONCE have died in this country
in recent years. 1t Is strange form
Of nepotism. So far, however, its re-
suits have been negligible. For the
women who have been elected to Con-
gress to fill the terms of their de-
ceased husbands have not been re-
elected. What happens to Mrs. Rogers
In 1926. therefore, will be of consider
able interest. If she Is a candidate
to succeed herself, she will face IL
vastly different situation. Her own
factor when the primaries are held.
x y X
The Democrats had pinned their
hopes on former Gov. Foss But the
Democrat who carries a normally Re-
publican district in Massachusetts to-
day must go some. in the face of the
strong hold which President Coolidge
has on the State. The desire not to
send to Congress a man who would be
opposed to the President, or to take
step which might be interpreted as
la slap at the States most distinguished
citizen, no doubt had as much, if not
more, to do with the election of Mrs.
Rogers than any other single factor
including the favor with which her
husband had been regarded. President
Coolidge can have today from Massa-
chusetts pretty much anything he de-
sires. II was the potency of his
favor and the fact that he himself
was a candidate for the presidency
last year that pulled Senator Gillett
through in his race with former Sena-
tor David 1. Walsh. And it is largely
on this same strong leverage that the
friends of Senator William NJ. Butler
Butler faces against Senator Walsh
next year.
n ?.
The fifth Massachusetts district is
normally Republican by about 10000
to $4,000. Mrs. Rogers apparently re-
ceived this full vote. 1t contains the
cities of Lowell and Woburn and
about 80 towns. The textile industry
Is important in the district, and be-
cause there has been considerable un-
employment In the mills. the Demo
Gratis hoped for victory. Mr.. Foss en-
deavored to make the people believe
that a man would be more effective in
dealing with important economic ques-
tions involved in the tariff and pro-
posed reciprocity with Canada than
would woman.
Mrs. Rogers Is the third woman to
be elected to the Sixty ninth Congress.
Miss Mary T. Norton of Jersey City.
n. j., and Mrs. Julius Kahn Of Cali
fornia are the others. Miss Norton is
Democrat and Mrs. Kahn a Repub-
lican. AS matter Of fact. there have
been very few women elected to the
House Of Representatives, although
the suffrage amendment to the Fed
eral Constitution has been operative
since 1920, and women had the vote
in a number of States prior to the
adoption Of that amendment. So far
the Senate, and only one. from
Georgia, has gotten her foot inside the
upper house even for a few brief
hours through appointment by Gov.
Hardwick.
In this connection it now appears
that Mrs. Robert M. La Toilette,
widow Of the late Senator from Wis
H-
the proposal advanced by some of her
friends that she be a candidate to sue
ceed Senator La Toilette. The word
that comes from Wisconsin is that
Robert La Toilette, jr., will enter the
primaries for the Republican nomina.
ton for the Senate No formal an.
nouncement of his candidacy has yet
been made by Bob" La Toilette, jr.
But unless present plans go awry,
that Is what may be expected.
And II the younger La Toilette does
enter the race, the chances are that
he will be nominated and that he will
be elected. La Toilette is a name to
conture with in Wisconsin. But in
addition to that, young Bob is not a
stranger to politics or to the voters of
the State. He is at present and has
been for some time chairman of the
Republican State committee of Wis.
consin. He managed his fathers cam.
paign. He has shown himself a good
campatgner and a forceful speaker
He has been closely associated with
his father in his senatorial work for
the last eight years.
Should Mr.. La Toilette decide not
to be candidate to succeed his father
| there will be a number of others who
will seek the nomination among the
La Toilette followers, including Rep
resentative John NJ. Nelson, the ma
tional campaign manager for the La
Follette-W Wheeler ticket last year
and Representative Frear It is DOS
sfble that Gov. Blaine himself nigh,
cast his hat in the ring, but it is be-
lieved that the governor will wait
until next year to oppose Senator
Lenroot for the Republican nomina
ton for the Senate.
The "stalwarts' or regular Repub
licans, as distinguished from the La
Toilette followers in Wisconsin, have
called a meeting to be held at Osh
kosh July 4, and 1t is expected at tha,
time a State organization win be Sc,
up and a candidate selected to make
| the race for the Republican nomina
ton In the primaries, which are ex
pected early this Fall, prior to the
actual election Of a Senator to fil
the unexpired term Of La Toilette
which runs until March 8, 1929
Among those most prominently men
toned as probable candidates among
the regulars ars Francis E. Mccoy
ern, three times Governor Of Wis
consin; Roy F.. Wilcox, formerly State
Senator, and a candidate for governor
against Blaine in 1920. and Judge A
c. Backus Of Milwaukee, publisher OF
the Milwaukee Sentinel. McGoverr
was at one time La Toilette man
but he broke with the late Senator