Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-06
Defeat of 'sMa" Ferguson Laid
To Husband Jim" by Editors

the quiet of her domestic life by the
ambition of her discredited husband"
THAT the first woman governor has
proved a failure" says the New York
Evening Post independently, will hard.
ly be disputed, but the fen1inists can
say justly that the result was due
more to the perniciouS interference
of her husband than to anything she
herself did" The Binghamton Press
independently adds that 'one governor
in any State, even as big a one as
Texas, is enough" while the Nashville
Banner independently offers the com
ment on the same factor in her defeat
During the campaign when she en-
tered the arena of State politics, her
husband remained in the background
and voters We're assured that he would
be kept there if his wife became gov
ernor. However, no sooner had she
taken the oath of Office than he reap
peared, the same old Jim, whom voters
had degraded and refused to .counte-
nance. He took control of the admin
istration and made sorry mess
of it."
1.-THE number of good people who
voted for Ma Ferguson with their
eyes shut and their hearts throbbing
with irrelevant and sadly misplaced
emotion" according to the Chicago
Tribune independent Republican,, ''is
no greater than could be found in any
other American community. The phe-
nomenon is instructive to any one in
terested in the actual workings of self
government. That our loyalties are
found to have been abused does not
cure u.s." The Bloomington Panta-
graph independently observes that
1.-The novelty Of having q woman for
governor was enjoyed to some extent,
but the strange interlocking of the
personalities of Ma Ferguson as gov
ernor and that Of her husband created
a situation which did not act for ef-
ficiency in State affairs" The Youngs-
town Vindicator Democratic) feels
that sensible folk in Texas must feel
relieved that she and Jim are to go.
and that the era of graft in road con-
tracts. wholesale pardons and general
incompetence may at last give way
to a decent, honest, modern admins
tration."
Texans appear to have been toler-
ant" remarks the Hartford Times
independent Democratic), land to
have decided to let the pair play out
their string. In the end, even they
appear to have sickened of the undig-
nified spectacle and decided to end it."
The Trenton Evening Times Qnde-
pendent) comments upon the overcon-
fidence of Gov. Ferguson, who be-
lieved she was still the idol OF the
Democratic voters of her State" and
made the wager to resign If defeated
in the primary" The Times records
the incidental fact that st is interest
ing to learn that Attorney General
Moody was formerly a. strong sup
porter of the Fergusons. but became
alienated over the road scandals.
First and last" says the Butte
Daily Post Republican). "her career
in Office has had some sensational in
cidents, but. as it approaches its
finish, there really appears to be moth
ing in 1t that gives it distinction as
a contribution to better civic condi-
tions." But the Dayton Daily News
feels that ito be wholly fair it must
be admitted that conditions were unfa-
vorable fof her from the moment she
announced her intention to 'vindicate
Jim"