Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-11

Comment on the situation In Texas
arising from the acts Of the governor,
Mrs. Ferguson, puts the woman execu'
tive on the defensive. Expenditures
for highway purposes are assailed in
public comment, and the pardoning
power is declared to have been used
too extensively. Mrs. Ferguson is
accused of permitting her husband to
rule the State.
THE Ferguson administration" re-
marks the Charlotte Observer Demo
cratic), lis not panning out very hap
pily-that is, for the woman governor.
There are designations under way, two
members Of the State Highway Com
mission having already quit under
| fire, with indications of a general re-
vision of the board personnel. Graft
} in operation Of highway affairs seems
to have developed, and the blame
goes back to the administration OF
Mr.. Ferguson. 1t Is an unfair situa'
ton for the woman governor and of
course she is to bear the brunt OF the
! blame. Paternalism, such as is said
to have existed in Texas guberna-
torial affairs. is bound to undo any
administration
Uncertainty as to the facts, how
ever, is indicated by the Brooklyn
Eagle independent Democratic). with
the comment: I'm our opinion. out
siders should suspend judgment on
the condition of things in the State Of
Texas until the data on which to
base Judgment are much fuller than
they are. OF one thing we feel con-
fident-that the chivalry of the Lone
Star State will prevent any baseless
assault on a woman governor. Texas
chose her after a fair fight and no
favor. If she has made mistakes. her
weakness Is common to humanity. II
she has done wrong. her accountability
Is the same as a mans, no more and
no less" Further developments. how
ever, according to the Bristol Herald
Courier independent Democratic),
will be watched with some interest"
and that paper admits Mrs. Fergu-
sons opponents may be able to hang
something on her. as they say on the
curb
X X X n
The situation impresses the Hunt.
ington Advertiser Democratic) as an
ILLUSTRATION Of what can and fire.
quently does happen when an electo.
rate votes its sentiment instead of its
intelligence" The Advertiser also de-
clares: "It is an unhappy plight in
which the Ferguson family finds it.
self. Ma Ferguson had every op.
portunity to make good. The sym
pathy Of the public was with her.
She could have erased much of the
disgrace brought upon the family by
the dismissal Of her husband from
office. But the wife has been a mere
figurehead and the husband has been
the real governor" AS to the result
the Quincy Wing Journal dndepend-
ent) believes that a tolerant and in
dulgent Texas citizenry will not be
long in guessing where to place the
blame. and the woman who serves
as a figurehead will probably be alb
solved"
Naturally the Texas experiment
, with a woman governor" the Man
chester Union independent Republi-
CAM states, has aroused nationwide
attention. In all fairness. though, II
is to be set down that the troubles
of her administra ton are to be traced
to the influence of a man, and that a
similar situation would have been
created had one of Jim Ferguson's
male lieutenants instead of his wife
been chosen Governor of Texas and
been disposed to follow the Ferguson
advice. Subservience to a boss is no
novelty in strictly masculine State adj
ministrations in this Republic" That
husband and wife, 1t is pointed