Evening star., 1928-04-01
BY BEN McKELWAY.

Sunday afternoon in March, 1917. when
a train from the West slowed to stop
1 / in Union Station. From 1t alighted Miss
jeanette Rankin Of Montana the first
Congresswoman To the group of reporters who
greeted herat least to one member OF the group
her coming was a momentouS tning. Here, IN
deed, was the actual enactment of that epochai
phenomenon called the Dawn OF New Era
Whether Miss Rankin personiaed the dawn or
the era Is lost now in the haze OF memory 1or
as soon as she was surrounded by the reporters
she ceased to be metaphor and became
rather nervous woman.
In one breath she was asked what policies she
would uphold in Congress, whether she could
make biscuits or bake cake. One reporter
wanted to know what she thought of armed
neutrality, but the next one asked II She ever
did her own sewing. All of the reporters. If
memory does not fail. were careful to note that
she wore a picture hat and exhibited, in their
masculine eyes. certain characteristically fem
mime traits. For these. after all, were the i'm
portant things to know about Miss Rankin. She
was the first CongresSwoman, the vanguard OF
that embattled host of women who then were
clamoring to tear down the barrier that she alone
had scaled. She came to Congress representing not
only the people of Montana but the enlightened
womanhood of America 1t was vas, OF tn,,n vital I'M,
womanhood was capable of baking cake or of
darning stocking
More history was written on April when Miss
Rankin voted against the declaration of war with
Germany. The fact that 3he Wept when she
voted seemed significant the way she voted.
And while Miss Rankin sponsored many meas
ures during her single term in Congress, while
she made a number. of speeches. the things about
her that stick in memory that she wore a
picture hat voted against war and wept as she
voiced her NO"
More than a decade has PISSED since the first
CongreSSwoman came TO Washington. Much
history has been written, some of it in blood.
some in tears. some In oil and some In water
that flows under the bridge and leaves no mark,
-Four women sit in Congress today where one
sat 10 years ago, and the womanhood OF America
is preparing to go to the polls for The third
time to elect President. But does 1t mean
anything? Did Miss Rankin usher in new era
after all? Have women welded the power Of
the ballot women or have they only enlarged
the electorate-produced new vote where none
grew before?
During those hectic days which preceded the
adoption and ratification of the nineteenth
amendment one heard much of the woman
vote" that would come to purify American poll
tics. Somehow one visualiZed the woman with
the ballot as a Carrie Nation with a hatchet.
ready TO smash those institutions inim:cable TO
the best interests of America. But after the
women have been in possession OF this sup
posedly destructive weapon for eight years one
is yet to hear any loud tnkle as Of shattered
glass If politics any purer today. II the
methods OF politicians are any more noble than
In 1919. we'll
In the campaign for the suffrage amendment
the large amount Of hokum spread abroad con-
cerning the purifying influence OF women IN
politics was more distasteful to the women them
selves than to anybody else The chief cause
for resentment the fact that ignorant man
seemed to think women wanted the vote In order
to clean up things. start reform movements
make the country sweeter and a nicer place for
the tiny tots. This. the women themselves main
tanned. was all beside the point They wanted
the vote because they had right TO vote What
they would do with the vote was nobodys business
How they would vote was the inalienabe right