The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-04-11
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1928.
WOMEN AND POLITICAL CONVENTIONS


HE women furnish about half Of the Re-
publican votes in the state of Minnesota,
they supply from their own ranks a goodly num-
Der of the effective party workers at election
time and also in the primary campaigns, but
they are not at in convention politics, and
were rather stability treated in the recent con-
ventions, if the truth be bluntly stated.
In the Seventh district convention at Willmar,
a majority Of the delegates were favorable to
recognizing one of the prominent woman party
workers of the district as entitled to of the
delegateships to the national convention, but this
purpose was thwarted by the greater knowledge
of technique displayed by the opposition.
The weakness of the convention system has
always been that the temporary organization
is SO per cent of the battle, and full advantage
was taken of this fact by those who were opposed
to the women.
With an unfavorably presiding officer in the
chair, the woman who arose to move that one
woman delegate and one man delegate be elected
to Kansas City was denied recognition not only
but four or five times in favor of nominal
ing and seconding one of the men, When she
finally announced her motion, she was ruled
out of order by the chair until nominations were
closed, the chair meanwhile permitting an cleo
tion to be made without entertaining the motion.
When it came to eecting the other delegate, the
chairman recognized four five of those nomin-
ating the man before he recognized the one who
desired to nominate the AS a result of
the unfair treatment accorded the women by the
chairman, all Of which was part of the plan of
the combination which was worked out previous
to the convention, the women were denied the
privilege of having of the delegateships.
Both Mrs. Bolsta of Ortonville, and Mrs Secord
of Alexandria, who were the women candidates.
were made alternates, which is an empty honor.
In the Tenth district, there was situation
that presents many of the same phases. In the
Seventh district all candidates were for Lowden,
but in the Tenth, the convention about equal
ly divided between Lowden and Hoover, the Min
neapolis end being for Hoover and the country
end for Lowden. The fair thing to have done
would have been to elect Hoover man from Min
neapolis, and Miss Grace Dunn, who is for Low
den, from the country, thus giving the men and
the women, and Hoover and Lowden each a fair
break Miss Dunn is an influential party work
err, and was the only woman candidate before
the convention.
The Republican party will have to be more
considerable of its women workers, admit them to
full "fifty-fifty" representation in party coun-
ellis, and give them fair treatment in conventions,
or it may expect demand for presidential
primary in this state.
To tell the truth, the movement to restore
the convention system in this state, would ap-
pear to have lost ground from the recent exper-
fences. The action of the Hennepin county con-
vention left bad taste in the balance of the
state and the action of the state convention left
a bad taste in Hennepin. The Willmar conven-
ton planned and run by men who got their
political training before women had the suffrage,
and the Tenth district convention was not de-
Lucrative body. BY and large, the net results
to Hoover and Lowden may be about the same
as they would have been at primary, but this
is debatable question, and there is no way Of
proving either side of the case.
But whatsoever the Republicans nominate,
the call will go out from campaign managers
next fall for women workers, and we cannot
expect the women to devote their time to elect
ing party candidates in whose selection they have
little voice.