Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-18
WOMEN In PUBLIC OFFICE
BY FREDERIC J. H4SKTN.

In the eight years since they were
| given Federal suffrage women have helt
| almost all the Offices formerly monopo-
| lied by men, the notable exception.
being the Presidency, the Vice Presi.
dency. justices OF the United States
Supreme Court and cabinet portfolios
They have held all the different kinds
OF office-eXecutive. judicial and legis.
| lative.
The first woman to be presidential
! candidate was Mrs Victoria Woodruff
Martin. In 1872. almost half century
before Federal woman suffrage became
effective, she was the nominee of the
Equal Rights party and made the race
against Gen. Grant and Horace Greeley
| Mrs. Belva Lockwood was the candidate
OF the same party In 1854 and 1888.
| The story OF the progress women
have made In practical politics Is told
in an interesting summary of the status
OF women In public Office that has beer
| prepared by the National League oi
Women Voters. 1t shows that at pres
ent there are at least IS women In re-
sponsible executive positions In the
Federal Government. Mrs, Mabel Walker
Willebrandt heading the list as the
only woman TO serve as Assistant Unitcc
States Attorney General
! Others high In the Federal service
are Miss Grace Abbott, chief Of tho
Childrens Bureau; Miss Jessie Dell, tn
only woman member of the Civil Serv-
ice Commission; Miss Mary Anderson
| director of the Women's Bureau; Miss
Bessie p Brueggeman, chairman OF TIN
United States Employees Compensation
| Commission: DR.. Louise Stanley, chief
Of the Bureau OF Home Economics: Mai
Julia Stimson. head OF the Army Nurse
| Corps. and the only woman with tn
| rank. insignia and rights Of a major
| in the United States Army, and Mrs
| Mabel Reinecke collector Of internal
! revenue at Chicago.
| Four women fill the posts of United
| States customs COLLECTORS Nellie
| O. Tomlirson. at Des Moines: Mrs
Jeanette A. Hyde. at Honolulu: Mrs
Jennie p. Musser. at Salt Lake City
and Mrs Eddie Mccall Priest. at Mem
| phts-and Mrs Anna c. M. Tillinghast
whose headquarters are in Boston. has
| the distinction OF being the only woman
| commissioner OF immigration In tht
| United States
| Three women have been appointed tc
| the diplomatic or consular Service-~-Miss
| Lucille Atcherson, who vas named IN
| 1922 and resigned In 1927: Miss Patio
Field, who was appointed vice consu
at Amsterdam In 1925. and Miss Frances
| Wills, who passed her examinations last
| Spring and Is now vice consul ut Val.
paraiso Chile Miss Elizabeth Humes Is
assistant trade commissioner at Rome
and Miss A. Viola Smith holds a similar
position at Shanghai. Six women arr
| acting as secretaries or clerks to trade
commissioners or commercial attaches
In Paris, Madrid Santiago, Ottawa ant
Havana.
Nine Members Of Congress.
Nine women have been or are mem.
| bers OF Congress, one OF them Mrs
Rebecca I.atimer FELTON, OF Georgia
having been by gubcrnatorial desiena'
ton a United States Senator for clay
No woman has ever been elected to thu
Senate OF the eight woman Repre-
sentatives, four succeeded their nus
bands and one her father. and sever
have been Republicans.
Miss Jeanette A. Rankin. Republican
Montana, was not only the FIRST woman
elected to Congress, but she has III,
added distinction of having been electct
before the adoption OF the Federal sui
frage amendment She was one
termer. I9i7-i9 Miss Alice Robert
son. Republican. Oklahoma, served II
the SiXty-Reventh Congress Mrs. Wini
fred Mason tiuck, Republican, Illinois
was elected IN 1922 to MI the vacancy
caused by the death Of her husband
William f.. Mason.
MIS-. Mae r. Nolan. Republican
California. elected TO MI the vacancy
caused by the death OF her husbanad
served from 1929 10 1925. Mrs Mary
Norton of New Jersey. IL the lont
Democrat among the women who hay,
been elected 10 the House. She wa
reelected Ia the BeVenticth Congress
AZ were Mrs, Florence i. Kahn. Re
publican. California, and Mrs, Edith
kourae Rogers. Republican. Massa
chusetla, both Of whom succeeded thei
husbands. Mrs. John w. Langley, Re
publican. Kentucky, elected to tn,
present Congress, holds the seat helt
for many years by her husband.
Az the present time there are l2t
woman members OF State Legislatures
with party Affiliations as follows: Re
puhlicans, 30; Democrats, "a no part'
designation 4, non-partisan. ! III
dependent, !, Thirteen States hay,
no woman Legislators. and Wyoming
the first State Ia recognize equal sui
frage rights AS far back AN 1860. ma
but one Connecticut, state which
up 10 the very last steadiastly oppose
woman suffrage. tops the list with II
woman legislators
Last year there were l2A woman
Legislators. and In 1923 and 1925 Their
were lIA,
Women IN State Government,
Twice women have been chosen I,
ths highest State once within the glf
Of their constituencies Mrs. Neil
Tayine Ross and Mrs, M A Ferguson
both Democrats. have been governor
Of their respective States, Wyominl
sud Texas. No woman has been elect
I'd a lieutenant governor and Maasa