Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-09
Mrs. Mccormick Wins.


won the Republican senatorial NOM
nation in Illinois over Senator Charles
s. Deneen. Her victory marks another
big step of women toward important
public office, in this country. She Is
the first woman ever to have won
in a primary election. That she has
won it in Illinois, the third most pop
ulous State in the Union, makes the
victory all the more significant. She
still has to face the general election in
November. But the chances are with
her in State which for years has been
overwhelmingly Republican.
Fourteen years ago" Miss Jeanette
Rankin of Montana made history when
she won seat in the House of Repre-
sentatives, the first woman ever to sit
in the National Legislature. That was
in 1916. Two years later, Miss Rankin
sought to do what Mrs. Mccormick has
done. She tried for the Republican
nomination for the Senate in Montana
But she lost. Since Miss Rankin was
elected to the House, there have been
other women chosen to represent con-
gressional districts in many States. To-
day Massachusetts,, California, Florida,
New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, ILL
noiS and Arkansas each has woman
member of the House. Mrs. Mccormick
is one of Illinois two Representatives
at large, elected in a State wide contest
in 1928. Her present victory in the
senatorial primary is likely to lead other
women to seek that honor. Mrs. Ruth
Bryan Owen, another Ruth" and also
the daughter of distinguished political
leader, now d member of the House from
Florida, already has been suggested as a
possible candidate for the Senate when
the time rolls around. The daughter of
the "Commoner," who three times was
nominated by his party for the presi-
dency, is making her mark in the House.
Mrs. McCormick's victory over Senator
Deneen may be attributed to many fac
tors. In the first place she is an able
and brilliant woman, the daughter of
Senator Mark Hanna, President maker
in the old days. Through her own CAM
paigning, both as candidate for the
House and more lately for the SEN
-atorial nomination, she won many adj
herents. She has the instinct for or
ganization, and she built up a real
following in the "downState" counties.
Added to this strength, which was her
own, is the fact that Senator Deneen's
enemies, generally represented by the
old City Hall organization which put
big Bill Thompson in Office as mayor
of Chicago, lined up with Mrs. McCor-
mick solidly. And Mrs. Mccormick
seized upon the World Court issue
American adherence to the court has
not been popular in Illinois, and SEN
ator Deneen cast his vote for such ad-
herence back in 1926 when the matter
was before the Senate
Mrs. McCormick's fight and primary
victory yesterday have much of the dra-
matte. She is a woman, but she ran
not as a representative of the women.
She is the widow of Senator Medill Nc
Cormick of Illinois. Six years ago Sem
ator Deneen defeated Senator McCor-
mick for the Republican nomination.
Mrs. McCormickS triumph over the
veteran Republican leader yesterday is
turning the tables with vengeance.
Now that the primary is over, Mrs.
Mccormick will soon begin her cam
paign for election to the Senate next
November. She will be opposed by
former Senator j. Hamilton Lewis, a
Democrat who has eSpoused the wet"
cause. Mrs. Mccormick ran as a dry"
for the senatorial nomination, having
the Endorsement of the Anti-Saloon
League. Illinois is regarded as wet
State, because of the victory of the wet
cause in the latest referendum there on
the subject of prohibition. But the
wetness Of Illinois did not bring VIC
tory to the late George Brennan, Dem
Ocratic leader, when he was the Demo-
cratic nominee for the Senate in 1925
against Frank L. Smith, who was in
dorsed by the Anti-Saloon League.
Senator Lewis, it is true, is expected to
make much stronger race of it than
did Brennan. But Mrs. McCormick's
chances of being elected appear bright
at this time.