Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18

stories dealing with women members OF
assembled BY stafs Of the Associated
Press at the various State capitals. The
second story will appear tomorrow.
~ the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, January 1.-THE
ladies' too, lay down the law.
One hundred and forty-seven Of
them today are lawmakers. Only five
States are without their influence. In
each of the 43 Legislatures in whic,.
they sit they constitute very small
minorities. Statute making is not a
big business with them-yet; but 1t is
q business none the less.
Most of the women serving in State
capitols this month reached there after
well fought victories over male COM
petition. Some won election despite
membership in minority parties. A
very few were elected in gallant ges-
lures by their communities as widows
of legislators who died in Office.
Some are young. Indiana's only
lawmaker, Miss leila C. Haines, is
barely a year out of the State univer-
sity oregon has a Representative,
Dorothy Mccullough Lee, who is not
yet 30.
Average Age Near so.
For the most part, however, these
feminine State Senators and Repre-
sentatives are middle-aged. The aver
age age of the lat probably would
figure only slightly under so years.
Some are nearing the evening OF
their lives. Miss Alice Coe Is serving
In the Connecticut Legislature at the
age of II.
New England, staid and conservative,
has pointed the way to the rest of the
country in the matter Of electing women
to State legislative office. Connecticut
has 81 women taking part in lawmak-
ing New Hampshire, IL Vermont, 10.
The IL States that classify geographic
cally as 1.-The South" have 10 women
lawmakers among them, and four of
the number-Alabama Louisiana, Ten
nessee and Kentucky-still have their
statutes written entirely by men.
The Far West. with its seven States,
has l9 women helping in the making of
law. Nevada is the only one which has
none this year.
The North. Middle and Southwest
have shown a friendly but not a nu-
merically enthusiastic attitude toward
sending women TO their State capitols.
Many Vote Regular"
From q party viewpoint the women
legislators fine up about han-and-half
Democrat and Republican. Party poll
tics is not always a consideration Of
their candidacy. They not infrequently
base their appeal for election on prin-
ciple or principles, rather than party
platforms. Many, however, are thor
ough-going partiSanS who vote regular"
husbands politics is not always
that of his legislator-wife. Mrs. w. w.
Hamilton of the Montana House of
Representatives is a native of Virginia
and. therefore, she says, "a Democrat"
She has twice been elected in a strongly
hIlCh1nn 1 q
Republican.
Wisconsins only Assembly woman is
Mrs. Agnes Charbonneau, who sur
prised politicians by winning as con-
Sentative Republican when virtually the
entire State was swept by progressive
Republicans under the La Toilette BAN
ner Her oratorical excellence is con-
ceded, and her opponents confess she
is good at lambasting"
Married women predominant. Most
of them are mothers of siZeable fami-
lies. and law making shares with home
making In the Western States sew
eral women legislators are also the OPP
orators of large ranches or other enter
priSes generally presumed to be mans
job"
IL Women Senators.
Even blindness Is an affection that
could not keep Dr. Claire z. owens out
of Nebraska politics. Sightless since
she was a child, Miss Owens became
a doctor of osteopathy, supervisor of
public school music and now a rep
resentative in the Legislature from Fill
more County.
In only II States have women thus
far won election to their Senates. At
present there is no more than one
woman in the Upper House of any Leg
islature.
The tendency has been quite gen.
orally adapted by the controlling male
majorities to assign women to such
committees as are non-political. espez
cially education and public welfare.
Although talking is supposed to be
one of woman's greatest activities. 1t
Is significant that by far the greatest
number of woman law makers thus far
In American legislative affairs have
adopted policy Of sit quiet, listen and
learn"
(copyright, 1881, by Associated PreSs)