Evening star., 1932-12-26

VI WOlIlell WHICH Slle lldQ OOlle 81 UluCN
to create during the four years OF her
term of office. I know that Mrs. Ruth
Bryan Owen and Mrs. Emily Newell
Blair, as well as many other women Of
persuasive oratory and thorough knOwl-
edge of political conditions, Travelled
from city to city and from town to
town. speaking sometimes many times
in one day, and making converts Wher-
ever they spoke. 1 know that the lit
erature from the womens division was
entirely distinctive from the general lit
erature of the rest of the campaign and
was prepared entirely by women, with
WOmen's point of view constantly in
mind. I have learned that women pre-
fer a single argument on single sheet
to the 10 or II page pamphlets which
the men have always considered neces-
sary as part Of the campaign educa-
ton.
No Men in Counsel.
AL this I know in general way. but
the details of how it was done or Of
the various stratagems and principles
adopted, l cannot speak, because, as /
have said before, no mere man was
taken into their counsel
I have learned, however, of a new
phase and a new kind Of political
worker. In States where large towns
are few and far between the women
evolved a corps Of what they called
grass trampers," enthusiastic women
who Travelled from door to door ring
Ing doorbells and interesting the Wom-
en- CT the house in the Governors
candidacy. I have an idea that the
work of these indefatigable canvassers
played far greater part in the secur-
ing of womenS votes than any of us
realize.
am forced. regretfully. to admit that
such an organization of men would be
practically impossible. In fact. it is
rather growing in my mind, as my ex-
perlence grows. that under proper
training an enthusiastic woman wll!
bring at least double the votes to the
When woman believes in a nominee
or q principle, she believes in il, and
no sacrifice is too great to be cheer
fully undertaken and carried through
under most discouraging circumstances.
OF course. we at headquarters watched
the progress of the Governors train
with perhaps little apprehension at
first but with tremendous interest and
supreme commence as I1c CdUlp1-EI
wore on. for in the beginning a great
majority of the Governor advisers
were strongly opposed TO his making
tour to the coast and back In fact. a
delegation of men who we're a real
power in T.arty counselS waited on him
IN Albany to persuade him from such
course. Their objections were founded
TO q great extent on the belief that
the carefully disseminated propaganda
as to the Governors health must have
some foundation and that he would be
unable to stand the Sigors of a gruelling
campaign. This fear. however, never
entered the minds of the Governor S
intimate friends. least of all the Gov
ernor himself. l had seen him through
two campaigns for Governor. travelling
thousands of miles up and down the
State in all kinds of weather. speak
and at the end Of the trip found him,
if anything, in better health than when
he started, while all the newspaper
men who accompanied him were weary
and bcdraggled to the point of eX-
haustion. The Governor realized that
the best answer to. the question con-
cerning his health was h rsef. So
after listening patiently and carefully
TO those who attempted to persuade
him from undertaking such a Strenu.
Gus trip he turned to his advisers and
with the most disarming of sm les, said
Gentlemen, have listened carefully
to your arguments against my going to
the coast and back or even as far as
Chicago. I appreciate the weight of
Ghat you have to say and think
understand all the reasons you advance
a oincf II hytt jc 1,nu-ovpr
reason in favor of my going which has
not been brought to your attention, and
that reason isl want to-"
And that was that! From then on all
discussion whether he would go or not
was abandoned and. as results showed,
the Governor was right and all the ad-
visers wrong.
Always Fresh and Cheerful.
No better answer to the fears of those
who doubted the Governors strength
could possibly have been found than the
simple proof that the nominee himself
was always fresh, always cheerful, strong
Of voice and strong Of body, not only
embodying energy and determination in
his major speeches, but obviously man
who was having a wonderful time and
enjoying every minute of it. This also
was brought home to all those who
crowded into his train to shake him by
the hand, and these were legion-all day
lcng a ceaseless procession passing
through the car at every stop Many OF
these local visitors had written to him
during the 10 years previous, and there
were always two or three in line who
could produce letter from the Gov
ernor which was a real letter, not a
mere perfunctory reply.
At one stop where a niSunderStand-
ing of the train schedule on the part of
the train crew carried the Governor
past the crowd at the depot without
stopping. and there was certain
amount of grumbling in consequence,
one of the disappointed welcomers
tackled up on the train bulletin board
at the station one of the Governor S
letters written him the year before, and,
calling to the crowd, said:
Gentlemen, I want you all to come
up and read this letter which have
posted for yourselves, and see If you
won't agree with me that no man who
would write a letter like that would ever
willingly disappoint his friends
In relating the incident the county
chairman added that the crowd accept
ed the invitation to step up and read
for themselves. and then and there
passed a resolution regretting that they
failed to see the Governor, but express
ing their belief that it could not have
been his fault.
Those who know the general temper
Of crowd which has been disappointed
in meeting a nominee will appreciate
that this was one of the many unpre-
cedented and unusual incidents Of O.
most unusual national campaign.