Evening star., 1934-10-21
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.

BY hObEhI Chh
With election day less than a month
off the campaign is waxing hotter ana
hotter with the women Of America
In the forefront of the battle and Mrs.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, chatelaine
of the White House. in the lead. Mrs.
Charles Sabin Of New York is q close
second, Mrs. Peter Goelet Gerry OF
Rhode Island, pet of the newspaper
women of the Capital; Mrs. Charles
s. Hamlin of Massachusetts,, Dutch
aristocrat and the voice Of the Wonl-
ems Democratic Club over in New
Hampshire avenue; Mrs. Arthur H.
Vandenberg Of Michigan, watching
her husbands campaign like a cat
watches a mouse, and last, but by no
means least, Mrs. Daniel O'Day, and
Miss Natalie F. Couch, its Represent
ative at large in the State of New
York. Well-it looks like the ladies
have it.
Its nip and tuck between Mrs. O'Day
and Miss Couch, Democrat and Re-
publican, seasoned campaigners whose
policies are definite, whose principles
are we'll understood and who care
nothing for the honor of Office except
as a means to an end-and may 1t be
said right here the end is well de-
fined, and is for the betterment of
social and economic reforms in their
State.
Massachusetts politicians sat up and
took notice when Mrs. Calvin Coolidge
made her maiden political speech over
in the Berkshires early in the Fall.
party in the speech than policies de-
fined, but her friends up there hope
this will be starting point.
Tt has been asked how the Mistress
of the White House and the ofncial
hostess Of the Nation will find time
for campaigning and yet be able to
keep up the society end of the Win
ter's program. While there is no
question as to which is the most useful
the welfare of the people Of the en-
tire country or the State functions at
the Mansion-Mrs. Roosevelt has
shown during her residence in the
White House that she has been able
to take part in the public questions
in which she has been interested and
worked during the past two decades
. Like her uncle, the late Theodore
Roosevelt, she early became interested
in problems of social service and re-
form. On the other hand the official
program for entertaining has never
been as simple, as large or far
reaching as it has been during the
present administration
BY the way, MI. JOuett ShOuSe and
MIR. John Davis-sometime candidate
for the presidency on the Democratic
e ticket-have been able to enlist the
interest and services Of Mrs Sabin
In organizing a home and fireside
department in the American Liberty
League. 1t will be recalled that Mrs.
Sabin and Mr.. ShouSe worked side
by side in the prohibition reform
movement Daughters of Liberty is
to be the cognomen of the female
branch of the league. Mary, daughter
Of Liberty; Jane, daughter of Liberty,
and so on. There will doubtless be
badges with appropriate insignia to
designate the fair sex.
In the present campaign there are
"a woman nominees for the Lower
House of Congress, one for the Senate,
three for governorships and 28 for
important State posts, including sec
retaryships Of State and superintend-
encies of public instruction
A fair array, and maybe this IS
why the seats of the mighty up on
Capitol Hill are being reupholstered
in royal red leather, fit for a king
or a dainty lady member. The solons
and the Solonesses of the new Con-
gress are to recline on davenports
covered in this colorful style. The
red of the upholstered chairs is an
addition to the handsome cloak rooms
and lobbies for the members. The
tinid Office seeker who sends his or
her card in and is invited to sit down
is rather awed with so much luxury.
If YOU do not know to the reverse
you may think that Robert Lincoln
O'Brien, chairman of the United
States Tariff Commission, was
named for the great emancipator,
Abraham Lincoln. Now as a matter
of fact he was not He has many
attributes of distinction, but that is
not among them. He has lectured
on both Lincoln and Lee, and seems
to have a great admiration for the
early statesmen of Virginia, with
whose lives and writings he is most
familiar. AS matter of interest,
although a Massachusetts Yankee, he
is sort of adopted brother down in
the State of Presidents. for he is an
honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa,
the old William and Mary College
association or fraternity to which
Thomas Jefferson and other diStin-
guished men belonged.
But this was not meant for q life
history Of Mr.. O'Brien-that will be
left to posteTity-bpt simply to say sy
the presentation Of the little old
Presbyterian manse at Caldwell, N. j.,
the birthplace Of Grover Cleveland,
was a most happy one and given in
his crisp, concise manner. Not par
leying with words or phrases, not a
long speech, but just what the late
President Cleveland would have
approved.
When quite a young man, Mr..
O'Brien was secretary to President
Cleveland, and saw him in many moods
and under both brilliant and trying
circumstances, but seems to have un-
derstood and appreciated his rugged
personality. In speaking of the simple
Presbyterian manSe in which the great
Democratic President was born and
where his father, the Rev. Richard
Cleveland, set forth many of the prin-
ciples and rules of conduct which
seemed ever to have controlling in
fluence in his public life, Mr.. o'Brien
said: What could better exhibit our