The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-05-29
NOW
Women to Help
On Platforms
WATCHFUL
BY HELEN ESSARY

special OTSdI11ndGlOI1S are again
hoping for a chance to dictate
planks in party platforms.
Each national committee Is
being asked by organized land
unorganized) women to keep
sharp eyes on certain reforms.
The League of Women Voters
wants changes in the Civil Serv.
ice system. It demands that
the merit system be extended.
The Ramspeck bill, which makes
it necessary for all poStmaSterS
to be appointed only after Civil
Service examination, is Endorsed
by the league.
That fatal marriage clause, 213
A., has been a trial to the Bust.
ness and Professional Women. 1t
discriminates, this group says,
against married women. Also, it
increases the number of Spinsters
and bachelors by making it lille
gal for both man and wife to
be on the Government pay roll.
The Business and Professional
Women ask that Clause 213 be
repealed and that each political
party insert that plank in its
platform.
The National Woman's Party,
not only makes suggestions indi-
rectly to the political parties, but
it is going firmly to both conven'
lions. Armed to the last hpStick
and filled with Righteousness, it
will insist that both platform
committees include this plank:
"Men and women shall have
equal rights throughout the
United States and every place
subject to its jurisdiction. Con-
greSS shall have power to en-
force this article by appropriate
legislation"
The Women's Division Of both
Republican and Democratic Ma
tional Committees naturally hope
to help write their parties creeds
for 1886.
The Democratic women have
made no definite announcements.
I suspect, however, that they will
keep sharp feminine eyes on
Social Welfare generally. Old
Age and Unemployment Insur'
ance, Children's Security, Mini
mum Working Hours will particu'
larry interest them.
The Child Labor Amendment as
a platform plank likely will be one
of their particular goals. ~-
The Republican women, though
they haven't yet said so out loud,
are wishing, so I understand, for
almost the same planks in the
Cleveland convention that the
Democratic women hope to insert
in the Philadelphia records.
Both Democratic and Repub.
lican women are being influenced
by hundreds of letters arriving
daily at their Washington head
quarters. The letters are from all
kinds of women, from all kinds of
places. Community needs and
broad social needs touching the
home and the market place are
being suggested frankly.
The Women's Division of the
Democratic Committee has been
forehanded in it's platform plans.
Miss Mary w. Dewson, chairman
of the general advisory board, and
Mrs. James H. Wolfe, chairman of
the division, have appointed IA
women to serve on a COMMITTEE
on Suggestions for the Democratic
Platform Committee"
Representative Caroline O'Day,
its chairman, has asked for ideas.
Representative Mary T. Norton is
another member. So is Mrs. Ben.
nett Champ Clark, whose husband
is chairman of the Democratic
Rules Committee.
Other members are: Miss Har.
riet w. Elliott, dean of women
of the University of North Caro-
lima; Mrs. Dorothy McAllister, Of
Michigan; Mrs. Burton w. Musser,
of Utah; Mrs. Ben Kizer, of Wash.
ington; Mrs. Annette A bbo t
Adams, of California; Mrs. Carl
Pryor, of Iowa; Mrs. H. M. Lam
berton, jr., of Minnesota: Mrs.
Emily Newell Blair, Of Missouri;
Miss Lavinia Engle, of Maryland;
Miss 10 Coffin, of New York, and
Mrs. John Gallagher, Of Virginia.
The Republican Women haven't
decided whether or not they will
have a platform suggestion COM
mittee. Since the Republican
platform depends largely on it's
choice of Presidential candidate,
they will probably not be aggres-
sive ahead Of time.
AS I write of all these earnest
plans I wonder-will the men be
influenced by them? Will women
be allowed even a splinter in the
block of convention promises?
Will the gentlemen at Cleve.
land and Philadelphia listen to
suggestions politely and say, in eff
feet, "You women are so smart
and so very charming" and then
go off and write their platforms
and their rules and resolutions
as though the crusading women
hadn't even come to the conven.
ton in their hest clothes?
The superior male, if he deter.
mines to be superior, will have
to cope with feminine guile at
both Philadelphia and Cleveland.
The Gals NAV he grim in their