The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-06-19
GROWING
PAINS
WOMEN IN MARYLAND
POLITICS
By MARIE O'DEA


has represented the State of Mary
land in the Congress.
Forgetting for the moment the
party label she bears, this is a re-
Imarkable step forward in the strug-
gle of women for equal political
recognition with men. Maryland has
fallen behind many of her sister
States in this progress. But the few
women who have achieved the oppor-
tunity of representing their districts
in the State Legislature have been
outstanding in their conscientious de-
votion to the interests of their people.
Foremost among these women is
the States present Administrator of
Loan Laws, Miss Mary E. w. Rist-
eau, of Sharon in Hartford County.
AS soon as the Amendment to the
Constitution giving women the fran
chise became the law of the land,
'Miss Mary" began campaigning for
a seat in the House of Delegates.
She was the first to succeed and the
1921 session found her assuming
conspicuous prestige among the Dele
gates. Those who came to ridicule re-
manned to honor her.
Twice she was reelected and then
she tried for the State Senate in 1926.
There she met defeat but with char
acteristic grace she made another
race for the House of Delegates and
was elected in 1880 In 1884 Miss
Risteau had won over so many friends
in Hartford County that she easily
trounced two male contenders for the
Senatorial seat. The first woman to
become Delegate was now the first
to become State Senator She per-
formed her duties with such marked
ability that the Governor selected
her above all male aspirants to adj
minister the delicate and difficult
regulation of the small loan laws of
this State. In that position she exerts
strong influence for the protection
of the average citizen.
That same ideal has motivated the
other women, both Democratic and
Republican, who have followed "Miss
Mary" into the House >of Delegates.
Mrs. H. E. Collins, Familiarity
known as Mayne Collins, of Crisfield,
carried the torch for the Eastern
Shore when she represented Somer-
set County. Politics were her birth
right and her marriage portion. Her
father, James H. Cullen, served as
sheriff, county commissioner and
supervisor Of elections. Her husband
was an engineer for the State Con-
servation Commission.
The late Emma Blanche Phillips
was another woman who was born
into and married into political
families. Mrs. Phillips was a native
of Westminster. Her Republican
father, William H. Shaffer, gave Car
roll County long and honorable serv-
ice as Judge of the Orphans Court
Her Democratic husband, Frank
Phillips, of Baltimore, was deputy
register of Wills and continued in
politics until his death in 1928
Blanche Phillips became an ardent
Democratic party member.
With the coming of suffrage she
helped to form the first womans
Democratic organization in the
United States, the City-wide Demo-
cratic Woman's Club of Baltimore
She served it for many years as
president and under the impetus pro-
vided by that group she ran for the
State Legislature from the third dis
trict of Baltimore. She was the first
woman to hold seat in the Balti-
more delegation where her charm and
ability won her the affection of ma
tional and State political leaders, both
Republican and Democratic, as we'll as
the humblest person who knew her.
An enormous throng of people, of
high and low degree, mourned at her
bier last year.
Mrs. Phillips blazed the trail for
Baltimore women and she was fol-
lowed in her own district by the in
dustrious Mrs. Vesta Cary, the pres
ent Delegate.
Miss Lavinia NJ Engle, of Mont
gomery County, is another trail
blazer. She became enthusiastic over
the suffrage movement while she was
a very young girl and organized and
spoke for feminine enfranchisement in
sixteen states. Her efforts in behalf
of women have been recognized by
her own state, by the United States
and even by foreign countries. She
was decorated by the Republic of
Salvador. Miss Engle was elected to
the House of Delegates in 1880, the
first woman from Montgomery coun-
ty.
She was followed by Miss Ruth
Shoemaker of an ancient Maryland
family who has been twice elected to
the House of Delegates where she is
serving at the present time. Miss
Shoemaker has been Demo
cratic leader and organizer in Mont
gomery County for many years.
Allegany county leads all the others
in recognizing women in politics. Her