Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-14
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FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
PegIer.

THERE Is something about the
Il British attitude ward
women in politics which appeals
10 my very practical sense of
reality and my passion for
equality under law and custom.
When a woman enters politics
in England she becomes a poll
tician and forfeitS. in the field
of political activity that special
consideration which ordinarily
is shown 10 women.
Unlike us, the British, from
the days when the suffragets
were claiming themselves to the
iron fences around the House of
Commons and hunger-Striking
for the right TO vote and hold
office. faced the fact that women
and men, on the average, are
about equal in honesty, fairness
and sincerity and that their po-
lltical activity would not result
in any measurable publication
of public life.
wills certainly has been our
Il own personal experience for,
although we have had several
women governors, one woman
cabinet officer, number OF
women members Of both Houses
of Congress and countless fe-
male bureaucratS, any improve
ment which the most sensitive
observer could discern, has been
purely incidental and evolution
airy, If not imaginary.
In the current House OF Rep
resentatiVeS we have A chair
man Of the committee on labor,
Mrs. Mary Norton of Jersey
City. true and faithful and
typical member of the organiza-
ton of Frank Hague.
Mrs. Frances Perkins, as Sec
rotary of labor, has been. in
few kind words. a pathetic and
bewildered figure without the
dignity to resign, as any manly
man would have done in like
circumstance, although she long
ago was gently showed into
quiet corner and the duties Of
her office have been parceled
out among the department of
Justice. the War Labor Board
and the Manpower Commission.
4 ND. because among the Com
"A munists. the female of the
species is as nasty as the male
and as diligent in conspiracy, We
have accumulated due proper
ton of BolshevikS in skirts in
various bureaus of the govern
ment and in satellite political
organizations of the New Deal,
whose total contribution has
been no different from that of
an equal amount of buck bolos
similarly placed.
In short. women in politics
have been just so many poll
ticians. Notwithstanding which
we doggedly maintain the old
frontier tradition Of chivalry to-
ward them. realizing all the
time that they have shown
neither special competence nor
craftsmanship and in most cases
have been dreary, fumbling buds
and imposters claiming to repre-
sent woman kind which. in a
vote on that issue, would repudi-
ate them with violent Scorn.
I WAS reminded of the British
L attitude by brief dispatch
relating the latest incident in
the long and garrulous career
Of ViScountess Aston. a pioneer
and veteran politician with
tongue as sharp AS her profile
who long ago learned in her
chosen career she must expect
10 be treated. as a politician.
and neither man nor woman.
Viscountess Aston interrupted
the debate several times and
Emmanuel Shinwell a Laborite.
VINO may not be a gentleman,
yelled:
Throw her out. Something
ought TO he done about her you
know"
Several members protested
against her repeated interjec-
tions," the dispatch said. "Slr
George Davis. Conservative,
complained, we've had to put
up with II for 20 years"
Again when Lady Aston APP
plauded a point. saying hear,
hear" the English equivalent of
"attaboy" or you said a mouth
full another Laborite glared at
her and cracked:
"Some Of us would like to
try"
The House cheered.
Copyright. le43. by United Features, synd
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