Evening star., 1954-04-17
The Political Min
New Nebraska Senator
Is No Political Rookie
Friends Soy Mrs. Bowrins
Will Act Independently
By Gould Lincoln

VH MI independently
By Gould Lincoln
NebraSka'S new woman Senator.
Mrs. Eve Bowring. is no newcomer in
politics-and, according to her Me-
braska friends here, she is nobody's
rubber stamp and will play her full
part during her service in the upper
branch Of Congress. Mrs. Bowring has
been vice chairman of the Republi-
can State Committee and director Of
the women's division of that commit
tee. She was in Washington for the
big Republican women'S conference
under the auspices of the Republican
National Committees week ago. Mrs.
Bowring, however, is planning to serve
only until the November election. in
which she will not be candidate for
the Senate seat recently made vacant
by the death of Republican Senator
Dwight Griswold.
Already there is a plethora of can
didates for the Republican senatorial
nomination. among them Gov. Crosby,
who has appointed Nebraska's first
woman Senator. Others who have an
nounced their candidates. or who are
expected to do so include Republican
State Chairman David T. Martin Rep
resentative Carl T. Curtis, former Gov.
Val Peterson. now head of the Federal
Civil Defense Administration; former
1t. Gov. Theodore Metcalf, State Sem
ator Terry Carpenter, and Walter A.
Nelson of Omaha. Republican nomi-
nation for the Senate is regarded al
most as an election. so strongly en-
trenched are the Republicans in Ne
braska The Republican nomination,
which will be decided at a primary
election August 10, is therefore consid-
cred real prize.
Two Women Senators.
When Mrs. Bowring takes her seat
in the Senate, there will again be two
women members Of that body-for the
first time since the days when Mrs.
Hattie Caraway of Arkansas and Mrs.
Rose Mcconnell Long of Louisiana.
widow of Senator Huey Long, both
Democrats, were in the Senate together,
in 1936-37. This time, the two women
Senators will both be Republicans. Mrs.
Margaret Chase Smith of Maine is
concluding her first six-year term, to
which she was elected in 1948, and is
candidate for denomination, which
she is expected to win over her youth
full opponent, Robert L. Jones-who
has the name of being Senator Joe
McCarthy's lethal weapon against Mrs.
Smith.
For a decade Mrs. Bowring has been
running two large ranches in Nebraska,
and according to all reports she has
done real job. She is reputedly one Of
the wealthiest women in the State.
She is 81 years old but spends long
hours in the saddle and travels about
the State in her private airplane. She
is. indeed, quite person in her own
right. AS Republican, she is expected
to back President Eisenhower's pro-
gram.
Immediately after the death of the
late Senator Griswold, it became appar-
ent there would be a free e-for-all race
for the Republican nomination to
succeed him. Had he lived, Senator
Griswold would have had the nomina-
ton without a doubt and probably
without opposition. Gov. Crosby's deci-
sion to run for the Senate, instead of
seeking denomination for Governor, has
created another situation. It is ex-
pected. however. that Victor Anderson,
businessman and former Mayor Of
Lincoln. will eventually be the Repub-
lican selection for Governor. Mr..
Anderson was candidate for the
gubernatorial nomination against Gov.
Crosby two years ago. but lost.
Few Successful
Many women have tried for seats In
the Senate-but few. indeed, have been
successful. The only two who were
elected are Mrs. Smith of Maine and
the late Mrs. Caraway of Arkansas.
Several others. including Mrs. Long,
served in the Senate for brief periods
under appointment by Governors to
fill vacancies temporarily Mrs. Cara
way first came to the Senate by ap-
pointment, to flll the seat of her late
husband, Senator Thaddeus H. Cara
way. She was elected later and served
more than 13 years in the Senate.
Mrs. Smith was member of the
House for several terms before her
successful race for the Senate. Mrs.
Rebecca L. FELTON, of Georgia was the
first woman to hold Senate seat-and
that was for only a month. She was
appointed by the Governor of Georgia
to fill vacancy caused by the death
of Senator Tom Watson in 1922 Mrs.
Dixie Bibb Graves was appointed to
the Senate when Associate Justice
Hugo Black of Alabama left the Senate
to go to the Supreme Court. Her hus-
band was Governor at the time of her
appointment. She resigned January
10. 1888, and the seat was filled by