Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 215, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1920 — WOMEN IN POLITICS. [ARTICLE]

WOMEN IN POLITICS.

• (By Mrs. Joseph B. Kealiilg.) I wish every Indiana woman voter could have had the privilege of listening to Senator. Harding’s address on the Lepgue of Nations to the Indiana delegation a ’week ago. Women are going to be intelligent voters and a political issue must be satisfactory to their reason, as well as to their emotions, to have their approval. Senator Harding declared himsfilf in favor of q “spciety of free natrons, or an association of free nations, or a league of free natione, animated by considerations of right and justice instead of might and self-interest and not merely proclaimed an agency in pursuit of peace, hut so organized and participated in as to make the actual attainment of peace a reasonable possibility. Such an association I favor with all my heart. I believe humanity would welcome the creation of an international association for conference and a world court whose verdicts upon justiciable questions, this country in common ~with all nations, would be both willing and able to uphold. The decision of such a court could be accented without sacrifice on our part or asking any otheT power to socrifice one iota of its nationality.” Merit* of the Harding Plan. How different is Senator Harding’s positioii from that of the Democratic orator who talks only in generalities and who insists on the creation of supergovemment with the destruction of America’s individuality! How ' different is Senator Harding’s proposal from the Wilsonian plan, which gives Europeans the right to order American boys to the far parts of the world to sacrifice their lives in boundary disputes and in qfiarrels among European rulers! The Wilsonian league is haded on political strength and might, while the Harding* plfm is based upon international law and right. .In the Wilson plan only powerful nations are represented in the upper body and they control, regardless of reason or right’. Women have a keen sense of justice and square-dealing and they will look with favor upon the international plan based on justice and right, with equal application to the large nation and the small.

Believe Change* Nece**ary. 1 Practically everybody, except Woodrow Wilson and Candidate Cox, now agree that it would be inadvisable and dangerous to adopt the Wilsonian league plan. Even Mr. Taft and President Lowell of Harvard and Oscar Strauss, who at first were firmly in favor of the league, have openly and emphatically stated their belief that substantial reservations or changes in the Wilson plan are necessary. The British premier has also dqplared his objection to the Wilsonian league. . ... We now have a solution of this important question, which is based upon reason instead of territorial strength, which does not condone the intrigues of European diplomats and Which will keep America free, strong and safe.

It is only necessary to state the Harding plan to our women to know that they will enthusiastically support it. I have too much confidence in the women of Indiana to think for a moment that they will be misled by more broken promises. Peace and reason must rule over war and force. Of Presidential Timber. Our visit to Senator and Mrs. Harding, at Marion, on Aug. 28, when more than 300 members of the Harding Club of Indianapolis made a visit to them, will always be remembered by many of us as* one of the most pleasant occasions of our lives. We came away impressed more than ever before with the earnest, conscientious, balanced judgment of the. man, and with the feeling that “here ft a man in whom we can safely' trust.” , I watched hm. .closely as he delivered his splendid masterly message to us; \watched his gleaming blue eyes, as kindly as ever reflected the soul of a man* and I voice the sentiments of the home, folks of Marion that he 'Was born to lead, measures up to the responsibility, and is indeed and in truth presidential timber. I could not resist . th£ temptation to find out for myself just what the home folks of Marion actually thought of Mr. Harding, and without a single exception came the same response from Democrats and Republicans alike, and from men and women alike, that Marion folk honor and love both Warren and Florence Harding. They speak of them as just “neighbors” and “home folks,” and theywilltell you Mr. Harding has always stood for the highest exemplification of civic responsibility and leadership, and that he has never failed to support that which has stood for the public good. They will tell you they know him, believe in him, love him. One man told me he had been a life-long Democrat, but that this year he' and his wife, one son and one daughter would cast their votes for Mr. Harding. When I asked him to tell me just “why,” his answer was: “Wo have lived neighbors to them all our lives, ahd we know that with him in the White House we have a man that can be trusted to handle any situation that might come up; in fact, we know he is safe and sane.” Hit Newspaper Creed. Marion folk wiH tell you that the real character of the man can best be -understood by referring to Mr. Harding's instructions to all his workers and reporters on the Marion Star when he said: ‘Remember there are two sides to every question. Get both. Be truthful. Get the facts. Mistakes are inevitable, but strive for accuracy. I would rather have one story exactly fight than a hundred half wrong. .Be decent; be fair, be generous. Boost—-don't knock. There's good in everybody. Bring out the good Jn everybody, and never need-

letraly * hurt the feelings of anybody. In reporting a political gathering give the facts; tell the' story as it is, not as you would lift# to have it. Treat all parties Alike. If there's any polities to be placed we will play it in our editorial columns. Treat all religious matters reverently. Above all, be clean and' never let a dirty word or sugstory get into type. I w/mt this paper so conducted that it caA go into any home without destroying the innocence of any child.” A 'True Friend end Neighbor. Many interesting stpries were told us by the Marion home folk about the home life of the Hardings, and one man added, “you know if a man’s home life is not right, the man is no good, and you better let him alone.” The Harding recently celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Dilring these years Mrs. Harding has been a good friend and neighbor, always glad and ready to go into the humblest home, if siclfhessr or misfortune had -befallen it, and not only do her bit in a financial way, but they will tell you she has gone into the kitchen, prepared the meals, and put the home in order, as well as nursing the si£k. She is a slender, beautifully featured woman of medium height, with a wealth <Sf beau-‘ tiful hair, which is * turning gray. She dresses simply, but ilways m splendid taste; is a cultured, educated woman, interested in all the affairs of life, but like Mrs. Roosevelt, Mrs. Harding realizes that her husband belongs to the public, und in order to best help, him in his work, she feels that her first duty is to her husband and her home. She is indeed and in truth « Mai comrade and companion to her chstinguished husband, and her chief ambition is to be a real helpmate and homemaker. The men will tell you that she is the* better politician of the two, but one thing is sure, she is in every way splendidly fitted to be the ."“first lady of the land.” They stand the r ‘close-up” test. . . The home folk love to discuss the Hardings, and they told us of the loveable old father of the nominee, Dr. Harding, who, while 76 years old,, steps as sprightly as _ a boy- of the beautiful, stately sister, “Miss Daisy,” whom everybody seems to love, arid who is a teacher in the Marion high school; of another sister, Mrs. Votaw, whoip they speak of as “Miss Came, and who is an officer 'of the Juvenile court in Washington, D. C. They will tell you over and over again that the Hardings are just b<Hue folks,” without any of the uppisbhess” that sometimes goes with such honors as have come to them. And they will point with pride to the fact that two-thirds of pll the funds used in his primary campaign were contributed by tbe “home folks” at Marion. Every dollar of that fond carried the conviction of the “home folks that he should be made President, is it any wonder that Mr. Harding stayed in the race, and kept faith with his neighbors at home? Women Active for Harding. The women of Marion hav% organized a “Harding for President Club,”'and we were told there were almost as many women members m it from the Democratic party as from the Republican These women meet and entertain the ladies that accompany the visiting delegations to Marion. We were most splendidly entertained at the beautiful home of Mrs. George King, .and later taken for an automobile nde about the city, and during this nde it was our pleasure to see a large picture of Mr. Harding in ever* home* we passed with just one single exception. . . . Mr. Harding was nominated on his father’s birthday, and will he elected President ofthe United States on his own birthday, Nov. 2. Republican women from all over the state, and all others, too, will find a warm welcome at the lx. OJr. tent at the state fair this week. The tent will be in charge of Mre. Julip C. Henderson of Indianapolis. Mrs. Henderson has to have Republican women there every day, representing each congressional district, who will act as a reception committee. . _ . Motion pictures showing Senator Harding at work, at frlay and in his home, and some views of MM. Harding, will be shown. Films to introduce the .Indiana state .candidates will also -be included in the movie exhibition. \ Two men speakers and one woinan speaker will make short talks on questions bearing on the campaign and music will be provided by a woman s quartet. Particular attention will be given to the comfort of mothers and small children who' visit the G. U. “• women’s tent. . . A series of precinct meetings for Republican women are being arranged in a number of counties. Speakers will attend these gatherings and matters pertaining to the women’s work in the campaign will be discussed and explained. In many counties the Republican women are kteeping representatives at the county headquarters to answer questions about the women s work and to keep in intimate touch with the progress of organization matters.