THE WARD LEADER
In Philadelphia, while being entertained by a friend, I met a ward
leader of the new world that is to be. When I heard the familiar title
"ward leader," memory cut back on the film a picture of my old friend
"Biff" McGuire, ward leader for Tammany Hall. "Biff" held sway in a
tough district, and in the words of Spencer he was "in a state of
correspondence with his environment." Leaning against the end of the bar
with his back against the wall to fend off a possible felon stroke, his
pose was one of studied carelessness. One foot rested lightly on the
footrail and at his elbow there was a bottle of his "Private Stock." In
spite of his care-free attitude, his uneasy eye, even when he was
absorbed in conversation, noticed every one who passed through the
swinging doors. He did not nod acquaintanceship to all, but those whom
he favored were more stimulated than they were by the ministrations of
the white-coated bartender. From his corner he dispensed the high, low,
and middle justice, bought drinks for his dependents and accepted drinks
from men "higher up" who dropped in to consult with him. Altogether he
was a heroic if sinister figure, much railed at by the better element. A
philanthropist in his evil way he was the sole protector of those who
were "fobbed with the rusty curb of old Father antic, the law," and of
those whose misfortunes had submerged them beyond the care of decent
society. He shielded them under his grimy ægis--in return for votes and
other obscure political service. In his rough way he dispensed the only
charity that these unfortunates knew, and at all times bore himself as
one conscious of his power in shaping the destinies and controlling the
affairs of one of the greatest cities of modern civilization. With the
picture of "Biff" McGuire in the back of my head, I met the new "ward
leader," a gentle and cultured woman, luminous with the fire of public
spirit. She held office in the Philadelphia League of Women Citizens,
which has been organized according to the best traditions of the old
political machines. To give some idea of the scope and purpose of this
Woman's Movement, I shall quote briefly from a folder which she offered
for my enlightenment.
THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS is a national organization of
women who wish not merely to vote, but to use their votes to the
best advantage.
THE ORGANIZATION HAS TWO PURPOSES--To foster education in
citizenship and to support improved legislation.
The National League is composed of State Leagues.
The PROGRAMME is educational and legislative, i.e., to get behind
needed reforms, to urge their support and adoption in the
platforms of the political parties, and their enactment into laws.
The SLOGAN of the League is "Enroll in the Political Parties." It
is organized to do legislative work in order to promote its
programme.
It is NOT A WOMAN'S PARTY OR A SEPARATE POLITICAL PARTY. The
League of Women Voters hopes to accomplish its purpose in two
ways: first, by education, as to national and state human needs;
second, by the direct influence of its own members who are
enrolled voters in the already existing political parties. It is
not partisan. It will not support or attack national candidates or
national parties. To quote from the Constitution, "The National
League of Women Voters urges every woman to become an enrolled
voter, but as an organization it shall be allied with and support
no party."
These be "prave words," but while I listened to her eager exposition of
all the good that the League hopes to accomplish, memory played me
another scurvy trick. I remembered the one hour of mirth I enjoyed in
Ottawa during the Canadian Federal campaign of 1917. A wild-eyed man
from Montreal had rushed up to me in the office where I had a temporary
desk. Gesticulating furiously he poured out a terrible tale of what was
happening in Montreal. In the slum districts all the police court
habitues were registered as "sisters of soldiers." In that election only
such women as were the sisters, wives, mothers, or daughters of soldiers
were entitled to vote. According to my passionate informant the election
in the riding in which he was working would be controlled by the corrupt
vote of these unfortunates. Under the conditions that prevailed in that
election I knew it would be impossible to do anything, and when he
brought down his fist on a desk and thundered, almost in the words of
some forgotten poet,
"These are the deeds that are done in Montreal!"
I was moved to great laughter. I could not help thinking of a woman
friend who had been telling me how the women voters would purify
politics. She had even introduced me to Mrs. Pankhurst so that I might
get the gospel of feminism from the lips of its prophetess.
How the women are going to handle this submerged vote is a problem that
I have not seen discussed. Are we to have female counterparts of "Biff"
McGuire to herd these voters to the polls?
It seemed strange, and perhaps portentous, that I should have my first
contact with the women voters of the United States in Philadelphia,
where political methods "make the judicious grieve." What they will do
can only be known after their votes have been cast. And if race hatred
and narrow nationalism are to play an important part in the coming
campaign, it will be interesting to see if they can be swayed by the
emotional appeals that are certain to be made. Women are said to be more
emotional than men, and it is not likely that the experts of scientific
politics will overlook the work that may be done by the "sob-sisters." I
have in mind some wonderful "sob-sister" stuff that was used in the last
Canadian election. I have always suspected that it was written by a
hardened male campaign writer--but that is of no importance. What is
important is that the "psychology" of woman is to have a part in the
already complex problem of politics. It seems unkind to doubt that the
woman will play a noble and beneficent part in the politics of the
future, but I have some glimmerings of the methods that politicians may
use to defeat them, and, to lapse into parody:
"I walked the city streets to-day
With the sombre ghost of Matthew Quay."
The best hope is that the swift intuition of women will enable them to
see more quickly than men that the salvation of the democracies does not
lie in political activity, but in the way in which every citizen attends
to the little commonplace things of everyday life.