Page:Women of the West.djvu/165

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
Women of The West
Nevada

members of our own family. At all events, they are not abstract personalities, these politicians of ours. We don't have to take their measure through the newspapers. Whether they be senators, or congressmen, or governors or other state officials or merely petty county officers, we are well acquainted with them or somebody belonging to them, and we are not afraid to speak our minds about them, either.

The cause of all this lies in the fact that, although Nevada with her some 110,000 square miles is the third state in point of size, her population is below 100,000, thus giving, as one witty woman said, "A square mile for every square man (or woman)." So our women, as well as our men, take a decidedly keen interest in knowing that the friend or neighbor is running for office. It follows that, what in other states might be a more or less perfunctory duty, in this state of ours, it is a personal pleasure to vote for, or against, our politicians. With the strong Kleig light of private opinion (much more pitiless than public opinion) turned on them, it is no wonder that the old battle-cry, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party" is heard in the land. But then, politicians are politicians the world over, and we are all beguiled by their smiling faces and fair promises and we are vitally concerned over the fate of the least of these. We are not unmindful of the political doings of our neighboring states but, of course, they lack the personal element that gives such a tang to our conversations at home, at clubs, over the tea-table or at bridge, for we certainly mingle our politics with all our activities and who shall say us nay?


Western Women In Government
By Reah Whitehead
(Justice of the Peace, Seattle, Washington)

Women are in Government objectively and subjectively; objectively in the sense of holding public positions, subjectively in their influence upon Government through clubs, civic organizations and other groups.

Referring first to "Women in Government" objectively, available sources reveal the following in my own State of Washington.

There are 39 counties in the State. The following county offices are now held by women.

136