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Show Gentlewoman S o I 1 1 -a-J 'U P'i 'I 4;, t , ,v., ;-;; ?f i y.fl ;lV W 4 1 SPEAKER LONGWORTH OPENS CONGRESS jfHV "i "THE THREE RUTHS" (u to R.) RUTH BRYAN OWEN, RUTH PRATT, RUTH HKNNA .Mc CORMICK 7 board of aldermen of New York city, she enjoyed more than local fame as the "Lady Astor of Manhattan Politics" Pol-itics" and as the "principal baiter of the Tammany Tjger" on many civic problems. In fact, all of the congresswomen have had political experience which fits them for the roles they are to play in the new congress with its record rec-ord number of women members. Mrs. McCormick's introduction to public-life public-life was as secretary to her father. Senator Mark Hanna, during the second sec-ond McKinley campaign. As a helpmate help-mate for her husband during his career ca-reer in Washington, her knowledge of politics increased. Although Mrs. Langley was her husband's successor in congress, she had bad political experience of her own before that time. She was the first woman member of the Republican Repub-lican state central committee in Ken tucky and served as vice chairman She was the first chairman of the state organization of Republican worn en. an alternate to the national Republican Re-publican convention In 1920 and a del egate in 1924. Mrs. Norton's distinction lies in the fact that site was the first Deuioeratii woman to he elected to congress. Sh-has Sh-has been a social service workei in Ihe day nurseries in Jersey City. Had served on the Democratic stale com mittce. was delegate at large to the Democratic uational committee and has been a member of the New Jersey btate legislature. Except as "congressional wives.' Mrs. Kahn and Mrs. Rogers bad had no political experience previ ous to their election to congress Neither had Mrs. Oldtield. but as tin-wife tin-wife of the Democratic "whip" in the house, who was always successful in lining up members of his partj in erit ical measures, site always manifest"d a keen interest in the work of that body and thus was amply educated f-x her duties when she was elected te congress herself. I By ELMO SCOTT WATSON "HIN the Seventy-first con-STr" con-STr" grass opens, Speaker Nich-vj!v Nich-vj!v olas Longworth probably will have frequent occa-" occa-" sion to say "The chair f recognizes the gentlewoman gentlewom-an from ,'' and Arkansas, Ar-kansas, California, Florida, Flori-da, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mas-sachusetts, New Jersey or New York, may be the state which he will name to complete that statement. state-ment. For the new congress con-gress will have In its membership no less than eight women members of the house of representatives, the largest number In Its history. In 1917 Jeannette Rankin of Montana Mon-tana attracted nationwide attention as the first woman to be elected to congress, con-gress, as did Miss Alice Robertson of Oklahoma when she was sent to Washington by the voters of the Sooner Soon-er slate in 1921. But so accustomed have we become to tlie idea of worn en in high public office that the seating seat-ing of eight women In congress this year will not cause as much comment as the seating of but one did twelve years ago. To five of the congresswomen. an swering the roll call In the house of representatives will be no special nov-' nov-' elty, for all of them served in the Seventieth Sev-entieth congress. In fact that congress con-gress represented the second term fur I three of them Mrs. Florence Frag Kahn of California, Mrs. Edith .Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts, and Mrs. Mary T. Norton of New Jersey. Mrs. Ka'hf-rine Langley of Kentucky was elected to the Seventieth congress and j Mrs. William A. Oldtield of Arkansas was appointed to that body to till the unexpired term of her husband who had died. All five of these congresswomen j were re-elected to I lie Seventy-tirsi I congress last November and the new j congress will see the sisterhood in the house augmented by "the three limbs' Mrs. Ruth Bryan Owen of Florida Mrs. Ruth Hanna McCormick of Illinois, Illi-nois, and Mrs. Ruth Pratt of New York. "What's in a name?" was asked once more when they were candidates can-didates in the last election, and there was evidently something in the name Ruth, for fill three were elected. Or if you prefer a Biblical figure to a Shakespearean, It might be said that these three modern Ruths were successful suc-cessful gleaners of votes in the political po-litical field of 1928. Of the group of five congresswomen who have served previous terms, Mrs. Norton Is the only one who may be said to have come to congress "in her own right." All of the others, In a fashion, inherited their congressional mantles from their husbands. Mrs. Kahn. Mrs. Rogers, and Mrs. Oldtield. are widows who were appointed or elected after the deaths of their husbands. hus-bands. Mrs Langley was elected by r lie people of her state as a "vindication" "vindi-cation" of her husband, formerly a representative, who had been convicted convict-ed of violation of the prohibition laws. Of the three new congresswomen. two may also be said to have "inherited" "inherit-ed" their mantles in a different fashion. fash-ion. Mrs. McCormick is the daughter of the late Senator Mark Hanna ot Ohio and the widow of the late Senator Sena-tor Medill McCormick of Illinois. Mrs. Owen is the daughter of William Jennings Jen-nings Bryan, once a member of congress con-gress but more famous as a candidate for President in 1S96. 1900 and 1908 and secretary of state under President Wilson. Mrs. Owen has another distinction dis-tinction that of being the only for nier British subject, since the early days of the republic, to be elected to ; seat in congress She is the widow if Maj. Reginald Owen of the British army who died in 1927 from wounds received in campaigns against the Turks during the World war. Although Mrs. Pratt has no such political heritage as the other two Ruths, she had achieved distinction in her own state before she entered the national arena As a member of the Red Faber. While Sox veteran hurl-er. hurl-er. is planning a short visit at Hot Springs. Ark., prior to reporting to the training camp at Dallas, Texas. The' spitball king has no reason to believe he will not have another big year on the mound. Mortimer E. Sprague. captain of he Army's football team, has a young brother, Howard, who is known as the "one-man team" nt Oak ClilT high school in Dallas. Texas, lie has re celved an appoint merit to West Point , and will enter this year. |