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A ROBERT TALLEY (NEA Service Writer) (Copyright, 1932, NEA Service, Inc.) Washington, Jan. 14—A_ wom an's job in the Senate isn’t to rep resent the women and children of the United States or to attempt any special missions, for there are none that a man cannot perform just as well. Her first few weeks as a senator from Arkansas has convinced Mrs. Hattie Caraway, only active wom an senator in the nation's history, of this. She has had only one predecessor, the aged Mrs. Rebecca Lattimer Felton of Georgia, to whom a chivalrous southern gov ernor gave aenerial one-day coim ponentary appointment jack 1 2. “People after ask me,” save Mrs. Caraway, “if I'm not plan ning to become especially active for measures and appropriations in behalf of women and children Well, I'm not, there's no need to. The men in the Senate are just as much interested in such welfare matters as a woman would be. And why not? They are fallers, they are interested in children just like mothers are. I know in my own case, my husband worried just as much about our three boys as I did. It is likely, of course, that a woman may be better informed on such matters, but I am sure we men have the interests of women and children just as much at heart.” Enough Talk Without Hers Mrs. Caraway, seated at her desk in her private office under a wee framed picture of Woodrow Wilson, expounded some more of her unusual philosophy. Q. Why is it you have never made a speech in the Senate? Because there is a lot of talking done there now, and I don't think we need any more . . . but I'm not saying I'll never make a speech. Have you ever made a speech before women’s clubs, at political rallies or the like? . I never made a speech in my life . . . but I’ve done a lot of listening. Q. What do you think is the duty of a woman in the Senate? A. To do just as a man would do; to represent the whole people of her state and not any particu lar group. Q. How does it feel to be a member of the Senate? A. Not very much different than I have felt for the past 20 ears; you see, I was here with Mr Caraway throughout his 20 years in the Senate and the House. Q. Do you plan to work for any of your husband's pet mea sures—such as his anti-lobby bill, etc.? A. No, I will leave those mat ters to men who are better in formed about them than I am. Sorrow Keeps Her in Background Modest and unassuming, Mrs. Caraway has sought to efface her self ever since she came here for her first sessions in December, fol lowing her appointment by Gov ernor Parnell upon the death of her husband last fall. Apparently the tragic circumstances under which she inherited the office— Senator Caraway’s death was sud den—have caused her to prefer the background. Day after day she has sat at her little flat-topped desk in the Senate chamber — neighbors to such prominent figures on the Democratic side as J. Ham Lewis of Illinois and Joe Robinson of Arkansas—and has as yet never uttered a word except for votes. Usually she is seen writing on a note pad. Votes Against Moratorium Mrs. Caraway’s first vote was cast in the election for president pro tem of the Senate, in which she voted for Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, as against Senator George H. Moses, Republican choice. The only major measures on which she has had a chance to vote thus far was the Hoover morator ium. She voted against it. Home in Maryland Mrs. Caraway lives in her Mary land home on the outskirts of Washington with two of her three sons. They are: Paul, 26, who was graduated from West Point in 1929 and is now stationed in Washington and studying law at Georgetown University; and Bob, 16, a senior in a local high school. She frequently goes to see her oth er son, Forrest, 22, also a West Point graduate, as he is stationed at Fort Washington, Md., which is close by. On the job at 8 A.M. , Her day begins at 8 o'clock, when she leaves home with Paul and Bob and drops them off at school on her way to the capitol. She spends an hour or so in her office, attends Senate committee meetings—she is a member of three committees—and then, when the Senate convenes at noon, goes to the floor. She remains there until adjournment, about 5 p.m. There are a lot of strange let ters that a senator gets, too, in addition to their own constituents, people from all over write in. to urge this, that or the other legis lation, ask a favor, request sup port for a cause, etc. But one letter quite different from the rest came to the woman senator from a young girl in Penn sylvania, the wife of a man who had lost his job. A baby was cuss ing, she said . . . things were desperate . . . her husband was out of work . . . she didn’t have any clothes for the baby could Mrs. Caraway please get some baby clothes and things somewhere and send them to her as package left on the next mai!
Newspaper Details
Fayetteville Daily Democrat
Fayetteville, Arkansas, US
Fri, Jan 22, 1932
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Corrina N.
USA 17 Feb 2026
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