the story of a pioneer-第41节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



incomplete　reminiscences　will　permit；　other　inci…

dents　that　occurred　on　its　banks。



Of　these　the　most　important　was　the　union　in

1889　of　the　two　great　suffrage　societiesthe　Ameri…

can　Association；　of　which　Lucy　Stone　was　the　presi…

dent；　and　the　National　Association；　headed　by　Susan

B。　Anthony　and　Elizabeth　Cady　Stanton。　　At　a

convention　held　in　Washington　these　societies　were

merged　as　The　National　American　Woman　Suffrage

Associationthe　name　our　association　still　bears

and　Mrs。　Stanton　was　elected　president。　　She　was

then　nearly　eighty　and　past　active　work；　but　she

made　a　wonderful　presiding　officer　at　our　subsequent

meetings；　and　she　was　as　picturesque　as　she　was

efficient。



Miss　Anthony；　who　had　an　immense　admiration

for　her　and　a　great　personal　pride　in　her；　always

escorted　her　to　the　capital；　and；　having　worked　her

utmost　to　make　the　meeting　a　success；　invariably

gave　Mrs。　Stanton　credit　for　all　that　was　accom…

plished。　　She　often　said　that　Mrs。　Stanton　was　the

brains　of　the　new　association；　while　she　herself　was

merely　its　hands　and　feet；　but　in　truth　the　two

women　worked　marvelously　together；　for　Mrs。

Stanton　was　a　master　of　words　and　could　write　and

speak　to　perfection　of　the　things　Susan　B。　Anthony

saw　and　felt　but　could　not　herself　express。　　Usually

Miss　Anthony　went　to　Mrs。　Stanton's　house　and

took　charge　of　it　while　she　stimulated　the　venerable

president　to　the　writing　of　her　annual　address。　

Then；　at　the　subsequent　convention；　she　would　listen

to　the　report　with　as　much　delight　and　pleasure　as

if　each　word　of　it　had　been　new　to　her。　　Even　after

Mrs。　Stanton's　resignation　from　the　presidency

at　the　end；　I　think；　of　three　yearsand　Miss　An…

thony's　election　as　her　successor；　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　still

went　to　her　old　friend　whenever　an　important　reso…

lution　was　to　be　written；　and　Mrs。　Stanton　loyally

drafted　it　for　her。



Mrs。　Stanton　was　the　most　brilliant　conversa…

tionalist　I　have　ever　known；　and　the　best　talk　I

have　heard　anywhere　was　that　to　which　I　used　to

listen　in　the　home　of　Mrs。　Eliza　Wright　Osborne；

in　Auburn；　New　York；　when　Mrs。　Stanton；　Susan

B。　Anthony；　Emily　Howland；　Elizabeth　Smith

Miller；　Ida　Husted　Harper；　Miss　Mills；　and　I　were

gathered　there　for　our　occasional　week…end　visits。　

Mrs。　Osborne　inherited　her　suffrage　sympathies；　for

she　was　the　daughter　of　Martha　Wright；　who；　with

Mrs。　Stanton　and　Lucretia　Mott；　called　the　first

suffrage　convention　in　Seneca　Falls；　New　York。　　I

must　add　in　passing　that　her　son；　Thomas　Mott

Osborne；　who　is　doing　such　admirable　work　in

prison　reform　at　Sing　Sing；　has　shown　himself　worthy

of　the　gifted　and　high…minded　mother　who　gave　him

to　the　world。



Most　of　the　conversation　in　Mrs。　Osborne's　home

was　contributed　by　Mrs。　Stanton　and　Miss　Anthony；

while　the　rest　of　us　sat；　as　it　were；　at　their　feet。　

Many　human　and　feminine　touches　brightened　the

lofty　discussions　that　were　constantly　going　on；　and

the　varied　characteristics　of　our　leaders　cropped　up

in　amusing　fashion。　　Mrs。　Stanton；　for　example；　was

rarely　accurate　in　giving　figures　or　dates；　while　Miss

Anthony　was　always　very　exact　in　such　matters。　

She　frequently　corrected　Mrs。　Stanton's　statements；

and　Mrs。　Stanton　usually　took　the　interruption　in

the　best　possible　spirit；　promptly　admitting　that

‘‘Aunt　Susan''　knew　best。　　On　one　occasion　I　re…

call；　however；　she　held　fast　to　her　opinion　that　she

was　right　as　to　the　month　in　which　a　certain　inci…

dent　had　occurred。



‘‘No；　Susan；''　she　insisted；　‘‘you're　wrong　for

once。　　I　remember　perfectly　when　that　happened；

for　it　was　at　the　time　I　was　beginning　to　wean

Harriet。''



Aunt　Susan；　though　somewhat　staggered　by　the

force　of　this　testimony；　still　maintained　that　Mrs。

Stanton　must　be　mistaken；　whereupon　the　latter

repeated；　in　exasperation；　‘‘I　tell　you　it　happened

when　I　was　weaning　Harriet。''　　And　she　added；

scornfully；　‘‘What　event　have　you　got　to　reckon

from？''



Miss　Anthony　meekly　subsided。



Mrs。　Stanton　had　wonderful　blue　eyes；　which

held　to　the　end　of　her　life　an　expression　of　eternal

youth。　　During　our　conventions　she　usually　took

a　little　nap　in　the　afternoon；　and　when　she　awoke

her　blue　eyes　always　had　an　expression　of　pleased

and　innocent　surprise；　as　if　she　were　gazing　on

the　world　for　the　first　timethe　round；　unwinking；

interested　look　a　baby's　eyes　have　when　something

attractive　is　held　up　before　them。



Let　me　give　in　a　paragraph；　before　I　swing　off　into

the　bypaths　that　always　allure　me；　the　consecutive

suffrage　events　of　the　past　quarter　of　a　century。　

Having　done　this；　I　can　dwell　on　each　as　casually

as　I　choose；　for　it　is　possible　to　describe　only　a　few

incidents　here　and　there；　and　I　shall　not　be　depart…

ing　from　the　story　of　my　life；　for　my　life　had　become

merged　in　the　suffrage　cause。



Of　the　preliminary　suffrage　campaigns　in　Kansas；

made　in　company　with　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　I　have　al…

ready　written；　and　it　remains　only　to　say　that　dur…

ing　the　second　Kansas　campaign　yellow　was　adopted

as　the　suffrage　color。　　In　1890；　'92；　and　'93　we　again

worked　in　Kansas　and　in　South　Dakota；　with　such

indefatigable　and　brilliant　speakers　as　Mrs。　Catt

（to　whose　efforts　also　were　largely　due　the　winning

of　Colorado　in　'93）；　Mrs。　Laura　Johns　of　Kansas；

Mrs。　Julia　Nelson；　Henry　B。　Blackwell；　Dr。　Helen

V。　Putnam　of　Dakota；　Mrs。　Emma　Smith　DeVoe；

Rev。　Olympia　Browne　of　Wisconsin；　and　Dr。　Mary

Seymour　Howell　of　New　York。　　In　'94；　'95；　and　'96

special　efforts　were　devoted　to　Idaho；　Utah；　Cali…

fornia；　and　Washington；　and　from　then　on　our

campaigns　were　waged　steadily　in　the　Western

states。



The　Colorado　victory　gave　us　two　full　suffrage

states；　for　in　1869　the　Territory　of　Wyoming　had　en…

franchised　women　under　very　interesting　conditions；

not　now　generally　remembered。　　The　achievement

was　due　to　the　influence　of　one　woman；　Esther

Morris；　a　pioneer　who　was　as　good　a　neighbor　as

she　was　a　suffragist。　　In　those　early　days；　in　homes

far　from　physicians　and　surgeons；　the　women　cared

for　one　another　in　sickness；　and　Esther　Morris；　as　it

happened；　once　took　full　and　skilful　charge　of　a

neighbor　during　the　difficult　birth　of　the　latter's

child。　　She　had　done　the　same　thing　for　many　other

women；　but　this　woman's　husband　was　especially

grateful。　　He　was　also　a　member　of　the　Legislature；

and　he　told　Mrs。　Morris　that　if　there　was　any

measure　she　wished　put　through　for　the　women　of

the　territory　he　would　be　glad　to　introduce　it。　

She　immediately　took　him　at　his　word　by　asking

him　to　introduce　a　bill　enfranchising　women；　and

he　promptly　did　so。



The　Legislature　was　Democratic；　and　it　pounced

upon　the　measure　as　a　huge　joke。　　With　the　amiable

purpose　of　embarrassing　the　Governor　of　the　ter…

ritory；　who　was　a　Republican　and　had　been　appointed

by　the　President；　the　members　passed　the　bill　and

put　it　up　to　him　to　veto。　　To　their　combined　horror

and　amazement；　the　young　Governor　did　nothing

of　the　kind。　　He　had　come；　as　it　happened；　from

Salem；　Ohio；　one　of　the　first　towns　in　the　United

States　in　which　a　suffrage　convention　was　held。　

There；　as　a　boy；　he　had　heard　Susan　B。　Anthony

make　a　speech；　and　he　had　carried　into　the　years

the　impression　it　made　upon　him。　　He　signed　that

bill；　and；　as　the　Legislature　could　not　get　a　two…

thirds　vote　to　kill　it；　the　disgusted　members　had　to

make　the　best　of　the　matter。　　The　following　year

a　Democrat　introduced　a　bill　to　repeal　the　measure；

but　already　public　sentiment　had　changed　and　he

was　laughed　down。　　After　that　no　further　effort

was　ever　made　to　take　the　ballot　away　from　the

women　of　Wyoming。



When　the　territory　applied　for　statehood；　it　was

feared　that　the　woman…suffrage　clause　in　the　con…

stitution　might　injure　its　chance　of　admission；　and

the　women　sent　this　telegram　to　Joseph　M。　Carey：



‘‘Drop　us　if　you　must。　　We　can　trust　the　men　of

Wyoming　to　enfranchise　us　after　our　territory　be…

comes　a　state。''



Mr。　Carey　discussed　this　telegram　with　the　other

men　who　were　urging　upon　Congress　the　admission

of　their　territory；　and　the　following　reply　went

back：



‘‘We　may　stay　out　of　the　Union　a　hundred　years；

but　we　will　come　in　with　our　women。''



There　is　great　inspiration　in　those　two　messages

and　a　great　lesson；　as　well。



In　1894　we　conducted　a　campaign　in　New　York；

when　an　effort　was　made　to　secure　a　clause　to　en…

franchise　women　in　the　new　state　constitution；　and

for　the　first　time　in　the　history　of　the　woman…suf…

frage　movement　many　of　the　influential　women　in

the　state　and　city　of　New　York　took　an　active　part

in　the　work。　　Miss　Anthony　was；　as　always；　our

leader　and　greatest　inspiration。　　Mrs。　John　Brooks

Greenleaf　was　state　president；　and　Miss　Mary

Anthony　was　the　most　active　worker　in　the　Roches…

ter　headquarters。　　Mrs。　Lily　Devereaux　Blake　had

charge　of　the　campaign