the story of a pioneer-第43节

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aisle　and　were　given　seats　of　honor　directly　in　front

of　the　platform。



All　we　could　see　of　them　were　the　brilliant　feathers

of　their　war…bonnets；　but　we　got　the　full　effect　of

their　reception　in　the　music　and　the　cheers。　　I　dared

not　look　at　Miss　Anthony　during　this　remarkable

scene；　and　she；　craning　her　venerable　neck　to　get　a

glimpse　of　the　incident　from　her　obscure　corner；

made　no　comment　to　me；　but　I　knew　what　she　was

thinking。　　The　following　year　these　Indians　would

have　votes。　　Courtesy；　therefore；　must　be　shown

them。　　But　the　women　did　not　matter；　the　politi…

cians　reasoned；　for　even　if　they　were　enfranchised

they　would　never　support　the　element　represented

at　that　convention。　　It　was　not　surprising　that；

notwithstanding　our　hard　work；　we　did　not　win

the　state；　though　all　the　conditions　had　seemed

most　favorable；　for　the　state　was　new；　the　men

and　women　were　working　side　by　side　in　the　fields；

and　there　was　discontent　in　the　ranks　of　the　political

parties。



After　the　election；　when　we　analyzed　the　vote

county　by　county；　we　discovered　that　in　every　county

whose　residents　were　principally　Americans　the

amendment　was　carried；　whereas　in　all　counties

populated　largely　by　foreigners　it　was　lost。　　In　cer…

tain　countiesthose　inhabited　by　Russian　Jews

the　vote　was　almost　solidly　against　us；　and　this　not…

withstanding　the　fact　that　the　wives　of　these　Rus…

sian　voters　were　doing　a　man's　work　on　their　farms

in　addition　to　the　usual　women's　work　in　their

homes。　　The　fact　that　our　Cause　could　be　defeated

by　ignorant　laborers　newly　come　to　our　country　was

a　humiliating　one　to　accept；　and　we　realized　more

forcibly　than　ever　before　the　difficulty　of　the　task

we　had　assumeda　task　far　beyond　any　ever　under…

taken　by　a　body　of　men　in　the　history　of　democratic

government　throughout　the　world。　　We　not　only

had　to　bring　American　men　back　to　a　belief　in　the

fundamental　principles　of　republican　government；

but　we　had　also　to　educate　ignorant　immigrants；

as　well　as　our　own　Indians；　whose　degree　of　civiliza…

tion　was　indicated　by　their　war…paint　and　the

flaunting　feathers　of　their　head…dresses。



The　Kansas　campaign；　which　Miss　Anthony；　Mrs。

Catt；　Mrs。　Johns；　and　I　conducted　in　1894；　held　a

special　interest；　due　to　the　Populist　movement。　

There　were　so　many　problems　before　the　people

prohibition；　free　silver；　and　the　Populist　propaganda

that　we　found　ourselves　involved　in　the　bitterest

campaign　ever　fought　out　in　the　state。　　Our　desire；

of　course；　was　to　get　the　indorsement　of　the　differ…

ent　political　parties　and　religious　bodies；　We　suc…

ceeded　in　obtaining　that　of　three　out　of　four　of　the

Methodist　Episcopal　conferencesthe　Congrega…

tional；　the　Epworth　League；　and　the　Christian　En…

deavor　Leagueas　well　as　that　of　the　State　Teachers'

Association；　the　Woman's　Christian　Temperance

Union；　and　various　other　religious　and　philanthropic

societies。　　To　obtain　the　indorsement　of　the　polit…

ical　parties　was　much　more　difficult；　and　we　were

facing　conditions　in　which　partial　success　was　worse

than　complete　failure。　　It　had　long　been　an　un…

written　law　before　it　became　a　written　law　in　our

National　Association　that　we　must　not　take　partisan

action　or　line　up　with　any　one　political　party。　　It

was　highly　important；　therefore；　that　either　all

parties　should　support　us　or　that　none　should。



The　Populist　convention　was　held　in　Topeka　be…

fore　either　the　Democratic　or　Republican　convention；

and　after　two　days　of　vigorous　fighting；　led　by　Mrs。

Anna　Diggs　and　other　prominent　Populist　women；

a　suffrage　plank　was　added　to　the　platform。　　The

Populist　party　invited　me；　as　a　minister；　to　open

the　convention　with　prayer。　　This　was　an　innova…

tion；　and　served　as　a　wedge　for　the　admission　of

women　representatives　of　the　Suffrage　Association

to　address　the　convention。　　We　all　did　so；　Miss

Anthony　speaking　first；　Mrs。　Catt　second；　and　I

last；　after　which；　for　the　first　time　in　history；　the

Doxology　was　sung　at　a　political　convention。



At　the　Democratic　convention　we　made　the　same

appeal；　and　were　refused。　　Instead　of　indorsing　us；

the　Democrats　put　an　anti…suffrage　plank　in　their

platformbut　this；　as　the　party　had　little　standing

in　Kansas；　probably　did　us　more　good　than　harm。　

Trouble　came　thick　and　fast；　however；　when　the

Republicans；　the　dominant　party　in　the　state；　held

their　convention；　and　a　mighty　struggle　began　over

the　admission　of　a　suffrage　plank。　　There　was　a

Woman's　Republican　Club　in　Kansas；　which　held

its　convention　in　Topeka　at　the　same　time　the

Republicans　were　holding　theirs。　　There　was　also

a　Mrs。　Judith　Ellen　Foster；　who；　by　stirring　up　op…

position　in　this　Republican　Club　against　the　in…

sertion　of　a　suffrage　plank；　caused　a　serious　split　in

the　convention。　　Miss　Anthony；　Mrs。　Catt；　and　I；

of　course；　urged　the　Republican　women　to　stand　by

their　sex；　and　to　give　their　support　to　the　Republi…

cans　only　on　condition　that　the　latter　added　suffrage

to　their　platform。　　At　no　time；　and　in　no　field　of

work；　have　I　ever　seen　a　more　bitter　conflict　in　prog…

ress　than　that　which　raged　for　two　days　during　this

Republican　women's　convention。　　Liquor…dealers；

joint…keepers；　‘‘boot…leggers；''　and　all　the　lawless

element　of　Kansas　swung　into　line　at　a　special　con…

vention　held　under　the　auspices　of　the　Liquor

League　of　Kansas　City；　and　cast　their　united　weight

against　suffrage　by　threatening　to　deny　their　votes

to　any　candidate　or　political　party　favoring　our

Cause。　　The　Republican　women's　convention　finally

adjourned　with　nothing　accomplished　except　the

passing　of　a　resolution　mildly　requesting　the　Re…

publican　party　to　indorse　woman　suffrage。　　The

result　was；　of　course；　that　it　was　not　indorsed　by

the　Republican　convention；　and　that　it　was　defeated

at　the　following　election。



It　was　at　the　time　of　these　campaigns　that　I　was

elected　Vice…President　of　the　National　Association

and　Lecturer　at　Large；　and　the　latter　office　brought

in　its　train　a　glittering　variety　of　experiences。　　On

one　occasion　an　episode　occurred　which　‘‘Aunt

Susan''　never　afterward　wearied　of　describing。　

There　was　a　wreck　somewhere　on　the　road　on　which

I　was　to　travel　to　meet　a　lecture　engagement；　and

the　trains　going　my　way　were　not　running。　　Look…

ing　up　the　track；　however；　I　saw　a　train　coming

from　the　opposite　direction。　　I　at　once　grasped　my

hand…luggage　and　started　for　it。



‘‘Wait！　　Wait！''　cried　Miss　Anthony。　　‘‘That

train's　going　the　wrong　way！''



‘‘At　least　it's　going　SOMEWHERE！''　I　replied；　tersely；

as　the　train　stopped；　and　I　climbed　the　steps。



Looking　back　when　the　train　had　started　again；

I　saw　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　standing　in　the　same　spot　on

the　platform　and　staring　after　it　with　incredulous

eyes；　but　I　was　right；　for　I　discovered　that　by　going

up　into　another　state　I　could　get　a　train　which

would　take　me　to　my　destination　in　time　for　the

lecture　that　night。　　It　was　a　fine　illustration　of　my

pet　theory　that　if　one　intends　to　get　somewhere　it

is　better　to　start；　even　in　the　wrong　direction；　than

to　stand　still。



Again　and　again　in　our　work　we　had　occasion　to

marvel　over　men's　lack　of　understanding　of　the

views　of　women；　even　of　those　nearest　and　dearest　to

them；　and　we　had　an　especially　striking　illustra…

tion　of　this　at　one　of　our　hearings　in　Washington。　

A　certain　distinguished　gentleman　（we　will　call　him

Mr。　H）　was　chairman　of　the　Judiciary；　and　after

we　had　said　what　we　wished　to　say；　he　remarked：



‘‘Your　arguments　are　logical。　　Your　cause　is　just。　

The　trouble　is　that　women　don't　want　suffrage。　

My　wife　doesn't　want　it。　　I　don't　know　a　single

woman　who　does　want　it。''



As　it　happened　for　this　unfortunate　gentleman；

his　wife　was　present　at　the　hearing　and　sitting　beside

Miss　Anthony。　　She　listened　to　his　words　with　sur…

prise；　and　then　whispered　to　‘‘Aunt　Susan''：



‘‘How　CAN　he　say　that？　　_I_　want　suffrage；　and　I've

told　him　so　a　hundred　times　in　the　last　twenty

years。''



‘‘Tell　him　again　NOW；''　urged　Miss　Anthony。　

‘‘Here's　your　chance　to　impress　it　on　his　memory。''



‘‘Here！''　gasped　the　wife。　　‘‘Oh；　I　wouldn't

dare。''



‘‘Then　may　I　tell　him？''



‘‘Whyyes！　　He　can　think　what　he　pleases；　but

he　has　no　right　to　publicly　misrepresent　me。''



The　assent；　hesitatingly　begun；　finished　on　a　sud…

den　note　of　firmness。　　Miss　Anthony　stood　up。



‘‘It　may　interest　Mr。　H；''　she　said；　‘‘to　know

that　his　wife　DOES　wish　to　vote；　and　that　for　twenty

years　she　has　wished　to　vote；　and　has　often　told　him

so；　though　he　has　evidently　forgotten　it。　　She　is

here　beside　me；　and　has　just　made　this　explana…

tion。''



Mr。　H　stammered　and　hesitated；　and　finally

decided　to　laugh。　　But　there　was　no　mirth　in　the

sound　he　made；　and　I　am　afraid　his　wife　had　a　bad

quarter　of　an　hour　when　they　met　a　little　later　in

the　privacy　of　their　home。