the story of a pioneer-第46节

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friend　who　finally　found　the　place　for　me　had　begun

his　quest　with　the　pessimistic　remark　that　I　would

better　wait　for　it　until　I　got　to　Paradise；　but　two

years　later　he　telegraphed　me　that　he　had　discovered

it　on　this　planet；　and　he　was　right。　　I　have　only

eight　acres　of　land；　but　no　one　could　ask　a　more　ideal

site　for　a　cottage；　and　on　the　place　is　my　beloved

forest；　including　a　grove　of　three　hundred　firs。　

From　every　country　I　have　visited　I　have　brought

back　a　tiny　tree　for　this　little　forest；　and　now　it

is　as　full　of　memories　as　of　beauty。



To　the　surprise　of　my　neighbors；　I　built　my　house

with　its　back　toward　the　public　road；　facing　the

valley　and　the　stream。　　‘‘But　you　will　never　see

anybody　go　by；''　they　protested。　　I　answered　that

the　one　person　in　the　house　who　was　necessarily　in…

terested　in　passers…by　was　my　maid；　and　she　could　see

them　perfectly　from　the　kitchen；　which　faced　the

road。　　I　enjoy　my　views　from　the　broad　veranda

that　overlooks　the　valley；　the　stream；　and　the

country　for　miles　around。



Every　suffragist　I　have　ever　met　has　been　a

lover　of　home；　and　only　the　conviction　that　she　is

fighting　for　her　home；　her　children；　for　other　women；

or　for　all　of　these；　has　sustained　her　in　her　public

work。　　Looking　back　on　many　campaign　experi…

ences；　I　am　forced　to　admit　that　it　is　not　always　the

privations　we　endure　which　make　us　think　most

tenderly　of　home。　　Often　we　are　more　overcome

by　the　attentions　of　well…meaning　friends。　　As　an

example　of　this　I　recall　an　incident　of　one　Oregon

campaign。　　I　was　to　speak　in　a　small　city　in　the

southern　part　of　the　state；　and　on　reaching　the

station；　hot；　tired；　and　covered　with　the　grime

of　a　midsummer　journey；　I　found　awaiting　me　a

delegation　of　citizens；　a　brass…band；　and　a　white

carriage　drawn　by　a　pair　of　beautiful　white　horses。　

In　this　carriage；　and　devotedly　escorted　by　the　citi…

zens　and　the　band；　the　latter　playing　its　hardest；　I

was　driven　to　the　City　Hall　and　there　met　by　the

mayor；　who　delivered　an　address；　after　which　I　was

crowned　with　a　laurel　wreath。　　Subsequently；　with

this　wreath　still　resting　upon　my　perspiring　brow；　I

was　again　driven　through　the　streets　of　the　city；

and　if　ever　a　woman　felt　that　her　place　was　in　the

home　and　longed　to　be　in　her　place；　I　felt　it　that　day。



An　almost　equally　trying　occasion　had　San　Fran…

cisco　for　its　setting。　　The　city　had　arranged　a　Fourth

of　July　celebration；　at　which　Miss　Anthony　and　I

were　to　speak。　　Here　we　rode　in　a　carriage　deco…

rated　with　flowersyellow　roseswhile　just　in　front

of　us　was　the　mayor　in　a　carriage　gorgeously　fes…

tooned　with　purple　blossoms。　　Behind　us；　for　more

than　a　mile；　stretched　a　procession　of　uniformed

policemen；　soldiers；　and　citizens；　while　the　sidewalks

were　lined　with　men　and　women　whose　enthusiastic

greetings　came　to　Miss　Anthony　from　every　side。　

She　was　enchanted　over　the　whole　experience；　for

to　her　it　meant；　as　always；　not　a　personal　tribute；

but　a　triumph　of　the　Cause。　　But　I　sat　by　her　side

acutely　miserable；　for　across　my　shoulders　and

breast　had　been　draped　a　huge　sash　with　the　word

‘‘Orator''　emblazoned　on　it；　and　this　was　further

embellished　by　a　striking　rosette　with　streamers

which　hung　nearly　to　the　bottom　of　my　gown。　　It

is　almost　unnecessary　to　add　that　this　remarkable

decoration　was　furnished　by　a　committee　of　men；　and

was　also　worn　by　all　the　men　speakers　of　the　day。　

Possibly　I　was　overheated　by　the　sash；　or　by　the

emotions　the　sash　aroused　in　me；　for　I　was　stricken

with　pneumonia　the　following　day　and　experienced

my　first　serious　illness；　from　which；　however；　I　soon

recovered。



On　our　way　to　California　in　1895　Miss　Anthony

and　I　spent　a　day　at　Cheyenne；　Wyoming；　as　the

guests　of　Senator　and　Mrs。　Carey；　who　gave　a　dinner

for　us。　　At　the　table　I　asked　Senator　Carey　what　he

considered　the　best　result　of　the　enfranchisement　of

Wyoming　women；　and　even　after　the　lapse　of　twenty

years　I　am　able　to　give　his　reply　almost　word　for

word；　for　it　impressed　me　deeply　at　the　time　and　I

have　since　quoted　it　again　and　again。



‘‘There　have　been　many　good　results；''　he　said；

‘‘but　the　one　I　consider　above　all　the　others　is　the

great　change　for　the　better　in　the　character　of　our

candidates　for　office。　　Consider　this　for　a　moment：　

Since　our　women　have　voted　there　has　never　been

an　embezzlement　of　public　funds；　or　a　scandalous

misuse　of　public　funds；　or　a　disgraceful　condition　of

graft。　　I　attribute　the　better　character　of　our　public

officials　almost　entirely　to　the　votes　of　the　women。''



‘‘Those　are　inspiring　facts；''　I　conceded；　‘‘but

let　us　be　just。　　There　are　three　men　in　Wyoming

to　every　woman；　and　no　candidate　for　office　could

be　elected　unless　the　men　voted　for　him；　too。　　Why；

then；　don't　they　deserve　as　much　credit　for　his

election　as　the　women？''



‘‘Because；''　explained　Senator　Carey；　promptly；

‘‘women　are　politically　an　uncertain　factor。　　We

can　go　among　men　and　learn　beforehand　how　they

are　going　to　vote；　but　we　can't　do　that　with　women；

they　keep　us　guessing。　　In　the　old　days；　when　we

went　into　the　caucus　we　knew　what　resolutions　put

into　our　platforms　would　win　the　votes　of　the　ranch…

men；　what　would　win　the　miners；　what　would　win

the　men　of　different　nationalities；　but　we　did　not

know　how　to　win　the　votes　of　the　women　until　we

began　to　nominate　our　candidates。　　Then　we　im…

mediately　discovered　that　if　the　Democrats　nomi…

nated　a　man　of　immoral　character　for　office；　the

women　voted　for　his　Republican　opponent；　and　we

learned　our　first　big　lessonthat　whatever　a　candi…

date's　other　qualifications　for　office　may　be；　he　must

first　of　all　have　a　clean　record。　　In　the　old　days；

when　we　nominated　a　candidate　we　asked；　‘Can　he

hold　the　saloon　vote？'　　Now　we　ask；　‘Can　he　hold

the　women's　vote？'　　Instead　of　bidding　down　to

the　saloon；　we　bid　up　to　the　home。''



Following　the　dinner　there　was　a　large　public

meeting；　at　which　Miss　Anthony　and　I　were　to　speak。　

Mrs。　Jenkins；　who　was　president　of　the　Suffrage

Association　of　the　state；　presided　and　introduced　us

to　the　assemblage。　　Then　she　added：　　‘‘I　have　intro…

duced　you　ladies　to　your　audience。　　Now　I　would

like　to　introduce　your　audience　to　you。''　　She　be…

gan　with　the　two　Senators　and　the　member　of　Con…

gress；　then　introduced　the　Governor；　the　Lieutenant…

Governor；　the　state　Superintendent　of　Education；

and　numerous　city　and　state　officials。　　As　she　went

on　Miss　Anthony　grew　more　and　more　excited；　and

when　the　introductions　were　over；　she　said：　　‘‘This　is

the　first　time　I　have　ever　seen　an　audience　assembled

for　woman　suffrage　made　up　of　the　public　officials

of　a　state。　　No　one　can　ever　persuade　me　now　that

men　respect　women　without　political　power　as　much

as　they　respect　women　who　have　it；　for　certainly

in　no　other　state　in　the　Union　would　it　be　possible

to　gather　so　many　public　officials　under　one　roof　to

listen　to　the　addresses　of　women。''



The　following　spring　we　again　went　West；　with

Mrs。　Catt；　Lucy　Anthony；　Miss　Hay　and　Miss

Sweet；　her　secretary；　to　carry　on　the　Pacific　coast

campaign　of　'96；　arranged　by　Mrs。　Cooper　and　her

daughter　Harriet；　of　Oaklandboth　women　of　re…

markable　executive　ability。　　Headquarters　were　se…

cured　in　San　Francisco；　and　Miss　Hay　was　put　in

charge；　associated　with　a　large　group　of　California

women。　　It　was　the　second　time　in　the　history　of

campaignsthe　first　being　in　New　Yorkthat　all

the　money　to　carry　on　the　work　was　raised　by　the

people　of　the　state。



The　last　days　of　the　campaign　were　extremely

interesting；　and　one　of　their　important　events　was

that　the　Hon。　Thomas　Reed；　then　Speaker　of　the

House　of　Representatives；　for　the　first　time　came

out　publicly　for　suffrage。　　Mr。　Reed　had　often　ex…

pressed　himself　privately　as　in　favor　of　the　Cause

but　he　had　never　made　a　public　statement　for　us。　

At　Oakland；　one　day；　the　indefatigable　and　irresisti…

ble　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　caught　him　off　his　guard　by　per…

suading　his　daughter；　Kitty　Reed；　who　was　his　idol；

to　ask　him　to　say　just　one　word　in　favor　of　our

amendment。　　When　he　arose　we　did　not　know

whether　he　had　promised　what　she　asked；　and　as

his　speech　progressed　our　hearts　sank　lower　and

lower；　for　all　he　said　was　remote　from　our　Cause。　

But　he　ended　with　these　words：



‘‘There　is　an　amendment　of　the　constitution

pending；　granting　suffrage　to　women。　　The　women

of　California　ought　to　have　suffrage。　　The　men　of

California　ought　to　give　it　to　themand　the　next

speaker；　Dr。　Shaw；　will　tell　you　why。''



The　word　was　spoken。　　And　though　it　was　not　a

very　strong　word；　it　came　from　a　strong　man；　and

therefore　helped　us。



Election　day；　as　usual；　brought　its　surprises　and

revelations。　　Mrs。　Cooper　asked　her　Chinese　cook

how　the　Chinese　were　votingi。　e。；　the　native…born

Chinamen　who　were　entitled　to　voteand　he　re…

plied；　blit