the story of a pioneer-第53节

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Orleans　in　1903。　　In　no　previous　convention　were

arrangements　more　perfect；　and　certainly　nowhere

else　did　the　men　of　a　community　co…operate　more　gen…

erously　with　the　women　in　entertaining　us。　　A　club

of　men　paid　the　rent　of　our　hall；　chartered　a　steam…

boat　and　gave　us　a　ride　on　the　Mississippi；　and　in

many　other　ways　helped　to　make　the　occasion　a　suc…

cess。　　Miss　Gordon；　who　was　chairman　of　the

programme　committee；　introduced　the　innovation　of

putting　me　before　the　audience　for　twenty　minutes

every　evening；　at　the　close　of　the　regular　session；

as　a　target　for　questions。　　Those　present　were

privileged　to　ask　any　questions　they　pleased；　and　I

answered　themif　I　could。



We　were　all　conscious　of　the　dangers　attending

a　discussion　of　the　negro　question；　and　it　was　under…

stood　among　the　Northern　women　that　we　must

take　every　precaution　to　avoid　being　led　into　such

discussion。　　It　had　not　been　easy　to　persuade　Miss

Anthony　of　the　wisdom　of　this　course；　her　way　was

to　face　issues　squarely　and　out　in　the　open。　　But

she　agreed　that　we　must　respect　the　convictions　of

the　Southern　men　and　women　who　were　entertain…

ing　us　so　hospitably。



On　the　opening　night；　as　I　took　my　place　to　answer

questions；　almost　the　first　slip　passed　up　bore　these

words：





What　is　your　purpose　in　bringing　your　convention　to　the

South？　　Is　it　the　desire　of　suffragists　to　force　upon　us　the

social　equality　of　black　and　white　women？　　Political　equality

lays　the　foundation　for　social　equality。　　If　you　give　the　ballot

to　women；　won't　you　make　the　black　and　white　woman　equal

politically　and　therefore　lay　the　foundation　for　a　future　claim

of　social　equality？





I　laid　the　paper　on　one　side　and　did　not　answer

the　question。　　The　second　night　it　came　to　me

again；　put　in　the　same　words；　and　again　I　ignored

it。　　The　third　night　it　came　with　this　addition：



Evidently　you　do　not　dare　to　answer　this　question。　　There…

fore　our　conclusion　is　that　this　is　your　purpose。





When　I　had　read　this　I　went　to　the　front　of　the

platform。



‘‘Here；''　I　said；　‘‘is　a　question　which　has　been

asked　me　on　three　successive　nights。　　I　have　not

answered　it　because　we　Northern　women　had　de…

cided　not　to　enter　into　any　discussion　of　the　race

question。　　But　now　I　am　told　by　the　writer　of　this

note　that　we　dare　not　answer　it。　　I　wish　to　say　that

we　dare　to　answer　it　if　you　dare　to　have　it　answered

and　I　leave　it　to　you　to　decide　whether　I　shall

answer　it　or　not。''



I　read　the　question　aloud。　　Then　the　audience

called　for　the　answer；　and　I　gave　it　in　these　words；

quoted　as　accurately　as　I　can　remember　them：



‘‘If　political　equality　is　the　basis　of　social　equality；

and　if　by　granting　political　equality　you　lay　the

foundation　for　a　claim　of　social　equality；　I　can　only

answer　that　you　have　already　laid　that　claim。　　You

did　not　wait　for　woman　suffrage；　but　disfranchised

both　your　black　and　your　white　women；　thus　making

them　politically　equal。　　But　you　have　done　more

than　that。　　You　have　put　the　ballot　into　the　hands

of　your　black　men；　thus　making　them　the　political

superiors　of　your　white　women。　　Never　before　in　the

history　of　the　world　have　men　made　former　slaves

the　political　masters　of　their　former　mistresses！''



The　point　went　home　and　it　went　deep。　　I　drove

it　in　a　little　further。



‘‘The　women　of　the　South　are　not　alone；''　I　said；

‘‘in　their　humiliation。　　All　the　women　of　America

share　it　with　them。　　There　is　no　other　nation　in　the

world　in　which　women　hold　the　position　of　political

degradation　our　American　women　hold　to…day。　

German　women　are　governed　by　German　men；

French　women　are　governed　by　French　men。　　But

in　these　United　States　American　women　are　gov…

erned　by　every　race　of　men　under　the　light　of　the

sun。　　There　is　not　a　color　from　white　to　black；　from

red　to　yellow；　there　is　not　a　nation　from　pole　to

pole；　that　does　not　send　its　contingent　to　govern

American　women。　　If　American　men　are　willing　to

leave　their　women　in　a　position　as　degrading　as　this

they　need　not　be　surprised　when　American　women

resolve　to　lift　themselves　out　of　it。''



For　a　full　moment　after　I　had　finished　there　was

absolute　silence　in　the　audience。　　We　did　not　know

what　would　happen。　　Then；　suddenly；　as　the　truth

of　the　statement　struck　them；　the　men　began　to

applaudand　the　danger　of　that　situation　was　over。



Another　episode　had　its　part　in　driving　the　suf…

frage　lesson　home　to　Southern　women。　　The　Legis…

lature　had　passed　a　bill　permitting　tax…paying　women

to　vote　at　any　election　where　special　taxes　were　to

be　imposed　for　improvements；　and　the　first　election

following　the　passage　of　this　bill　was　one　in　New

Orleans；　in　which　the　question　of　better　drainage

for　the　city　was　before　the　public。　　Miss　Gordon

and　the　suffrage　association　known　as　the　Era

Club　entered　enthusiastically　into　the　fight　for　good

drainage。　　According　to　the　law　women　could　vote

by　proxy　if　they　preferred；　instead　of　in　person；　so

Miss　Gordon　drove　to　the　homes　of　the　old　con…

servative　Creole　families　and　other　families　whose

women　were　unwilling　to　vote　in　public；　and　she

collected　their　proxies　while　incidentally　she　showed

them　what　position　they　held　under　the　law。



With　each　proxy　it　was　necessary　to　have　the　signa…

ture　of　a　witness；　but　according　to　the　Louisiana　law

no　woman　could　witness　a　legal　document。　　Miss

Gordon　was　driven　from　place　to　place　by　her　colored

coachman；　and　after　she　had　secured　the　proxy　of

her　temporary　hostess　it　was　usually　discovered　that

there　was　no　man　around　the　place　to　act　as　a　wit…

ness。　　This　was　Miss　Gordon's　opportunity。　　With

a　smile　of　great　sweetness　she　would　say；　‘‘I　will

have　Sam　come　in　and　help　us　out''；　and　the　colored

coachman　would　get　down　from　his　box；　and　by

scrawling　his　signature　on　the　proxy　of　the　aristo…

cratic　lady　he　would　give　it　the　legal　value　it　lacked。　

In　this　way　Miss　Gordon　secured　three　hundred

proxies；　and　three　hundred　very　conservative　women

had　an　opportunity　to　compare　their　legal　standing

with　Sam's。　　The　drainage　bill　was　carried　and　in…

terest　in　woman　suffrage　developed　steadily。



The　special　incident　of　the　Buffalo　convention　of

1908　was　the　receipt　of　a　note　which　was　passed　up

to　me　as　I　sat　on　the　platform。　　When　I　opened　it

a　check　dropped　outa　check　so　large　that　I　was

sure　it　had　been　sent　by　mistake。　　However；　after

asking　one　or　two　friends　on　the　platform　if　I　had

read　it　correctly；　I　announced　to　the　audience　that

if　a　certain　amount　were　subscribed　immediately　I

would　reveal　a　secreta　very　interesting　secret。　

Audiences　are　as　curious　as　individuals。　　The　amount

was　at　once　subscribed。　　Then　I　held　up　a　check

for　10；000；　given　for　our　campaign　work　by　Mrs。

George　Howard　Lewis；　in　memory　of　Susan　B。　An…

thony；　and　I　read　to　the　audience　the　charming

letter　that　accompanied　it。　　The　money　was　used

during　the　campaigns　of　the　following　yearpart　of

it　in　Washington；　where　an　amendment　was　already

submitted。



In　a　previous　chapter　I　have　described　the　estab…

lishment　of　our　New　York　headquarters　as　a　result

of　the　generous　offer　of　Mrs。　O。　H。　P。　Belmont　at

the　Seattle　convention　in　1909。　　During　our　first

year　in　these　beautiful　Fifth　Avenue　rooms　Mrs。

Pankhurst　made　her　first　visit　to　America；　and　we

gave　her　a　reception　there。　　This；　however；　was

before　the　adoption　of　the　destructive　methods　which

have　since　marked　the　activities　of　the　band　of

militant　suffragists　of　which　Mrs。　Pankhurst　is

president。　　There　has　never　been　any　sympathy

among　American　suffragists　for　the　militant　suffrage

movement　in　England；　and　personally　I　am　wholly

opposed　to　it。　　I　do　not　believe　in　war　in　any　form；

and　if　violence　on　the　part　of　men　is　undesirable　in

achieving　their　ends；　it　is　much　more　so　on　the　part

of　women；　for　women　never　appear　to　less　advan…

tage　than　in　physical　combats　with　men。　　As　for

militancy　in　America；　no　generation　that　attempted

it　could　win。　　No　victory　could　come　to　us　in　any

state　where　militant　methods　were　tried。　　They　are

undignified；　unworthyin　other　words；　un…Ameri…

can。



The　Washington　convention　of　1910　was　graced

by　the　presence　of　President　Taft；　who；　at　the　in…

vitation　of　Mrs。　Rachel　Foster　Avery；　made　an

address。　　It　was　understood；　of　course；　that　he　was

to　come　out　strongly　for　woman　suffrage；　but；　to

our　great　disappointment；　the　President；　a　most

charming　and　likable　gentleman；　seemed　unable

to　grasp　the　significance　of　the　occasion。　　He　began

his　address　with　fulsome　praise　of　women；　which　was

accepted　in　respectful　silence。　　Then　he　got　round

to　woman　suffrage；　floundered　helplessly；　became

confused；　and　ended　with　the　most　unfortunately

chosen　words　he　could　have　uttered：　　‘‘I　am　op…

posed；''　he　said；　‘‘to　the　extension　of　suffrage　to

women　not　fitted　to　vot