the story of a pioneer-第54节

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

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

women　not　fitted　to　vote。　　You　would　hardly　expect

to　put　the　ballot　into　the　hands　of　barbarians　or

savages　in　the　jungle！''



The　dropping　of　these　remarkable　words　into　a

suffrage　convention　was　naturally　followed　by　an

oppressive　silence；　which　Mr。　Taft；　now　wholly

bereft　of　his　self…possession；　broke　by　saying　that

the　best　women　would　not　vote　and　the　worst　women

would。



In　his　audience　were　many　women　from　suffrage

stateshigh…minded　women；　wives　and　mothers；

who　had　voted　for　Mr。　Taft。　　The　remarks　to　which

they　had　just　listened　must　have　seemed　to　them　a

poor　return。　　Some　one　hissedsome　man；　some

womanno　one　knows　which　except　the　culprit

and　a　demonstration　started　which　I　immediately

silenced。　　Then　the　President　finished　his　address。　

He　was　very　gracious　to　us　when　he　left；　shaking

hands　with　many　of　us；　and　being　especially　cordial

to　Senator　Owens's　aged　mother；　who　had　come　to

the　convention　to　hear　him　make　his　maiden　speech

on　woman　suffrage。　　I　have　often　wondered　what

he　thought　of　that　speech　as　he　drove　back　to　the

White　House。　　Probably　he　regretted　as　earnestly

as　we　did　that　he　had　made　it。



In　1912；　at　an　official　board　meeting　at　Bryn

Mawr；　Mrs。　Stanley　McCormack　was　appointed

to　fill　a　vacancy　on　the　National　Board。　　Sub…

sequently　she　contributed　6；000　toward　the　pay…

ment　of　debts　incident　to　our　temporary　connec…

tion　with　the　Woman's　Journal　of　Boston；　and　did

much　efficient　work　for　us；　To　me；　personally；

the　entrance　of　Mrs。　Stanley　McCormack　into

our　work　has　been　a　source　of　the　deepest　grati…

fication　and　comfort。　　I　can　truly　say　of　her　what

Susan　B。　Anthony　said　of　me；　‘‘She　is　my　right

bower。''　　At　Nashville；　in　1914；　she　was　elected　first

vice…president；　and　to　a　remarkable　degree　she　has

since　relieved　me　of　the　burden　of　the　technical

work　of　the　presidency；　including　the　oversight　of

the　work　at　headquarters。　　To　this　she　gives　all　her

time；　aided　by　an　executive　secretary　who　takes

charge　of　the　routine　work　of　the　association。　　She

has　thus　made　it　possible　for　me　to　give　the　greater

part　of　my　time　to　the　field　in　which　such　inspiring

opportunities　still　confront　uscampaign　work　in

the　various　states。



To　Mrs。　Medill　McCormack　also　we　are　indebted

for　most　admirable　work　and　enthusiastic　support。　

At　the　Washington　（D。C。）　convention　in　1913　she

was　made　the　chairman　of　the　Congressional　Com…

mittee；　with　Mrs。　Antoinette　Funk；　Mrs。　Helen

Gardner　of　Washington；　and　Mrs。　Booth　of　Chicago

as　her　assistants。　　The　results　they　achieved　were

so　brilliant　that　they　were　unanimously　re…elected

to　the　same　positions　this　year；　with　the　addition

of　Miss　Jeannette　Rankin；　whose　energy　and　service

had　helped　to　win　for　us　the　state　of　Montana。



It　was　largely　due　to　the　work　of　this　Congress…

ional　Committee；　supported　by　the　large　number　of

states　which　had　been　won　for　suffrage；　that　we

secured　such　an　excellent　vote　in　the　Lower　House

of　Congress　on　the　bill　to　amend　the　national　Con…

stitution　granting　suffrage　to　the　women　of　the

United　States。　　This　measure；　known　as　the　Susan

B。　Anthony　bill；　had　been　introduced　into　every

Congress　for　forty…three　years　by　the　National

Woman　Suffrage　Association。　　In　1914；　for　the

first　time；　it　was　brought　out　of　committee；　debated；

and　voted　upon　in　the　Lower　House。　　We　received

174　votes　in　favor　of　it　to　204　against　it。　　The

previous　spring；　in　the　same　Congress；　the　same　bill

passed　the　Senate　by　35　votes　for　it　to　33　votes

against　it。



The　most　interesting　features　of　the　Washington

convention　of　1913　were　the　labor　mass…meetings

led　by　Jane　Addams　and　the　hearing　before　the

Rules　Committee　of　the　Lower　House　of　Con…

gressthe　latter　the　first　hearing　ever　held　be…

fore　this　Committee　for　the　purpose　of　securing　a

Committee　on　Suffrage　in　the　Lower　House　to

correspond　with　a　similar　committee　in　the　Sen…

ate。　　For　many　years　we　had　had　hearings　be…

fore　the　Judiciary　Committee　of　the　Lower　House；

which　was　such　a　busy　committee　that　it　had　neither

time　nor　interest　to　give　to　our　measure。　　We　there…

fore　considered　it　necessary　to　have　a　special　com…

mittee　of　our　own。　　The　hearing　began　on　the

morning　of　Wednesday；　the　third　of　December；　and

lasted　for　two　hours。　　Then　the　anti…suffragists　were

given　time；　and　their　hearing　began　the　following

day；　continued　throughout　that　day　and　during

the　morning　of　the　next　day；　when　our　National

Association　was　given　an　opportunity　for　rebuttal

argument　in　the　afternoon。　　It　was　the　longest　hear…

ing　in　the　history　of　the　suffrage　movement；　and　one

of　the　most　important。



During　the　session　of　Congress　in　1914　another

strenuous　effort　was　made　to　secure　the　appoint…

ment　of　a　special　suffrage　committee　in　the　Lower

House。　　But　when　success　began　to　loom　large　be…

fore　us　the　Democrats　were　called　in　caucus　by　the

minority　leader；　Mr。　Underwood；　of　Alabama；　and

they　downed　our　measure　by　a　vote　of　127　against

it　to　58　for　it。　　This　was　evidently　done　by　the

Democrats　because　of　the　fear　that　the　united　votes

of　Republican　and　Progressive　members；　with　those

of　certain　Democratic　members；　would　carry　the

measure；　whereas　if　this　caucus　were　called；　and

an　unfavorable　vote　taken；　‘‘the　gentlemen's　agree…

ment''　which　controls　Democratic　party　action　in

Congress　would　force　Democrats　in　favor　of　suffrage

to　vote　against　the　appointment　of　the　committee；

which　of　course　would　insure　its　defeat。



The　caucus　blocked　the　appointment　of　the　com…

mittee；　but　it　gave　great　encouragement　to　the　suf…

fragists　of　the　country；　for　they　knew　it　to　be　a　tacit

admission　that　the　measure　would　receive　a　favor…

able　vote　if　it　came　before　Congress　unhampered。



Another　feature　of　the　1913　convention　was　the

new　method　of　electing　officers；　by　which　a　primary

vote　was　taken　on　nominations；　and　afterward　a

regular　ballot　was　cast；　one　officer　was　added　to　the

members　of　the　official　board；　making　nine　instead

of　eight；　the　former　number。　　The　new　officers

elected　were　Mrs。　Breckenridge　of　Kentucky；　the

great…granddaughter　of　Henry　Clay；　and　Mrs。

Catherine　Ruutz…Rees　of　Greenwich；　Connecticut。　

The　old　officers　were　re…electedMiss　Jane　Addams

as　first　vice…president；　Mrs。　Breckenridge　and　Mrs。

Ruutz…Rees　as　second　and　third　vice…presidents；

Mrs。　Mary　Ware　Dennett　as　corresponding　secre…

tary；　Mrs。　Susan　Fitzgerald　as　recording　secretary；

Mrs。　Stanley　McCormack　as　treasurer；　Mrs。　Joseph

Bowen　of　Chicago　and　Mrs。　James　Lees　Laidlaw　of

New　York　City　as　auditors。



It　would　be　difficult　to　secure　a　group　of　women

of　more　marked　ability；　or　better…known　workers　in

various　lines　of　philanthropic　and　educational　work；

than　the　members　composing　this　admirable　board。　

At　the　convention　of　1914；　held　in　Nashville；　several

of　them　resigned；　and　at　present　（in　1914）　the

‘‘National's''　affairs　are　in　the　hands　of　this　in…

spiring　group；　again　headed　by　the　much…criticized

and　chastened　writer　of　these　reminiscences：



Mrs。　Stanley　McCormack；　first　vice…president。

Mrs。　Desha　Breckenridge；　second　vice…president。

Dr。　Katharine　B。　Davis；　third　vice…president。

Mrs。　Henry　Wade　Rogers；　treasurer。

Mrs。　John　Clark；　corresponding　secretary。

Mrs。　Susan　Walker　Fitzgerald；　recording　secretary。

Mrs。　Medill　McCormack；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　｝

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　｝　Auditors

Mrs。　Walter　McNabb　Miller；　of　Missouri　　｝





In　a　book　of　this　size；　and　covering　the　details

of　my　own　life　as　well　as　the　development　of　the

great　Cause；　it　is；　of　course；　impossible　to　mention

by　name　each　woman　who　has　worked　for　us

though；　indeed；　I　would　like　to　make　a　roll　of　honor

and　give　them　all　their　due。　　In　looking　back　I　am　sur…

prised　to　see　how　little　I　have　said　about　many　women

with　whom　I　have　worked　most　closelyRachel

Foster　Avery；　for　example；　with　whom　I　lived　happily

for　several　years；　Ida　Husted　Harper；　the　historian

of　the　suffrage　movement　and　the　biographer　of　Miss

Anthony；　with　whom　I　made　many　delightful　voy…

ages　to　Europe；　Alice　Stone　Blackwell；　Rev。　Mary

Saffard；　Jane　Addams；　Katharine　Waugh　McCul…

lough；　Ella　Stewart；　Mrs。　Mary　Wood　Swift；　Mrs。

Mary　S。　Sperry；　Mary　Cogshall；　Florence　Kelly；

Mrs。　Ogden　Mills　Reid　and　Mrs。　Norman　White…

house　（to　mention　only　two　of　the　younger　‘‘live

wires''　in　our　New　York　work）；　Sophonisba　Breck…

enridge；　Mrs。　Clara　B。　Arthur；　Rev。　Caroline　Bart…

lett　Crane；　Mrs。　James　Lees　Laidlaw；　Mrs。　Raymond

Brown；　the　splendidly　executive　president　of　our

New　York　State　Suffrage　Association；　and　my　bene…

factress；　Mrs。　George　Howard　Lewis　of　Buffalo。　　To

all　of　them；　and　to　thousands　of　others；　I　make　my

grateful　acknowledgment　of　indebtedness　for　friend…

ship