the story of a pioneer-第57节

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Woman　Suffrage　Association；　there　can　be　no　feeling

but　gratitude　and　elation　over　the　growth　of　the

work。　　Our　membership　has　grown　from　17；000

women　to　more　than　200；000；　and　the　number

of　auxiliary　societies　has　increased　in　propor…

tion。



Instead　of　the　old…time　experience　of　one　campaign

in　ten　years；　we　now　have　from　five　to　ten　campaigns

each　year。　　From　an　original　yearly　expenditure　of

14；000　or　15；000　in　our　campaign　work；　we　now

expend　from　40；000　to　50；000。　　In　New　York；　in

1915；　we　have　already　received　pledges　of　150；000

for　the　New　York　State　campaign　alone；　while

Pennsylvania；　Massachusetts；　and　New　Jersey　have

made　pledges　in　proportion。



In　1906　full　suffrage　prevailed　in　four　states；

we　now　have　it　in　twelve。　　Our　movement　has

advanced　from　its　academic　stage　until　it　has

become　a　vital　political　factor；　no　reform　in　the

country　is　more　heralded　by　the　press　or　receives

more　attention　from　the　public。　　It　has　become

an　issue　which　engages　the　attention　of　the　entire

nationand　toward　this　result　every　woman　work…

ing　for　the　Cause　has　contributed　to　an　inspiring

degree。　　Splendid　team…work；　and　that　alone；　has

made　our　present　success　possible　and　our　eventual

triumph　in　every　state　inevitable。　　Every　officer

in　our　organization；　every　leader　in　our　campaigns；

every　speaker；　every　worker　in　the　ranks；　however

humble；　has　done　her　share。



I　do　not　claim　anything　so　fantastic　and　Utopian

as　universal　harmony　among　us。　　We　have　had　our

troubles　and　our　differences。　　I　have　had　mine。　

At　every　annual　convention　since　the　one　at　Wash…

ington　in　1910　there　has　been　an　effort　to　depose

me　from　the　presidency。　　There　have　been　some

splendid　fighters　among　my　opponentsfine　and

high…minded　women　who　sincerely　believe　that　at

sixty…eight　I　am　getting　too　old　for　my　big　job。　

Possibly　I　am。　　Certainly　I　shall　resign　it　with

alacrity　when　the　majority　of　women　in　the　organiza…

tion　wish　me　to　do　so。　　At　present　a　large　majority

proves　annually　that　it　still　has　faith　in　my　leader…

ship；　and　with　this　assurance　I　am　content　to

work　on。



Looking　back　over　the　period　covered　by　these

reminiscences；　I　realize　that　there　is　truth　in　the

grave　charge　that　I　am　no　longer　young；　and　this

truth　was　once　voiced　by　one　of　my　little　nieces　in

a　way　that　brought　it　strongly　home　to　me。　　She

and　her　small　sister　of　six　had　declared　themselves

suffragettes；　and　as　the　first　result　of　their　conver…

sion　to　the　Cause　both　had　been　laughed　at　by　their

schoolmates。　　The　younger　child　came　home　after

this　tragic　experience；　weeping　bitterly　and　declar…

ing　that　she　did　not　wish　to　be　a　suffragette　any

morean　exhibition　of　apostasy　for　which　her　wise

sister　of　eight　took　her　roundly　to　task。



‘‘Aren't　you　ashamed　of　yourself；''　she　demanded；

‘‘to　stop　just　because　you　have　been　laughed　at

once？　　Look　at　Aunt　Anna！　　SHE　has　been　laughed

at　for　hundreds　of　years！''



I　sometimes　feel　that　it　has　indeed　been　hundreds

of　years　since　my　work　began；　and　then　again　it

seems　so　brief　a　time　that；　by　listening　for　a

moment；　I　fancy　I　can　hear　the　echo　of　my　child…

ish…voice　preaching　to　the　trees　in　the　Michigan

woods。



But　long　or　short；　the　one　sure　thing　is　that；　taking

it　all　in　all；　the　struggles；　the　discouragements；　the

failures；　and　the　little　victories；　the　fight　has　been；

as　Susan　B。　Anthony　said　in　her　last　hours；　‘‘worth

while。''　　Nothing　bigger　can　come　to　a　human　being

than　to　love　a　great　Cause　more　than　life　itself；　and

to　have　the　privilege　throughout　life　of　working　for

that　Cause。



As　for　life's　other　gifts；　I　have　had　some　of　them；

too。　　I　have　made　many　friendships；　I　have　looked

upon　the　beauty　of　many　lands；　I　have　the　assur…

ance　of　the　respect　and　affection　of　thousands　of

men　and　women　I　have　never　even　met。　　Though　I

have　given　all　I　had；　I　have　received　a　thousand

times　more　than　I　have　given。　　Neither　the　world

nor　my　Cause　is　indebted　to　me　but　from　the　depths

of　a　full　and　very　grateful　heart　I　acknowledge　my

lasting　indebtedness　to　them　both。








THE　END