the story of a pioneer-第43部分

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very　beautiful　gold　nugget；　and　a　few　days　later

another　Californian　produced　a　cluster　of　smaller

nuggets　which　he　had　washed　out　of　a　panful　of

earth　and　insisted　on　my　accepting　half　of　them。　　I

was　not　accustomed　to　this　sort　of　generosity；　but

it　was　characteristic　of　the　spirit　of　the　state。　　No…

where　else；　during　our　campaign　experiences；　were

we　so　royally　treated　in　every　way。　　As　a　single

example　among　many；　I　may　mention　that　Mrs。

Leland　Stanford　once　happened　to　be　on　a　train

with　us　and　to　meet　Miss　Anthony。　　As　a　result　of

this　chance　encounter　she　gave　our　whole　party

passes　on　all　the　lines　of　the　Southern　Pacific　Rail…

road；　for　use　during　the　entire　campaign。　　Similar

generosity　was　shown　us　on　every　side；　and　the　ques…

tion　of　finance　did　not　burden　us　from　the　beginning

to　the　end　of　the　California　work。



In　our　Utah　and　Idaho　campaigns　we　had　also　our

full　share　of　new　experiences；　and　of　these　perhaps

the　most　memorable　to　me　was　the　sermon　I　preached

in　the　Mormon　Tabernacle　at　Salt　Lake　City。

Before　I　left　New　York　the　Mormon　women　had　sent

me　the　invitation　to　preach　this　sermon；　and　when　I

reached　Salt　Lake　City　and　the　so…called　‘‘Gentile''

women　heard　of　the　plan；　they　at　once　invited　me

to　preach　to　the　‘‘Gentiles''　on　the　evening　of　the

same　Sunday；　in　the　Salt　Lake　City　Opera　House。



On　the　morning　of　the　sermon　I　approached　the

Mormon　Tabernacle　with　much　more　trepidation

than　I　usually　experienced　before　entering　a　pulpit。　

I　was　not　sure　what　particular　kind　of　trouble　I

would　get　into；　but　I　had　an　abysmal　suspicion

that　trouble　of　some　sort　lay　in　wait　for　me；　and　I

shivered　in　the　anticipation　of　it。　　Fortunately；　my

anxiety　was　not　long　drawn　out。　　I　arrived　only　a　few

moments　before　the　hour　fixed　for　the　sermon；　and

found　the　congregation　already　assembled　and　the

Tabernacle　filled　with　the　beautiful　music　of　the　great

organ。　　On　the　platform；　to　which　I　was　escorted

by　several　leading　dignitaries　of　the　church；　was　the

characteristic　Mormon　arrangement　of　seats。　　The

first　row　was　occupied　by　the　deacons；　and　in　the

center　of　these　was　the　pulpit　from　which　the　deacons

preach。　　Above　these　seats　was　a　second　row；　oc…

cupied　by　ordained　elders；　and　there　they　too　had

their　own　pulpit。　　The　third　row　was　occupied　by；

the　bishops　and　the　highest　dignitaries　of　the　church；

with　the　pulpit　from　which　the　bishops　preach；　and

behind　them　all；　an　effective　human　frieze；　was　the

really　wonderful　Mormon　choir。



As　I　am　an　ordained　elder　in　my　church；　I　oc…

cupied　the　pulpit　in　the　middle　row　of　seats；　with　the

deacons　below　me　and　the　bishops　just　behind。　

Scattered　among　the　congregation　were　hundreds　of

‘‘Gentiles''　ready　to　leap　mentally　upon　any　con…

cession　I　might　make　to　the　Mormon　faith；　while

the　Mormons　were　equally　on　the　alert　for　any

implied　criticism　of　them　and　their　church。　　The

problem　of　preaching　a　sermon　which　should　offer

some　appeal　to　both　classes；　without　offending　either；

was　a　perplexing　one；　and　I　solved　it　to　the　best　of

my　ability　by　delivering　a　sermon　I　had　once　given

in　my　own　church　to　my　own　people。　　When　I　had

finished　I　was　wholly　uncertain　of　its　effect；　but　at

the　end　of　the　services　one　of　the　bishops　leaned

toward　me　from　his　place　in　the　rear；　and；　to　my

mingled　horror　and　amusement；　offered　me　this

tribute；　‘‘That　is　one　of　the　best　Mormon　sermons

ever　preached　in　this　Tabernacle。''



I　thanked　him；　but　inwardly　I　was　aghast。　　What

had　I　said　to　give　him　such　an　impression？　　I　racked

my　brain；　but　could　recall　nothing　that　justified　it。　

I　passed　the　day　in　a　state　of　nervous　apprehension；

fully　expecting　some　frank　criticism　from　the　‘‘Gen…

tiles''　on　the　score　of　having　delivered　a　Mormon

sermon　to　ingratiate　myself　into　the　favor　of　the

Mormons　and　secure　their　votes　for　the　constitu…

tional　amendment。　　But　nothing　of　the　kind　was

said。　　That　evening；　after　the　sermon　to　the　‘‘Gen…

tiles；''　a　reception　was　given　to　our　party；　and　I

drew　my　first　deep　breath　when　the　wife　of　a　well…

known　clergyman　came　to　me　and　introduced　her…

self　in　these　words：



‘‘My　husband　could　not　come　here　to…night；　but

he　heard　your　sermon　this　morning。　　He　asked　me

to　tell　you　how　glad　he　was　that　under　such　unusual

conditions　you　held　so　firmly　to　the　teachings　of

Christ。''



The　next　day　I　was　still　more　reassured。　　A　re…

ception　was　given　us　at　the　home　of　one　of　Brigham

Young's　daughters；　and　the　receiving…line　was

graced　by　the　presiding　elder　of　the　Methodist

Episcopal　Church。　　He　was　a　bluff　and　jovial　gen…

tleman；　and　when　he　took　my　hand　he　said；　warmly；

‘‘Well；　Sister　Shaw；　you　certainly　gave　our　Mormon

friends　the　biggest　dose　of　Methodism　yesterday

that　they　ever　got　in　their　lives。''



After　this　experience　I　reminded　myself　again

that　what　Frances　Willard　so　frequently　said　is　true；

All　truth　is　our　truth　when　it　has　reached　our　hearts；

we　merely　rechristen　it　according　to　our　individual

creeds。



During　the　visit　I　had　an　interesting　conversation

with　a　number　of　the　younger　Mormon　women。　　I

was　to　leave　the　city　on　a　midnight　train；　and　about

twenty　of　them；　including　four　daughters　of　Brig…

ham　Young；　came　to　my　hotel　to　remain　with　me

until　it　was　time　to　go　to　the　station。　　They　filled

the　room；　sitting　around　in　school…girl　fashion　on　the

floor　and　even　on　the　bed。　　It　was　an　unusual　op…

portunity　to　learn　some　things　I　wished　to　know；　and

I　could　not　resist　it。



‘‘There　are　some　questions　I　would　like　to　ask

you；''　I　began；　‘‘and　one　or　two　of　them　may　seem

impertinent。　　But　they　won't　be　asked　in　that

spiritand　please　don't　answer　any　that　embarrass

you。''



They　exchanged　glances；　and　then　told　me　to

ask　as　many　questions　as　I　wished。



‘‘First　of　all；''　I　said；　‘‘I　would　like　to　know　the

real　attitude　toward　polygamy　of　the　present　gen…

eration　of　Mormon　women。　　Do　you　all　believe

in　it？''



They　assured　me　that　they　did。



‘‘How　many　of　you；''　I　then　asked；　‘‘are　polyga…

mous　wives？''



There　was　not　one　in　the　group。

‘‘But；''　I　insisted；　‘‘if　you　really　believe　in　polyg…

amy；　why　is　it　that　some　of　your　husbands　have

not　taken　more　than　one　wife？''



There　was　a　moment　of　silence；　while　each　woman

looked　around　as　if　waiting　for　another　to　answer。　

At　last　one　of　them　said；　slowly：



‘‘In　my　case；　I　alone　was　to　blame。　　For　years　I

could　not　force　myself　to　consent　to　my　husband's

taking　another　wife；　though　I　tried　hard。　　By　the

time　I　had　overcome　my　objection　the　law　was

passed　prohibiting　polygamy。''



A　second　member　of　the　group　hastened　to　tell

her　story。　　She　had　had　a　similar　spiritual　struggle；

and　just　as　she　reached　the　point　where　she　was

willing　to　have　her　husband　take　another　wife；　he

died。　　And　now　the　room　was　filled　with　eager

voices。　　Four　or　five　women　were　telling　at　once

that　they；　too；　had　been　reluctant　in　the　beginning；

and　that　when　they　had　reached　the　point　of　consent

this；　that；　or　another　cause　had　kept　the　husbands

from　marrying　again。　　They　were　all　so　passion…

ately　in　earnest　that　they　stared　at　me　in　puzzled

wonder　when　I　broke　into　the　sudden　laughter　I

could　not　restrain。



‘‘What　fortunate　women　you　all　were！''　I　ex…

claimed；　teasingly。　　‘‘Not　one　of　you　arrived　at　the

point　of　consenting　to　the　presence　of　a　second　wife

in　your　home　until　it　was　impossible　for　your　hus…

band　to　take　her。''



They　flushed　a　little　at　that；　and　then　laughed

with　me；　but　they　did　not　defend　themselves　against

the　tacit　charge；　and　I　turned　the　conversation　into

less　personal　channels。　　I　learned　that　many　of　the

Mormon　young　men　were　marrying　girls　outside　of

the　Church；　and　that　two　sons　of　a　leading　Mormon

elder　had　married　and　were　living　very　happily　with

Catholic　girls。



At　this　time　the　Mormon　candidate　for　Congress

（a　man　named　Roberts）　was　a　bitter　opponent　of

woman　suffrage。　　The　Mormon　women　begged　me

to　challenge　him　to　a　debate　on　the　subject；　which

I　did；　but　Mr。　Roberts　declined　the　challenge。　　The

ground　of　his　refusal；　which　he　made　public　through

the　newspapers；　was　chastening　to　my　spirit。　　He

explained　that　he　would　not　debate　with　me　because

he　was　not　willing　to　lower　himself　to　the　intellectual

plane　of　a　woman。





XIII



PRESIDENT　OF　‘‘THE　NATIONAL''



In　1900　Miss　Anthony；　then　over　eighty；　decided

that　she　must　resign　the　presidency　of　our　Nation…

al　Association；　and　the　question　of　the　successor　she

would　choose　became　an　important　one。　　It　was

conceded　that　there　were　only　two　candidates　in

her　mindMrs。　Carrie　Chapman　Catt　and　myself

and　for　several　months　we　gave　the　suffrage　world

the　unusual　spectacle　of　rivals　vigorously　pushing

each　other's　claims。　　Miss　Anthony　was　devoted

to　us　both；　and　I　think　the　choice　was　a　hard　one

for　her　to　make。　　On　the　one　hand；　I　had　been

vice…president　at　large　and　her　almost　constant

companion　for　twelve　years；　and　she　had　grown　ac…

customed　to　think　of　me　as　her　successor。　　On　the

other　hand；　Mrs。　Catt　had　been　chairman　of　the

organization　committee；　and　through　her　splendid

executive　ability　had　built　up　our　organization　in

many　states。　　From　Miss　Anthony　down；　we　all

recognized　her　steadily　growing　powers；　she　had；

moreover；　abundant　means；　which　I　had　not。



In　my　mind　there　was　no　question　of　her　superior

qualification　for　the　presidency。　　She　seemed　to　me

the　logical　and　indeed　the　only　possible　successor

to　Miss　Anthony；　and　I　told　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　so　with

all　the　eloquence　I　could　command；　while　simul…

taneously　Mrs。　Catt　was　pouring　into　Miss　Anthony's

other　ear　a　series　of　impassioned　tributes　to　me。　　It

was　an　unusual　situation　and　a　very　pleasant　one；

and　it　had　two　excellent　results：　it　simplified　‘‘Aunt

Susan