the story of a pioneer-第47部分

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In　Nevada　the　most　interesting　feature　of　the

campaign　was　the　splendid　work　of　the　women。　　In

each　of　the　little　towns　there　was　the　same　spirit

of　ceaseless　activity　and　determination。　　The　presi…

dent　of　the　State　Association；　Miss　Anne　Martin；

who　was　at　the　head　of　the　campaign　work；　accom…

panied　me　one　Sunday　when　we　drove　seventy　miles

in　a　motor　and　spoke　four　times；　and　she　was　also

my　companion　in　a　wonderful　journey　over　the

mountains。　　Miss　Martin　was　a　tireless　and　worthy

leader　of　the　fine　workers　in　her　state。



In　Missouri；　under　the　direction　of　Mrs。　Walter

McNabb　Miller；　and　in　Nebraska；　where　Mrs。　E。

Draper　Smith　was　managing　the　campaign；　we　had

some　inspiring　meetings。　　At　Lincoln　Mrs。　William

Jennings　Bryan　introduced　me　to　the　biggest　audi…

ence　of　the　year；　and　the　programme　took　on　a　special

interest　from　the　fact　that　it　included　Mrs。　Bryan's

debut　as　a　speaker　for　suffrage。　　She　is　a　tall　and

attractive　woman　with　an　extremely　pleasant　voice；

and　she　made　an　admirable　speechclear；　terse；　and

much　to　the　point；　putting　herself　on　record　as　a

strong　supporter　of　the　woman…suffrage　movement。　

There　was　also　an　amusing　aftermath　of　this　occa…

sion；　which　Secretary　Bryan　himself　confided　to　me

several　months　later　when　I　met　him　in　Atlantic

City。　　He　assured　me；　with　the　deep　sincerity　he

assumes　so　well；　that　for　five　nights　after　my　speech

in　Lincoln　his　wife　had　kept　him　awake　listening　to

her　report　of　itand　he　added；　solemnly；　that　he

now　knew　it　‘‘by　heart。''



A　less　pleasing　memory　of　Nebraska　is　that　I　lost

my　voice　there　and　my　activities　were　sadly　inter…

rupted。　　But　I　was　taken　to　the　home　of　Mr。　and

Mrs。　Francis　A。　Brogan；　of　Omaha；　and　supplied

with　a　trained　nurse；　a　throat　specialist；　and　such

care　and　comfort　that　I　really　enjoyed　the　enforced

restknowing；　too；　that　the　campaign　committee

was　carrying　on　our　work　with　great　enthusiasm。



In　Missouri　one　of　our　most　significant　meetings

was　in　Bowling　Green；　the　home　of　Champ　Clark；

Speaker　of　the　House。　　Mrs。　Clark　gave　a　reception；

made　a　speech；　and　introduced　me　at　the　meeting；

as　Mrs。　Bryan　had　done　in　Lincoln。　　She　is　one　of

the　brightest　memories　of　my　Missouri　experience；

for；　with　few　exceptions；　she　is　the　most　entertaining

woman　I　have　ever　met。　　Subsequently　we　had　an

all…day　motor　journey　together；　during　which　Mrs。

Clark　rarely　stopped　talking　and　I　even　more　rarely

stopped　laughing。







XV



CONVENTION　INCIDENTS



From　1887　to　1914　we　had　a　suffrage　convention

every　year；　and　I　attended　each　of　them。　　In　pre…

ceding　chapters　I　have　mentioned　various　convention

episodes　of　more　or　less　importance。　　Now；　looking

back　over　them　all　as　I　near　the　end　of　these　remi…

niscences；　I　recall　a　few　additional　incidents　which

had　a　bearing　on　later　events。

There　was；　for　example；　the　much…discussed　at…

tack　on　suffrage　during　the　Atlanta　convention　of

1895；　by　a　prominent　clergyman　of　that　city　whose

name　I　mercifully　withhold。　　On　the　Sunday　pre…

ceding　our　arrival　this　gentleman　preached　a　sermon

warning　every　one　to　keep　away　from　our　meetings；

as　our　effort　was　not　to　secure　the　franchise　for

women；　but　to　encourage　the　intermarriage　of　the

black　and　white　races。　　Incidentally　he　declared　that

the　suffragists　were　trying　to　break　up　the　homes

of　America　and　degrade　the　morals　of　women；　and

that　we　were　all　infidels　and　blasphemers。　　He　ended

with　a　personal　attack　on　me；　saying　that　on　the

previous　Sunday　I　had　preached　in　the　Epworth

Memorial　Methodist　Church　of　Cleveland；　Ohio；　a

sermon　which　was　of　so　blasphemous　a　nature　that

nothing　could　purify　the　church　after　it　except　to

burn　it　down。



As　usual　at　our　conventions；　I　had　been　announced

to　preach　the　sermon　at　our　Sunday　conference；　and

I　need　hardly　point　out　that　the　reverend　gentle…

man's　charge　created　a　deep　public　interest　in　this

effort。　　I　had　already　selected　a　text；　but　I　im…

mediately　changed　my　plans　and　announced　that

I　would　repeat　the　sermon　I　had　delivered　in　Cleve…

land　and　which　the　Atlanta　minister　considered　so

blasphemous。　　The　announcement　brought　out　an

audience　which　filled　the　Opera　House　and　called

for　a　squad　of　police　officers　to　keep　in　order　the

street　crowd　that　could　not　secure　entrance。　　The

assemblage　had　naturally　expected　that　I　would

make　some　reply　to　the　clergyman's　attack；　but　I

made　no　reference　whatever　to　him。　　I　merely　re…

peated；　with　emphasis；　the　sermon　I　had　delivered

in　Cleveland。



At　the　conclusion　of　the　service　one　of　the　trustees

of　my　reverend　critic's　church　came　and　apologized

for　his　pastor。　　He　had　a　high　regard　for　him；　the

trustee　said；　but　in　this　instance　there　could　be　no

doubt　in　the　mind　of　any　one　who　had　heard　both

sermons　that　of　the　two　mine　was　the　tolerant；　the

reverent；　and　the　Christian　one。　　The　attack　made

many　friends　for　us；　first　because　of　its　injustice；

and　next　because　of　the　good…humored　tolerance

with　which　the　suffragists　accepted　it。



The　Atlanta　convention；　by　the　way；　was　ar…

ranged　and　largely　financed　by　the　Misses　Howard

three　sisters　living　in　Columbus；　Georgia；　and　each

an　officer　of　the　Georgia　Woman　Suffrage　Association。　

It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that　in　many　of　our　Southern

states　the　suffrage　movement　has　been　led　by　three

sisters。　　In　Kentucky　the　three　Clay　sisters　were

for　many　years　leaders　in　the　work。　　In　Texas　the

three　Finnegan　sisters　did　splendid　work；　in　Loui…

siana　the　Gordon　sisters　were　our　stanchest　allies；

while　in　Virginia　we　had　the　invaluable　aid　of　Mary

Johnston；　the　novelist；　and　her　two　sisters。　　We

used　to　say；　laughingly；　if　there　was　a　failure　to

organize　any　state　in　the　South；　that　it　must　be　due

to　the　fact　that　no　family　there　had　three　sisters

to　start　the　movement。



From　the　Atlanta　convention　we　went　directly

to　Washington　to　attend　the　convention　of　the

National　Council　of　Women；　and　on　the　first　day

of　this　council　Frederick　Douglass　came　to　the　meet…

ing。　　Mr。　Douglass　had　a　special　place　in　the　hearts

of　suffragists；　for　the　reason　that　at　the　first　con…

vention　ever　held　for　woman　suffrage　in　the　United

States　（at　Seneca　Falls；　New　York）　he　was　the　only

person　present　who　stood　by　Elizabeth　Cady　Stan…

ton　when　she　presented　her　resolution　in　favor　of

votes　for　women。　　Even　Lucretia　Mott　was　startled

by　this　radical　step；　and　privately　breathed　into　the

ear　of　her　friend；　‘‘Elizabeth；　thee　is　making　us

ridiculous！''　　Frederick　Douglass；　however；　took　the

floor　in　defense　of　Mrs。　Stanton's　motion；　a　service

we　suffragists　never　forgot。



Therefore；　when　the　presiding　officer　of　the　council；

Mrs。　May　Wright　Sewall；　saw　Mr。　Douglass　enter　the

convention　hall　in　Washington　on　this　particular　morn…

ing；　she　appointed　Susan　B。　Anthony　and　me　a　com…

mittee　to　escort　him　to　a　seat　on　the　platform；　which

we　gladly　did。　　Mr。　Douglass　made　a　short　speech

and　then　left　the　building；　going　directly　to　his　home。　

There；　on　entering　his　hall；　he　had　an　attack　of　heart

failure　and　dropped　dead　as　he　was　removing　his

overcoat。　　His　death　cast　a　gloom　over　the　con…

vention；　and　his　funeral；　which　took　place　three

days　later；　was　attended　by　many　prominent　men

and　women　who　were　among　the　delegates。　　Miss

Anthony　and　I　were　invited　to　take　part　in　the

funeral　services；　and　she　made　a　short　address；

while　I　offered　a　prayer。



The　event　had　an　aftermath　in　Atlanta；　for　it

led　our　clerical　enemy　to　repeat　his　charges　against

us；　and　to　offer　the　funeral　of　Frederick　Douglass　as

proof　that　we　were　hand　in　glove　with　the　negro

race。



Under　the　gracious　direction　of　Miss　Kate　Gordon

and　the　Louisiana　Woman　Suffrage　Association；　we

held　an　especially　inspiring　convention　in　New

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　fro