the story of a pioneer-第48部分

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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　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