the story of a pioneer-第48章

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exhibition　of　these　was　promptly　offered　them。



The　crowd　was　so　great　that　it　was　only　through

the　courtesy　of　Major　Pickler；　a　member　of　Con…

gress　and　a　devoted　believer　in　suffrage；　that　Miss

Anthony；　Mrs。　Catt；　and　the　rest　of　us　were　able　to

secure　passes　to　the　convention；　and　when　we

reached　the　hall　we　were　escorted　to　the　last　row　of

seats　on　the　crowded　platform。　　As　the　space　be…

tween　us　and　the　speakers　was　filled　by　rows　upon

rows　of　men；　as　well　as　by　the　band　and　their　in…

struments；　we　could　see　very　little　that　took　place。　

Some　of　our　friends　pointed　out　this　condition　to　the

local　committee　and　asked　that　we　be　given　seats

on　the　floor；　but　received　the　reply　that　there　was

‘‘absolutely　no　room　on　the　floor　except　for　dele…

gates　and　distinguished　visitors。''　Our　persistent

friends　then　suggested　that　at　least　a　front　seat

should　be　given　to　Miss　Anthony；　who　certainly

came　under　the　head　of　a　‘‘distinguished　visitor''；

but　this　was　not　doneprobably　because　a　large

number　of　the　best　seats　were　filled　by　Russian　la…

borers　wearing　badges　inscribed　‘‘Against　Woman

Suffrage　and　Susan　B。　Anthony。''　　We　remained；

perforce；　in　our　rear　seats；　finding　such　interest　as

we　could　in　the　back　view　of　hundreds　of　heads。



Just　before　the　convention　was　called　to　order　it

was　announced　that　a　delegation　of　influential　In…

dians　was　waiting　outside；　and　a　motion　to　invite

the　red　men　into　the　hall　was　made　and　carried　with

great　enthusiasm。　　A　committee　of　leading　citizens

was　appointed　to　act　as　escort；　and　these　gentlemen

filed　out；　returning　a　few　moments　later　with　a

party　of　Indian　warriors　in　full　war　regalia；　even

to　their　gay　blankets；　their　feathered　head…dresses；

and　their　paint。　　When　they　appeared　the　band

struck　up　a　stirring　march　of　welcome；　and　the　en…

tire　audience　cheered　while　the　Indians；　flanked　by

the　admiring　committee；　stalked　solemnly　down　the

aisle　and　were　given　seats　of　honor　directly　in　front

of　the　platform。



All　we　could　see　of　them　were　the　brilliant　feathers

of　their　war…bonnets；　but　we　got　the　full　effect　of

their　reception　in　the　music　and　the　cheers。　　I　dared

not　look　at　Miss　Anthony　during　this　remarkable

scene；　and　she；　craning　her　venerable　neck　to　get　a

glimpse　of　the　incident　from　her　obscure　corner；

made　no　comment　to　me；　but　I　knew　what　she　was

thinking。　　The　following　year　these　Indians　would

have　votes。　　Courtesy；　therefore；　must　be　shown

them。　　But　the　women　did　not　matter；　the　politi…

cians　reasoned；　for　even　if　they　were　enfranchised

they　would　never　support　the　element　represented

at　that　convention。　　It　was　not　surprising　that；

notwithstanding　our　hard　work；　we　did　not　win

the　state；　though　all　the　conditions　had　seemed

most　favorable；　for　the　state　was　new；　the　men

and　women　were　working　side　by　side　in　the　fields；

and　there　was　discontent　in　the　ranks　of　the　political

parties。



After　the　election；　when　we　analyzed　the　vote

county　by　county；　we　discovered　that　in　every　county

whose　residents　were　principally　Americans　the

amendment　was　carried；　whereas　in　all　counties

populated　largely　by　foreigners　it　was　lost。　　In　cer…

tain　countiesthose　inhabited　by　Russian　Jews

the　vote　was　almost　solidly　against　us；　and　this　not…

withstanding　the　fact　that　the　wives　of　these　Rus…

sian　voters　were　doing　a　man's　work　on　their　farms

in　addition　to　the　usual　women's　work　in　their

homes。　　The　fact　that　our　Cause　could　be　defeated

by　ignorant　laborers　newly　come　to　our　country　was

a　humiliating　one　to　accept；　and　we　realized　more

forcibly　than　ever　before　the　difficulty　of　the　task

we　had　assumeda　task　far　beyond　any　ever　under…

taken　by　a　body　of　men　in　the　history　of　democratic

government　throughout　the　world。　　We　not　only

had　to　bring　American　men　back　to　a　belief　in　the

fundamental　principles　of　republican　government；

but　we　had　also　to　educate　ignorant　immigrants；

as　well　as　our　own　Indians；　whose　degree　of　civiliza…

tion　was　indicated　by　their　war…paint　and　the

flaunting　feathers　of　their　head…dresses。



The　Kansas　campaign；　which　Miss　Anthony；　Mrs。

Catt；　Mrs。　Johns；　and　I　conducted　in　1894；　held　a

special　interest；　due　to　the　Populist　movement。　

There　were　so　many　problems　before　the　people

prohibition；　free　silver；　and　the　Populist　propaganda

that　we　found　ourselves　involved　in　the　bitterest

campaign　ever　fought　out　in　the　state。　　Our　desire；

of　course；　was　to　get　the　indorsement　of　the　differ…

ent　political　parties　and　religious　bodies；　We　suc…

ceeded　in　obtaining　that　of　three　out　of　four　of　the

Methodist　Episcopal　conferencesthe　Congrega…

tional；　the　Epworth　League；　and　the　Christian　En…

deavor　Leagueas　well　as　that　of　the　State　Teachers'

Association；　the　Woman's　Christian　Temperance

Union；　and　various　other　religious　and　philanthropic

societies。　　To　obtain　the　indorsement　of　the　polit…

ical　parties　was　much　more　difficult；　and　we　were

facing　conditions　in　which　partial　success　was　worse

than　complete　failure。　　It　had　long　been　an　un…

written　law　before　it　became　a　written　law　in　our

National　Association　that　we　must　not　take　partisan

action　or　line　up　with　any　one　political　party。　　It

was　highly　important；　therefore；　that　either　all

parties　should　support　us　or　that　none　should。



The　Populist　convention　was　held　in　Topeka　be…

fore　either　the　Democratic　or　Republican　convention；

and　after　two　days　of　vigorous　fighting；　led　by　Mrs。

Anna　Diggs　and　other　prominent　Populist　women；

a　suffrage　plank　was　added　to　the　platform。　　The

Populist　party　invited　me；　as　a　minister；　to　open

the　convention　with　prayer。　　This　was　an　innova…

tion；　and　served　as　a　wedge　for　the　admission　of

women　representatives　of　the　Suffrage　Association

to　address　the　convention。　　We　all　did　so；　Miss

Anthony　speaking　first；　Mrs。　Catt　second；　and　I

last；　after　which；　for　the　first　time　in　history；　the

Doxology　was　sung　at　a　political　convention。



At　the　Democratic　convention　we　made　the　same

appeal；　and　were　refused。　　Instead　of　indorsing　us；

the　Democrats　put　an　anti…suffrage　plank　in　their

platformbut　this；　as　the　party　had　little　standing

in　Kansas；　probably　did　us　more　good　than　harm。　

Trouble　came　thick　and　fast；　however；　when　the

Republicans；　the　dominant　party　in　the　state；　held

their　convention；　and　a　mighty　struggle　began　over

the　admission　of　a　suffrage　plank。　　There　was　a

Woman's　Republican　Club　in　Kansas；　which　held

its　convention　in　Topeka　at　the　same　time　the

Republicans　were　holding　theirs。　　There　was　also

a　Mrs。　Judith　Ellen　Foster；　who；　by　stirring　up　op…

position　in　this　Republican　Club　against　the　in…

sertion　of　a　suffrage　plank；　caused　a　serious　split　in

the　convention。　　Miss　Anthony；　Mrs。　Catt；　and　I；

of　course；　urged　the　Republican　women　to　stand　by

their　sex；　and　to　give　their　support　to　the　Republi…

cans　only　on　condition　that　the　latter　added　suffrage

to　their　platform。　　At　no　time；　and　in　no　field　of

work；　have　I　ever　seen　a　more　bitter　conflict　in　prog…

ress　than　that　which　raged　for　two　days　during　this

Republican　women's　convention。　　Liquor…dealers；

joint…keepers；　‘‘boot…leggers；''　and　all　the　lawless

element　of　Kansas　swung　into　line　at　a　special　con…

vention　held　under　the　auspices　of　the　Liquor

League　of　Kansas　City；　and　cast　their　united　weight

against　suffrage　by　threatening　to　deny　their　votes

to　any　candidate　or　political　party　favoring　our

Cause。　　The　Republican　women's　convention　finally

adjourned　with　nothing　accomplished　except　the

passing　of　a　resolution　mildly　requesting　the　Re…

publican　party　to　indorse　woman　suffrage。　　The

result　was；　of　course；　that　it　was　not　indorsed　by

the　Republican　convention；　and　that　it　was　defeated

at　the　following　election。



It　was　at　the　time　of　these　campaigns　that　I　was

elected　Vice…President　of　the　National　Association

and　Lecturer　at　Large；　and　the　latter　off