the story of a pioneer-第52章

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to　her　it　meant；　as　always；　not　a　personal　tribute；

but　a　triumph　of　the　Cause。　　But　I　sat　by　her　side

acutely　miserable；　for　across　my　shoulders　and

breast　had　been　draped　a　huge　sash　with　the　word

‘‘Orator''　emblazoned　on　it；　and　this　was　further

embellished　by　a　striking　rosette　with　streamers

which　hung　nearly　to　the　bottom　of　my　gown。　　It

is　almost　unnecessary　to　add　that　this　remarkable

decoration　was　furnished　by　a　committee　of　men；　and

was　also　worn　by　all　the　men　speakers　of　the　day。　

Possibly　I　was　overheated　by　the　sash；　or　by　the

emotions　the　sash　aroused　in　me；　for　I　was　stricken

with　pneumonia　the　following　day　and　experienced

my　first　serious　illness；　from　which；　however；　I　soon

recovered。



On　our　way　to　California　in　1895　Miss　Anthony

and　I　spent　a　day　at　Cheyenne；　Wyoming；　as　the

guests　of　Senator　and　Mrs。　Carey；　who　gave　a　dinner

for　us。　　At　the　table　I　asked　Senator　Carey　what　he

considered　the　best　result　of　the　enfranchisement　of

Wyoming　women；　and　even　after　the　lapse　of　twenty

years　I　am　able　to　give　his　reply　almost　word　for

word；　for　it　impressed　me　deeply　at　the　time　and　I

have　since　quoted　it　again　and　again。



‘‘There　have　been　many　good　results；''　he　said；

‘‘but　the　one　I　consider　above　all　the　others　is　the

great　change　for　the　better　in　the　character　of　our

candidates　for　office。　　Consider　this　for　a　moment：　

Since　our　women　have　voted　there　has　never　been

an　embezzlement　of　public　funds；　or　a　scandalous

misuse　of　public　funds；　or　a　disgraceful　condition　of

graft。　　I　attribute　the　better　character　of　our　public

officials　almost　entirely　to　the　votes　of　the　women。''



‘‘Those　are　inspiring　facts；''　I　conceded；　‘‘but

let　us　be　just。　　There　are　three　men　in　Wyoming

to　every　woman；　and　no　candidate　for　office　could

be　elected　unless　the　men　voted　for　him；　too。　　Why；

then；　don't　they　deserve　as　much　credit　for　his

election　as　the　women？''



‘‘Because；''　explained　Senator　Carey；　promptly；

‘‘women　are　politically　an　uncertain　factor。　　We

can　go　among　men　and　learn　beforehand　how　they

are　going　to　vote；　but　we　can't　do　that　with　women；

they　keep　us　guessing。　　In　the　old　days；　when　we

went　into　the　caucus　we　knew　what　resolutions　put

into　our　platforms　would　win　the　votes　of　the　ranch…

men；　what　would　win　the　miners；　what　would　win

the　men　of　different　nationalities；　but　we　did　not

know　how　to　win　the　votes　of　the　women　until　we

began　to　nominate　our　candidates。　　Then　we　im…

mediately　discovered　that　if　the　Democrats　nomi…

nated　a　man　of　immoral　character　for　office；　the

women　voted　for　his　Republican　opponent；　and　we

learned　our　first　big　lessonthat　whatever　a　candi…

date's　other　qualifications　for　office　may　be；　he　must

first　of　all　have　a　clean　record。　　In　the　old　days；

when　we　nominated　a　candidate　we　asked；　‘Can　he

hold　the　saloon　vote？'　　Now　we　ask；　‘Can　he　hold

the　women's　vote？'　　Instead　of　bidding　down　to

the　saloon；　we　bid　up　to　the　home。''



Following　the　dinner　there　was　a　large　public

meeting；　at　which　Miss　Anthony　and　I　were　to　speak。　

Mrs。　Jenkins；　who　was　president　of　the　Suffrage

Association　of　the　state；　presided　and　introduced　us

to　the　assemblage。　　Then　she　added：　　‘‘I　have　intro…

duced　you　ladies　to　your　audience。　　Now　I　would

like　to　introduce　your　audience　to　you。''　　She　be…

gan　with　the　two　Senators　and　the　member　of　Con…

gress；　then　introduced　the　Governor；　the　Lieutenant…

Governor；　the　state　Superintendent　of　Education；

and　numerous　city　and　state　officials。　　As　she　went

on　Miss　Anthony　grew　more　and　more　excited；　and

when　the　introductions　were　over；　she　said：　　‘‘This　is

the　first　time　I　have　ever　seen　an　audience　assembled

for　woman　suffrage　made　up　of　the　public　officials

of　a　state。　　No　one　can　ever　persuade　me　now　that

men　respect　women　without　political　power　as　much

as　they　respect　women　who　have　it；　for　certainly

in　no　other　state　in　the　Union　would　it　be　possible

to　gather　so　many　public　officials　under　one　roof　to

listen　to　the　addresses　of　women。''



The　following　spring　we　again　went　West；　with

Mrs。　Catt；　Lucy　Anthony；　Miss　Hay　and　Miss

Sweet；　her　secretary；　to　carry　on　the　Pacific　coast

campaign　of　'96；　arranged　by　Mrs。　Cooper　and　her

daughter　Harriet；　of　Oaklandboth　women　of　re…

markable　executive　ability。　　Headquarters　were　se…

cured　in　San　Francisco；　and　Miss　Hay　was　put　in

charge；　associated　with　a　large　group　of　California

women。　　It　was　the　second　time　in　the　history　of

campaignsthe　first　being　in　New　Yorkthat　all

the　money　to　carry　on　the　work　was　raised　by　the

people　of　the　state。



The　last　days　of　the　campaign　were　extremely

interesting；　and　one　of　their　important　events　was

that　the　Hon。　Thomas　Reed；　then　Speaker　of　the

House　of　Representatives；　for　the　first　time　came

out　publicly　for　suffrage。　　Mr。　Reed　had　often　ex…

pressed　himself　privately　as　in　favor　of　the　Cause

but　he　had　never　made　a　public　statement　for　us。　

At　Oakland；　one　day；　the　indefatigable　and　irresisti…

ble　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　caught　him　off　his　guard　by　per…

suading　his　daughter；　Kitty　Reed；　who　was　his　idol；

to　ask　him　to　say　just　one　word　in　favor　of　our

amendment。　　When　he　arose　we　did　not　know

whether　he　had　promised　what　she　asked；　and　as

his　speech　progressed　our　hearts　sank　lower　and

lower；　for　all　he　said　was　remote　from　our　Cause。　

But　he　ended　with　these　words：



‘‘There　is　an　amendment　of　the　constitution

pending；　granting　suffrage　to　women。　　The　women

of　California　ought　to　have　suffrage。　　The　men　of

California　ought　to　give　it　to　themand　the　next

speaker；　Dr。　Shaw；　will　tell　you　why。''



The　word　was　spoken。　　And　though　it　was　not　a

very　strong　word；　it　came　from　a　strong　man；　and

therefore　helped　us。



Election　day；　as　usual；　brought　its　surprises　and

revelations。　　Mrs。　Cooper　asked　her　Chinese　cook

how　the　Chinese　were　votingi。　e。；　the　native…born

Chinamen　who　were　entitled　to　voteand　he　re…

plied；　blithely；　‘‘All　Chinamen　vote　for　Billy　McKee

and　‘NO'　to　women！''　　It　is　an　interesting　fact　that

every　Chinese　vote　was　cast　against　us。



All　day　we　went　from　one　to　another　of　the　polling…

places；　and　I　shall　always　remember　the　picture　of

Miss　Anthony　and　the　wife　of　Senator　Sargent　wan…

dering　around　the　polls　arm　in　arm　at　eleven　o'clock

at　night；　their　tired　faces　taking　on　lines　of　deeper

depression　with　every　minute；　for　the　count　was

against　us。　　However；　we　made　a　fairly　good　show…

ing。　　When　the　final　counts　came　in　we　found　that

we　had　won　the　state　from　the　north　down　to　Oak…

land；　and　from　the　south　up　to　San　Francisco；　but

there　was　not　a　sufficient　majority　to　overcome　the

adverse　votes　of　San　Francisco　and　Oakland。　　With

more　than　230；000　votes　cast；　we　were　defeated　by

only　10；000　majority。　　In　San　Francisco　the　saloon

element　and　the　most　aristocratic　section　of　the

city　made　an　equal　showing　against　us；　while　the

section　occupied　by　the　middle　working…class　was

largely　in　favor　of　our　amendment。　　I　dwell　es…

pecially　on　this　campaign；　partly　because　such　splen…

did　work　was　done　by　the　women　of　California；　and

also　because；　during　the　same　election；　Utah　and

Idaho　granted　full　suffrage　to　women。　　This　gave

us　four　suffrage　statesWyoming；　Colorado；　Utah；

and　Idahoand　we　prepared　for　future　struggles

with　very　hopeful　hearts。



It　was　during　this　California　campaign；　by　the

way；　that　I　unwittingly　caused　much　embarrass…

ment　to　a　worthy　young　man。　　At　a　mass…meeting

held　in　San　Francisco；　Rabbi　Vorsanger；　who　was　not

in　favor　of　suffrage　for　women；　advanced　the　heart…

ening　theory　that　in　a　thousand　years　more　they

might　possibly　be　ready　for　it。　　After　a　thousand

years　of　education　for　women；　of　physically　de…

veloped　women；　of　uncorseted　women；　he　said；　we

might　have　the　ideal　woman；　and　could　then　begin

to　talk　about　freedom　for　her。



When　the　rabbi　sat　down　there　was