the story of a pioneer-第54章

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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's''　problem　by　eliminating　the　element　of　per…

sonal　ambition；　and　it　led　to　her　eventual　choice

of　Mrs。　Catt　as　her　successor。



I　will　admit　here　for　the　first　time　that　in　urging

Mrs。　Catt's　fitness　for　the　office　I　made　the　greatest

sacrifice　of　my　life。　　My　highest　ambition　had　been

to　succeed　Miss　Anthony；　for　no　one　who　knew　her

as　I　did　could　underestimate　the　honor　of　being

chosen　by　her　to　carry　on　her　work。



At　the　convention　in　Washington　that　year　she

formally　refused　the　nomination　for　re…election；　as

we　had　all　expected；　and　then；　on　being　urged　to

choose　her　own　successor；　she　stepped　forward　to

do　so。　　It　was　a　difficult　hour；　for　her　fiery　soul　re…

sented　the　limitations　imposed　by　her　worn…out

body；　and　to　such　a　worker　the　most　poignant　ex…

perience　in　life　is　to　be　forced　to　lay　down　one's

work　at　the　command　of　old　age。　　On　this　she

touched　briefly；　but　in　a　trembling　voice；　and　then；

in　furtherance　of　the　understanding　between　the

three　of　us；　she　presented　the　name　of　Mrs。　Catt　to

the　convention　with　all　the　pride　and　hope　a　mother

could　feel　in　the　presentation　of　a　daughter。



Her　faith　was　fully　justified。　　Mrs。　Catt　made

an　admirable　president；　and　during　every　moment

of　the　four　years　she　held　the　office　she　had　Miss

Anthony's　whole…hearted　and　enthusiastic　support；

while　I；　too；　in　my　continued　office　of　vice…president；

did　my　utmost　to　help　her　in　every　way。　　In　1904；

however；　Mrs。　Catt　was　elected　president　of　the

International　Suffrage　Alliance；　as　I　have　mentioned

before；　and　that　same　year　she　resigned　the　presi…

dency　of　our　National　Association；　as　her　health

was　not　equal　to　the　strain　of　carrying　the　two

offices。



Miss　Anthony　immediately　urged　me　to　accept

the　presidency　of　the　National　Association；　which

I　was　now　most　unwilling　to　do；　I　had　lost　my

ambition　to　be　president；　and　there　were　other　rea…

sons；　into　which　I　need