the story of a pioneer-第55章

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ambition　to　be　president；　and　there　were　other　rea…

sons；　into　which　I　need　not　go　again；　why　I　felt　that

I　could　not　accept　the　post。　　At　last；　however；　Miss

Anthony　actually　commanded　me　to　take　the　place；

and　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　obey　her。　　She　was

then　eighty…four；　and；　as　it　proved；　within　two　years

of　her　death。　　It　was　no　time　for　me　to　rebel　against

her　wishes；　but　I　yielded　with　the　heaviest　heart

I　have　ever　carried；　and　after　my　election　to　the

presidency　at　the　national　convention　in　Washing…

ton　I　left　the　stage；　went　into　a　dark　corner　of　the

wings；　and　for　the　first　time　since　my　girlhood　‘‘cried

myself　sick。''



In　the　work　I　now　took　up　I　found　myself　much

alone。　　Mrs。　Catt　was　really　ill；　and　the　strength

of　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　must　be　saved　in　every　way。　

Neither　could　give　me　much　help；　though　each

did　all　she　should　have　done；　and　more。　　Mrs。

Catt；　whose　husband　had　recently　died；　was　in　a

deeply　despondent　frame　of　mind；　and　seemed　to

feel　that　the　future　was　hopelessly　dark。　　My　own

panacea　for　grief　is　work；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that

both　physically　and　mentally　she　would　be　helped

by　a　wise　combination　of　travel　and　effort。　　During

my　lifetime　I　have　cherished　two　ambitions；　and

only　two：　the　first；　as　I　have　already　confessed；

had　been　to　succeed　Miss　Anthony　as　president　of

our　association；　the　second　was　to　go　around　the

world；　carrying　the　woman…suffrage　ideal　to　every

country；　and　starting　in　each　a　suffrage　society。　

Long　before　the　inception　of　the　International　Suf…

frage　Alliance　I　had　dreamed　this　dream；　and；

though　it　had　receded　as　I　followed　it　through　life；

I　had　never　wholly　lost　sight　of　it。　　Now　I　realized

that　for　me　it　could　never　be　more　than　a　dream。　

I　could　never　hope　to　have　enough　money　at　my

disposal　to　carry　it　out；　and　it　occurred　to　me　that

if　Mrs。　Catt　undertook　it　as　president　of　the　Inter…

national　Suffrage　Alliance　the　results　would　be　of

the　greatest　benefit　to　the　Cause　and　to　her。



In　my　first　visit　to　her　after　her　husband's　death

I　suggested　this　plan；　but　she　replied　that　it　was

impossible　for　her　to　consider　it。　　I　did　not　lose

thought　of　it；　however；　and　at　the　next　International

Conference；　held　in　Copenhagen　in　1907；　I　suggested

to　some　of　the　delegates　that　we　introduce　the

matter　as　a　resolution；　asking　Mrs。　Catt　to　go

around　the　world　in　behalf　of　woman　suffrage。　　They

approved　the　suggestion　so　heartily　that　I　followed

it　up　with　a　speech　setting　forth　the　whole　plan　and

Mrs。　Catt's　peculiar　fitness　for　the　work。　　Several

months　later　Mrs。　Catt　and　Dr。　Aletta　Jacobs；　presi…

dent　of　the　Holland　Suffrage　Association；　started　on

their　world　tour；　and　not　until　after　they　had　gone

did　I　fully　realize　that　the　two　great　personal　am…

bitions　of　my　life　had　been　realized；　not　by　me；　but

by　another；　and　in　each　case　with　my　enthusiastic

co…operation。



In　1904；　following　my　election　to　the　presidency；

a　strong　appeal　came　from　the　Board　of　Managers

of　the　exposition　to　be　held　in　Portland；　Oregon；

urging　us　to　hold　our　next　annual　convention　there

during　the　exposition。　　It　was　the　first　time　an

important　body　of　men　had　recognized　us　in　this

manner；　and　we　gladly　responded。　　So　strong　a

political　factor　did　the　men　of　Oregon　recognize　us

to　be　that　every　political　party　in　the　state　asked

to　be　represented　on　our　platform；　and　one　entire

evening　of　the　convention　was　given　over　to　the

representatives　chosen　by　the　various　parties　to

indorse　the　suffrage　movement。　　Thus　we　began

in　Oregon　the　good　work　we　continued　in　1906；　and

of　which　we　reaped　the　harvest　in　1912。



Next　to　‘‘Suffrage　Night；''　the　most　interesting

feature　of　the　exposition　to　us　was　the　unveiling　of

the　statue　of　Saccawagea；　the　young　Indian　girl

who　led　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition　through　the

dangerous　passes　of　the　mountain　ranges　of　the

Northwest　until　they　reached　the　Pacific　coast。

This　statue；　presented　to　the　exposition　by　the

women　of　Oregon；　is　the　belated　tribute　of　the　state

to　its　most　dauntless　pioneer；　and　no　one　can　look

upon　the　noble　face　of　the　young　squaw；　whose　out…

stretched　hand　points　to　the　ocean；　without　marvel…

ing　over　the　ingratitude　of　the　nation　that　ignored

her　supreme　service。　　To　Saccawagea　is　due　the

opening　up　of　the　entire　western　country。　　There

was　no　one　to　guide　Lewis　and　Clark　except　this

Indian；　who　alone　knew　the　way；　and　she　led　the

whole　party；　carrying　her　papoose　on　her　back。　

She　was　only　sixteen；　but　she　brought　every　man

safely　through　an　experience　of　almost　unparalleled

hardship　and　danger；　nursing　them　in　sickness　and

setting　them　an　example　of　unfaltering　courage　and

endurance；　until　she　stood　at　last　on　the　Pacific

coast；　where　her　statue　stands　now；　pointing　to　the

wide　sweep　of　the　Columbia　River　as　it　flows　into

the　sea。



This　recognition　by　women　is　the　only　recognition

she　ever　received。　　Both　Lewis　and　Clark　were　sin…

cerely　grateful　to　her　and　warmly　recommended　her

to　the　government　for　reward；　but　the　government

allowed　her　absolutely　nothing；　though　each　man

in　the　party　she　had　led　was　given　a　large　tract　of

land。　　Tradition　says　that　she　was　bitterly　disap…

pointed；　as　well　she　might　have　been；　and　her　Indian

brain　must　have　been　sadly　puzzled。　　But　she　was

treated　little　worse　than　thousands　of　the　white

pioneer　women　who　have　followed　her；　and　standing：

there　to…day　on　the　bank　of　her　river；　she　still　seems

sorrowfully　reflective　over　the　strange　ways　of　the

nation　she　so　nobly　served。



The　Oregon　campaign　of　1906　was　the　carrying

out　of　one　of　Miss　Anthony's　dearest　wishes；　and　we

who　loved　her　set　about　this　work　soon　after　her

death。　　In　the　autumn　preceding　her　passing；　head…

quarters　had　been　established　in　Oregon；　and　Miss

Laura　Gregg　had　been　placed　in　charge；　with　Miss

Gale　Laughlin　as　her　associate。　　As　the　money　for

this　effort　was　raised　by　the　National　Association；

it　was　decided；　after　some　discussion；　to　let　the

National　Association　develop　the　work　in　Oregon；

which　was　admittedly　a　hard　state　to　carry　and　full

of　possible　difficulties　which　soon　became　actual

ones。



As　a　beginning；　the　Legislature　had　failed　to　sub…

mit　an　amendment；　but　as　the　initiative　and　referen…

dum　was　the　law　in　Oregon；　the　amendment　was　sub…

mitted　through　initiative　patent。　　The　task　of　se…

curing　the　necessary　signatures　was　not　an　easy　one；

but　at　last　a　sufficient　number　of　signatures　were

secured　and　verified；　and　the　authorities　issued　the

necessary　proclamation　for　the　vote；　which　was　to

take　place　at　a　special　election　held　on　the　5th　of

June。　　Our　campaign　work　had　been　carried　on　as

extensively　as　possible；　but　the　distances　were　great

and　the　workers　few；　and　as　a　result　of　the　strain

upon　her　Miss　Gregg's　health　soon　failed　alarm…

ingly。



All　this　was　happening　during　Miss　Anthony's

last　illness；　and　it　added　greatly　to　our　anxieties。



She　instructed　me　to　go　to　Oregon　immediately

after　her　death　and　to　take　her　sister　Mary　and

her　niece　Lucy　with　me；　and　we　followed　these

orders　within　a　week　of　her　funeral；　arriving　in

Portland　on　the　third　day　of　April。　　I　had　at…

tempted　too　much；　however；　and　I　proved　it　by

fainting　as　I　got　off　the　train；　to　the　horror　of

the　friendly　delegation　waiting　to　receive　us。　　The

Portland　women　took　very　tender　care　of　me；

and　in　a　few　days　I　was　ready　for　work；　but　we

found　conditions　even　worse　than　we　had　expected。　

Miss　Gregg　had　collapsed　utterly　and　was　unable

to　give　us　any　information　as　to　what　had　been　done

or　planned；　and　we　had　to　make　a　new　foundation。　

Miss　Laura　Clay；　who　had　been　in　the　Portland　work

for　a　few　weeks；　proved　a　tower　of　strength；　and　we

were　soon　aided　further　by　Ida　Porter　Boyer；　who

came　on　to　take　charge　of　the　publicity　department。　

During　the　final　six　weeks　of　the　ca