the story of a pioneer-第56章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



came　on　to　take　charge　of　the　publicity　department。　

During　the　final　six　weeks　of　the　campaign　Alice

Stone　Blackwell；　of　Boston；　was　also　with　us；　while

Kate　Gordon　took　under　her　special　charge　the　or…

ganization　of　the　city　of　Portland　and　the　parlor…

meeting　work。　　Miss　Clay　went　into　the　state；　where

Emma　Smith　DeVoe　and　other　speakers　were　also

working；　and　I　spent　my　time　between　the　office

headquarters　and　‘‘the　road；''　often　working　at　my

desk　until　it　was　time　to　rush　off　and　take　a　train

for　some　town　where　I　was　to　hold　a　night　meeting。　

Miss　Mary　and　Miss　Lucy　Anthony　confined　them…

selves　to　office…work　in　the　Portland　headquarters；

where　they　gave　us　very　valuable　assistance。　　I

have　always　believed　that　we　would　have　carried

Oregon　that　year　if　the　disaster　of　the　California

earthquake　had　not　occurred　to　divert　the　minds　of

Western　men　from　interest　in　anything　save　that

great　catastrophe。



On　election　day　it　seemed　as　if　the　heavens　had

opened　to　pour　floods　upon　us。　　Never　before　or

since　have　I　seen　such　incessant；　relentless　rain。　

Nevertheless；　the　women　of　Portland　turned　out

in　force；　led　by　Mrs。　Sarah　Evans；　president　of　the

Oregon　State　Federation　of　Women's　Clubs；　while

all　day　long　Dr。　Pohl　took　me　in　her　automobile

from　one　polling…place　to　another。　　At　each　we　found

representative　women　patiently　enduring　the　drench…

ing　rain　while　they　tried　to　persuade　men　to　vote　for

us。　　We　distributed　sandwiches；　courage；　and　in…

spiration　among　them；　and　tried　to　cheer　in　the　same

way　the　women　watchers；　whose　appointment　we

had　secured　that　year　for　the　first　time。　　Two　women

had　been　admitted　to　every　polling…placebut　the

way　in　which　we　had　been　able　to　secure　their　pres…

ence　throws　a　high…light　on　the　difficulties　we　were

meeting。　　We　had　to　persuade　men　candidates　to

select　these　women　as　watchers；　and　the　only　men

who　allowed　themselves　to　be　persuaded　were　those

running　on　minority　tickets　and　hopeless　of　election

the　prohibitionists；　the　socialists；　and　the　candi…

dates　of　the　labor　party。



The　result　of　the　election　taught　us　several　things。　

We　had　been　told　that　all　the　prohibitionists　and

socialists　would　vote　for　us。　　Instead；　we　discovered

that　the　percentage　of　votes　for　woman　suffrage　was

about　the　same　in　every　party；　and　that　whenever

the　voter　had　cast　a　straight　vote；　without　inde…

pendence　enough　to　‘‘scratch''　his　ticket；　that　vote

was　usually　against　us。　　On　the　other　hand；　when

the　ticket　was　‘‘scratched''　the　vote　was　usually　in

our　favor；　whatever　political　party　the　man　be…

longed　to。



Another　interesting　discovery　was　that　the　early

morning　vote　was　favorable　to　our　Cause　the　vote

cast　by　working…men　on　their　way　to　their　employ…

ment。　　During　the　middle　of　the　forenoon　and　after…

noon；　when　the　idle　class　was　at　the　polls；　the　vote

ran　against　us。　　The　late　vote；　cast　as　men　were

returning　from　their　work；　was　again　largely　in　our

favorand　we　drew　some　conclusions　from　this。



Also；　for　the　first　time　in　the　history　of　any　cam…

paign；　the　anti…suffragists　had　organized　against　us。　

Portland　held　a　small　body　of　women　with　anti…

suffrage　sentiments；　and　there　were　others　in　the

state　who　formed　themselves　into　an　anti…suffrage

society　and　carried　on　a　more　or　less　active　warfare。　

In　this　campaign；　for　the　first　time；　obscene　cards

directed　against　the　suffragists　were　circulated　at

the　polls；　and　while　I　certainly　do　not　accuse　the

Oregon　anti…suffragists　of　circulating　them；　it　is　a

fact　that　the　cards　were　distributed　as　coming　from

the　anti…suffragistsundoubtedly　by　some　vicious

element　among　the　men　which　had　its　own　good　rea…

son　for　opposing　us。　　The　‘‘antis''　also　suffered　in

this　campaign　from　the　‘‘pernicious　activity''　of

their　spokesmana　lawyer　with　an　unenviable

reputation。　　After　the　campaign　was　over　this　man

declared　that　it　had　cost　the　opponents　of　our

measure　300；000。



In　1907　Mrs。　O。　H。　P。　Belmont　began　to　show　an

interest　in　suffrage　work；　and　through　the　influence

of　several　leaders　in　the　movement；　notably　that　of

Mrs。　Ida　Husted　Harper；　she　decided　to　assist　in

the　establishment　of　national　headquarters　in　the

State　of　New　York。　　For　a　long　time　the　associa…

tion's　headquarters　had　been　in　Warren；　Ohio；　the

home　of　Mrs。　Harriet　Taylor　Upton；　then　national

treasurer；　and　it　was　felt　that　their　removal　to　a

larger　city　would　have　a　great　influence　in　develop…

ing　the　work。　　In　1909　Mrs。　Belmont　attended　as

a　delegate　the　meeting　of　the　International　Suffrage

Alliance　in　London；　and　her　interest　in　the　Cause

deepened。　　She　became　convinced　that　the　head…

quarters　of　the　association　should　be　in　New　York

City；　and　at　our　Seattle　convention　that　same　year

I　presented　to　the　delegates　her　generous　offer　to

pay　the　rent　and　maintain　a　press　department　for

two　years；　on　condition　that　our　national　head…

quarters　were　established　in　New　York。



This　proposition　was　most　gratefully　accepted；

and　we　promptly　secured　headquarters　in　one　of

the　most　desirable　buildings　on　Fifth　Avenue。　　The

wisdom　of　the　change　was　demonstrated　at　once　by

the　extraordinary　growth　of　the　work。　　During　our

last　year　in　Warren；　for　example；　the　proceeds　from

the　sale　of　our　literature　were　between　1；200　and

1；300。　　During　the　first　year　in　New　York　our

returns　from　such　sales　were　between　13；000　and

14；000；　and　an　equal　growth　was　evident　in　our

other　departments。



At　the　end　of　two　years　Mrs。　Belmont　ceased　to

support　the　press　department　or　to　pay　the　rent；

but　her　timely　aid　had　put　us　on　our　feet；　and　we

were　able　to　continue　our　splendid　progress　and　to

meet　our　expenses。



The　special　event　of　1908　was　the　successful　com…

pletion　of　the　fund　President　M。　Carey　Thomas　of

Bryn　Mawr　and　Miss　Mary　Garrett　had　promised　in

1906　to　raise　for　the　Cause。　　For　some　time　after　Miss

Anthony's　death　nothing　more　was　said　of　this；　but

I　knew　those　two　indefatigable　friends　were　not　idle；

and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　had　died　in　the　blessed　conviction

that　their　success　was　certain。　　In　1907　I　received　a

letter　from　Miss　Thomas　telling　me　that　the　project

was　progressing；　and　later　she　sent　an　outline　of

her　plan；　which　was　to　ask　a　certain　number　of

wealthy　persons　to　give　five　hundred　dollars　a　year

each　for　a　term　of　years。　　In　all；　a　fund　of　60；000

was　to　be　raised；　of　which　we　were　to　have　12；000

a　year　for　five　years；　4；500　of　the　12；000　was　to

be　paid　in　salaries　to　three　active　officers；　and　the

remaining　7；500　was　to　go　toward　the　work　of　the

association。　　The　entire　fund　was　to　be　raised　by

May　1；　1908；　she　added；　or　the　plan　would　be

dropped。



I　was　on　a　lecture　tour　in　Ohio　in　April；　1908；

when　one　night；　as　I　was　starting　for　the　hall　where

the　lecture　was　to　be　given；　my　telephone　bell　rang。　

‘‘Long　distance　wants　you；''　the　operator　said；　and

the　next　minute　a　voice　I　recognized　as　that　of　Miss

Thomas　was　offering　congratulations。　　‘‘The　last

dollar　of　the　60；000；''　she　added；　‘‘was　pledged　at

four　o'clock　this　afternoon。''



I　was　so　overcome　by　the　news　that　I　dropped　the

receiver　and　shook　in　a　violent　nervous　attack；

and　this　trembling　continued　throughout　my　lecture。　

It　had　not　seemed　possible　that　such　a　burden　could

be　lifted　from　my　shoulders；　7；500　a　year　would

greatly　aid　our　work；　and　4；500　a　year；　even　though

divided　among　three　officers；　would　be　a　most　wel…

come　help　to　each。　　As　subsequently　arranged；

the　salaries　did　not　come　to　us　through　the　National

Association　treasury；　they　were　paid　directly　by

Miss　Thomas　and　Miss　Garrett　as　custodians　of　the

fund。　　So　it　is　quite　correct　to　say　that　no　salaries

have　ever　been　paid　by　the　National　Association　to

its　officers。



Three　years　later；　in　1911；　another　glorious　sur…

prise　came　to　me　in　a　very　innocent…looking　letter。　

I