the story of a pioneer-第58章

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we　received　at　Leavenworth　was　cast　by　those　old

soldiers。



No　one　who　knows　the　conditions　doubts　that　we

really　won　Michigan　that　year　as　well　as　the　three

other　states；　but　strange　things　were　done　in　the

count。　　For　example；　in　one　precinct　in　Detroit

forty　more　votes　were　counted　against　our　amend…

ment　than　there　were　voters　in　the　district。　　In

other　districts　there　were　seven　or　eight　more　votes

than　voters。　　Under　these　conditions　it　is　not　sur…

prising　that；　after　the　vigorous　recounting　following

the　first　wide…spread　reports　of　our　success；　Michi…

gan　was　declared　lost　to　us。



The　campaign　of　1914；　in　which　we　won　Montana

and　Nevada；　deserves　special　mention　here。　　I　must

express　also　my　regret　that　as　this　book　will　be　on

the　presses　before　the　campaign　of　1915　is　ended；　I

cannot　include　in　these　reminiscences　the　results

of　our　work　in　New　York　and　other　states。



As　a　beginning　of　the　1914　campaign　I　spent　a　day

in　Chicago；　on　the　way　to　South　Dakota；　to　take　my

part　in　a　moving…picture　suffrage　play。　　It　was　my

first　experience　as　an　actress；　and　I　found　it　a　taxing

one。　　As　a　modest　beginning　I　was　ordered　to　make

a　speech　in　thirty…three　secondssomething　of　a

task；　as　my　usual　time　allowance　for　a　speech　is　one

hour。　　The　manager　assured　me；　however；　that　a

speech　of　thirty…three　seconds　made　twenty…seven

feet　of　filmenough；　he　thought；　to　convert　even　a

lieutenant…governor！



The　Dakota　campaigns；　as　usual；　resolved　them…

selves　largely　into　feats　of　physical　endurance；　in

which　I　was　inspired　by　the　fine　example　of　the　state

presidentsMrs。　John　Pyle　of　South　Dakota　and

Mrs。　Clara　V。　Darrow　of　North　Dakota。　　Every　day

we　made　speeches　from　the　rear　platform　of　the

trains　on　which　we　were　travelingsometimes　only

two　or　three；　sometimes　half　a　dozen。　　One　day　I

rode　one　hundred　miles　in　an　automobile　and　spoke

in　five　different　towns。　　Another　day　I　had　to　make

a　journey　in　a　freight…car。　　It　was；　with　a　few　ex…

ceptions；　the　roughest　traveling　I　had　yet　known；

and　it　took　me　six　hours　to　reach　my　destination。　

While　I　was　gathering　up　hair…pins　and　pulling　my…

self　together　to　leave　the　car　at　the　end　of　the　ride

I　asked　the　conductor　how　far　we　had　traveled。



‘‘Forty　miles；''　said　he；　tersely。



‘‘That　means　forty　miles　AHEAD；''　I　murmured。　

‘‘How　far　up　and　down？''



‘‘Oh；　a　hundred　miles　up　and　down；''　grinned　the

conductor；　and　the　exchange　of　persiflage　cheered

us　both。



Though　we　did　not　win；　I　have　very　pleasant

memories　of　North　Dakota；　for　Mrs。　Darrow　ac…

companied　me　during　the　entire　campaign；　and　took

every　burden　from　my　shoulders　so　efficiently　that

I　had　nothing　to　do　but　make　speeches。



In　Montana　our　most　interesting　day　was　that

of　the　State　Fair；　which　ended　with　a　suffrage　parade

that　I　was　invited　to　lead。　　On　this　occasion　the

suffragists　wished　me　to　wear　my　cap　and　gown　and

my　doctor's　hood；　but　as　I　had　not　brought　those

garments　with　me；　we　borrowed　and　I　proudly　wore

the　cap　and　gown　of　the　Unitarian　minister。　　It　was

a　small　but　really　beautiful　parade；　and　all　the　cos…

tumes　for　it　were　designed　by　the　state　president；

Miss　Jeannette　Rankin；　to　whose　fine　work；　by　the

way；　combined　with　the　work　of　her　friends；　the

winning　of　Montana　was　largely　due。



In　Butte　the　big　strike　was　on；　and　the　town　was

under　martial　law。　　A　large　banquet　was　given　us

there；　and　when　we　drove　up　to　the　club…house

where　this　festivity　was　to　be　held　we　were　stopped

by　two　armed　guards　who　confronted　us　with　stern

faces　and　fixed　bayonets。　　The　situation　seemed　so

absurd　that　I　burst　into　happy　laughter；　and　thus

deeply　offended　the　earnest　young　guards　who　were

grasping　the　fixed　bayonets。　　This　sad　memory　was

wiped　out；　however；　by　the　interest　of　the　banquet

a　very　delightful　affair；　attended　by　the　mayor　of

Butte　and　other　local　dignitaries。



In　Nevada　the　most　interesting　feature　of　the

campaign　was　the　splendid　work　of　the　women。　　In

each　of　the　little　towns　there　was　the　same　spirit

of　ceaseless　activity　and　determination。　　The　presi…

dent　of　the　State　Association；　Miss　Anne　Martin；

who　was　at　the　head　of　the　campaign　work；　accom…

panied　me　one　Sunday　when　we　drove　seventy　miles

in　a　motor　and　spoke　four　times；　and　she　was　also

my　companion　in　a　wonderful　journey　over　the

mountains。　　Miss　Martin　was　a　tireless　and　worthy

leader　of　the　fine　workers　in　her　state。



In　Missouri；　under　the　direction　of　Mrs。　Walter

McNabb　Miller；　and　in　Nebraska；　where　Mrs。　E。

Draper　Smith　was　managing　the　campaign；　we　had

some　inspiring　meetings。　　At　Lincoln　Mrs。　William

Jennings　Bryan　introduced　me　to　the　biggest　audi…

ence　of　the　year；　and　the　programme　took　on　a　special

interest　from　the　fact　that　it　included　Mrs。　Bryan's

debut　as　a　speaker　for　suffrage。　　She　is　a　tall　and

attractive　woman　with　an　extremely　pleasant　voice；

and　she　made　an　admirable　speechclear；　terse；　and

much　to　the　point；　putting　herself　on　record　as　a

strong　supporter　of　the　woman…suffrage　movement。　

There　was　also　an　amusing　aftermath　of　this　occa…

sion；　which　Secretary　Bryan　himself　confided　to　me

several　months　later　when　I　met　him　in　Atlantic

City。　　He　assured　me；　with　the　deep　sincerity　he

assumes　so　well；　that　for　five　nights　after　my　speech

in　Lincoln　his　wife　had　kept　him　awake　listening　to

her　report　of　itand　he　added；　solemnly；　that　he

now　knew　it　‘‘by　heart。''



A　less　pleasing　memory　of　Nebraska　is　that　I　lost

my　voice　there　and　my　activities　were　sadly　inter…

rupted。　　But　I　was　taken　to　the　home　of　Mr。　and

Mrs。　Francis　A。　Brogan；　of　Omaha；　and　supplied

with　a　trained　nurse；　a　throat　specialist；　and　such

care　and　comfort　that　I　really　enjoyed　the　enforced

restknowing；　too；　that　the　campaign　committee

was　carrying　on　our　work　with　great　enthusiasm。



In　Missouri　one　of　our　most　significant　meetings

was　in　Bowling　Green；　the　home　of　Champ　Clark；

Speaker　of　the　House。　　Mrs。　Clark　gave　a　reception；

made　a　speech；　and　introduced　me　at　the　meeting；

as　Mrs。　Bryan　had　done　in　Lincoln。　　She　is　one　of

the　brightest　memories　of　my　Missouri　experience；

for；　with　few　exceptions；　she　is　the　most　entertaining

woman　I　have　ever　met。　　Subsequently　we　had　an

all…day　motor　journey　together；　during　which　Mrs。

Clark　rarely　stopped　talking　and　I　even　more　rarely

stopped　laughing。







XV



CONVENTION　INCIDENTS



From　1887　to　1914　we　had　a　suffrage　convention

every　year；　and　I　attended　each　of　them。　　In　pre…

ceding　chapters　I　have　mentioned　various　convention

episodes　of　more　or　less　importance。　　Now；　looking

back　over　them　all　as　I　near　the　end　of　these　remi…

niscences；　I　recall　a　few　additional　incidents　which

had　a　bearing　on　later　events。

There　was；　for　example；　the　much…discussed　at…

tack　on　suffrage　during　the　Atlanta　convention　of

1895；　by　a　prominent　clergyman　of　that　city　whose

name　I　mercifully　withhold。　　On　the　Sunday　pre…

ceding　our　arrival　this　gentleman　preached　a　sermon

warning　every　one　to　keep　away　from　our　meetings；

as　our　effort　was　not　to　secure　the　franchise　for

women；　but　to　encourage　the　intermarriage　of　the

black　and　white　races。　　Incidentally　he　declared　that

the　suffragists　were　trying　to　break　up　the　homes

of　America　and　degrade　the　morals　of　women；　and

that　we　were　all　infidels　and　blasphemers。　　He　ended

with　a　personal　attack　on　me；　saying　that　on　the

previous　Sunday　I　had　preached　in　the　Epworth

Memorial　Methodist　Church　of　Cleveland；　Ohio；　a

sermon　which　was　of　so　blasphemous　a　nature　that

nothing　could　purify　the　church　after　it　except　to

burn　it　down。



As　usual　at　our　conventions；　I　had　been　announced

to　preach　the　sermon　at　our　Sunday　conference；　and

I　need　hardly　point　out　that　the　reverend　gentle…

man's　charge　created　a　deep　public　interest　in　this

effort。　　I　had　already　selected　a　text；　but　I　im…