the story of a pioneer-第59章

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man's　charge　created　a　deep　public　interest　in　this

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

mediately　changed　my　plans　and　announced　that

I　would　repeat　the　sermon　I　had　delivered　in　Cleve…

land　and　which　the　Atlanta　minister　considered　so

blasphemous。　　The　announcement　brought　out　an

audience　which　filled　the　Opera　House　and　called

for　a　squad　of　police　officers　to　keep　in　order　the

street　crowd　that　could　not　secure　entrance。　　The

assemblage　had　naturally　expected　that　I　would

make　some　reply　to　the　clergyman's　attack；　but　I

made　no　reference　whatever　to　him。　　I　merely　re…

peated；　with　emphasis；　the　sermon　I　had　delivered

in　Cleveland。



At　the　conclusion　of　the　service　one　of　the　trustees

of　my　reverend　critic's　church　came　and　apologized

for　his　pastor。　　He　had　a　high　regard　for　him；　the

trustee　said；　but　in　this　instance　there　could　be　no

doubt　in　the　mind　of　any　one　who　had　heard　both

sermons　that　of　the　two　mine　was　the　tolerant；　the

reverent；　and　the　Christian　one。　　The　attack　made

many　friends　for　us；　first　because　of　its　injustice；

and　next　because　of　the　good…humored　tolerance

with　which　the　suffragists　accepted　it。



The　Atlanta　convention；　by　the　way；　was　ar…

ranged　and　largely　financed　by　the　Misses　Howard

three　sisters　living　in　Columbus；　Georgia；　and　each

an　officer　of　the　Georgia　Woman　Suffrage　Association。　

It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that　in　many　of　our　Southern

states　the　suffrage　movement　has　been　led　by　three

sisters。　　In　Kentucky　the　three　Clay　sisters　were

for　many　years　leaders　in　the　work。　　In　Texas　the

three　Finnegan　sisters　did　splendid　work；　in　Loui…

siana　the　Gordon　sisters　were　our　stanchest　allies；

while　in　Virginia　we　had　the　invaluable　aid　of　Mary

Johnston；　the　novelist；　and　her　two　sisters。　　We

used　to　say；　laughingly；　if　there　was　a　failure　to

organize　any　state　in　the　South；　that　it　must　be　due

to　the　fact　that　no　family　there　had　three　sisters

to　start　the　movement。



From　the　Atlanta　convention　we　went　directly

to　Washington　to　attend　the　convention　of　the

National　Council　of　Women；　and　on　the　first　day

of　this　council　Frederick　Douglass　came　to　the　meet…

ing。　　Mr。　Douglass　had　a　special　place　in　the　hearts

of　suffragists；　for　the　reason　that　at　the　first　con…

vention　ever　held　for　woman　suffrage　in　the　United

States　（at　Seneca　Falls；　New　York）　he　was　the　only

person　present　who　stood　by　Elizabeth　Cady　Stan…

ton　when　she　presented　her　resolution　in　favor　of

votes　for　women。　　Even　Lucretia　Mott　was　startled

by　this　radical　step；　and　privately　breathed　into　the

ear　of　her　friend；　‘‘Elizabeth；　thee　is　making　us

ridiculous！''　　Frederick　Douglass；　however；　took　the

floor　in　defense　of　Mrs。　Stanton's　motion；　a　service

we　suffragists　never　forgot。



Therefore；　when　the　presiding　officer　of　the　council；

Mrs。　May　Wright　Sewall；　saw　Mr。　Douglass　enter　the

convention　hall　in　Washington　on　this　particular　morn…

ing；　she　appointed　Susan　B。　Anthony　and　me　a　com…

mittee　to　escort　him　to　a　seat　on　the　platform；　which

we　gladly　did。　　Mr。　Douglass　made　a　short　speech

and　then　left　the　building；　going　directly　to　his　home。　

There；　on　entering　his　hall；　he　had　an　attack　of　heart

failure　and　dropped　dead　as　he　was　removing　his

overcoat。　　His　death　cast　a　gloom　over　the　con…

vention；　and　his　funeral；　which　took　place　three

days　later；　was　attended　by　many　prominent　men

and　women　who　were　among　the　delegates。　　Miss

Anthony　and　I　were　invited　to　take　part　in　the

funeral　services；　and　she　made　a　short　address；

while　I　offered　a　prayer。



The　event　had　an　aftermath　in　Atlanta；　for　it

led　our　clerical　enemy　to　repeat　his　charges　against

us；　and　to　offer　the　funeral　of　Frederick　Douglass　as

proof　that　we　were　hand　in　glove　with　the　negro

race。



Under　the　gracious　direction　of　Miss　Kate　Gordon

and　the　Louisiana　Woman　Suffrage　Association；　we

held　an　especially　inspiring　convention　in　New

Orleans　in　1903。　　In　no　previous　convention　were

arrangements　more　perfect；　and　certainly　nowhere

else　did　the　men　of　a　community　co…operate　more　gen…

erously　with　the　women　in　entertaining　us。　　A　club

of　men　paid　the　rent　of　our　hall；　chartered　a　steam…

boat　and　gave　us　a　ride　on　the　Mississippi；　and　in

many　other　ways　helped　to　make　the　occasion　a　suc…

cess。　　Miss　Gordon；　who　was　chairman　of　the

programme　committee；　introduced　the　innovation　of

putting　me　before　the　audience　for　twenty　minutes

every　evening；　at　the　close　of　the　regular　session；

as　a　target　for　questions。　　Those　present　were

privileged　to　ask　any　questions　they　pleased；　and　I

answered　themif　I　could。



We　were　all　conscious　of　the　dangers　attending

a　discussion　of　the　negro　question；　and　it　was　under…

stood　among　the　Northern　women　that　we　must

take　every　precaution　to　avoid　being　led　into　such

discussion。　　It　had　not　been　easy　to　persuade　Miss

Anthony　of　the　wisdom　of　this　course；　her　way　was

to　face　issues　squarely　and　out　in　the　open。　　But

she　agreed　that　we　must　respect　the　convictions　of

the　Southern　men　and　women　who　were　entertain…

ing　us　so　hospitably。



On　the　opening　night；　as　I　took　my　place　to　answer

questions；　almost　the　first　slip　passed　up　bore　these

words：





What　is　your　purpose　in　bringing　your　convention　to　the

South？　　Is　it　the　desire　of　suffragists　to　force　upon　us　the

social　equality　of　black　and　white　women？　　Political　equality

lays　the　foundation　for　social　equality。　　If　you　give　the　ballot

to　women；　won't　you　make　the　black　and　white　woman　equal

politically　and　therefore　lay　the　foundation　for　a　future　claim

of　social　equality？





I　laid　the　paper　on　one　side　and　did　not　answer

the　question。　　The　second　night　it　came　to　me

again；　put　in　the　same　words；　and　again　I　ignored

it。　　The　third　night　it　came　with　this　addition：



Evidently　you　do　not　dare　to　answer　this　question。　　There…

fore　our　conclusion　is　that　this　is　your　purpose。





When　I　had　read　this　I　went　to　the　front　of　the

platform。



‘‘Here；''　I　said；　‘‘is　a　question　which　has　been

asked　me　on　three　successive　nights。　　I　have　not

answered　it　because　we　Northern　women　had　de…

cided　not　to　enter　into　any　discussion　of　the　race

question。　　But　now　I　am　told　by　the　writer　of　this

note　that　we　dare　not　answer　it。　　I　wish　to　say　that

we　dare　to　answer　it　if　you　dare　to　have　it　answered

and　I　leave　it　to　you　to　decide　whether　I　shall

answer　it　or　not。''



I　read　the　question　aloud。　　Then　the　audience

called　for　the　answer；　and　I　gave　it　in　these　words；

quoted　as　accurately　as　I　can　remember　them：



‘‘If　political　equality　is　the　basis　of　social　equality；

and　if　by　granting　political　equality　you　lay　the

foundation　for　a　claim　of　social　equality；　I　can　only

answer　that　you　have　already　laid　that　claim。　　You

did　not　wait　for　woman　suffrage；　but　disfranchised

both　your　black　and　your　white　women；　thus　making

them　politically　equal。　　But　you　have　done　more

than　that。　　You　have　put　the　ballot　into　the　hands

of　your　black　men；　thus　making　them　the　political

superiors　of　your　white　women。　　Never　before　in　the

history　of　the　world　have　men　made　former　slaves

the　political　masters　of　their　former　mistresses！''



The　point　went　home　and　it　went　deep。　　I　drove

it　in　a　little　further。



‘‘The　women　of　the　South　are　not　alone；''　I　said；

‘‘in　their　humiliation。　　All　the　women　of　America

share　it　with　them。　　There　is　no　other　nation　in　the

world　in　which　women　hold　the　position　of　political

degradation　our　American　women　hold　to…day。　

German　women　are　governed　by　German　men；

French　women　are　governed　by　French　men。　　But

in　these　United　States　American　women　are　gov…

erned　by　every　race　of　men　under　the　light　of　the

sun。　　There　is　not　a　color　from　white　to　black；　from

red　to　yellow；　there　is　not　a　nation　from　pole　to

pole；　that　does　not　send　its　contingent　to　govern

American　women。　　If　American