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the story of a pioneer-第51部分

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with the results we had achieved。



‘‘It goes to you with my love;'' she wrote; ‘‘and

my earnest hopes for further successnot the least

of this a crowning of your faithful; earnest; splendid

work for our beloved Cause。  How blessed it is that

you are our president and leader!''



I had talked to this woman only twice in my life;

and I had not seen her for years when her first check

came; so her confidence in me was an even greater

gift than her royal donation toward our Cause。







XIV



RECENT CAMPAIGNS



The interval between the winning of Idaho and

Utah in 1896 and that of Washington in 1910

seemed very long to lovers of the Cause。  We were

working as hard as everharder; indeed; for the

opposition against us was growing stronger as our

opponents realized what triumphant woman suf…

frage would mean to the underworld; the grafters;

and the whited sepulchers in public office。  But in

1910 we were cheered by our Washington victory;

followed the next year by the winning of California。 

Then; with our splendid banner year of 1912 came

the winning of three statesArizona; Kansas; and

Oregonpreceded by a campaign so full of vim and

interest that it must have its brief chronicle here。



To begin; we conducted in 1912 the largest num…

ber of campaigns we had ever undertaken; working

in six states in which constitutional amendments

were pendingOhio; Michigan; Wisconsin; Oregon;

Arizona; and Kansas。  Personally; I began my work

in Ohio in August; with the modest aspiration of

speaking in each of the principal towns in every one

of these states。  In Michigan I had the invaluable

assistance of Mrs。 Lawrence Lewis; of Philadelphia;

and I visited at this time the region of my old home;

greatly changed since the days of my girlhood; and

talked to the old friends and neighbors who had

turned out in force to welcome me。  They showed

their further interest in the most satisfactory way;

by carrying the amendment in their part of the

state。



At least four and five speeches a day were expected;

and as usual we traveled in every sort of conveyance;

from freight…cars to eighty horse…power French auto…

mobiles。  In Eau Clair; Wisconsin; I spoke at the

races immediately after the passing of a procession

of cattle。  At the end of the procession rode a wom…

an in an ox…cart; to represent pioneer days。  She

wore a calico gown and a sunbonnet; and drove her

ox…team with genuine skill; and the last touch to

the picture she made was furnished by the presence

of a beautiful biplane which whirred lightly in the

air above her。  The obvious comparison was too

good to ignore; so I told my hearers that their women

to…day were still riding in ox…teams while the men

soared in the air; and that women's work in the

world's service could be properly done only when

they too were allowed to fly。



In Oregon we were joined by Miss Lucy Anthony。 

There; at Pendleton; I spoke during the great

‘‘round up;'' holding the meeting at night on the

street; in which thousands of horsemencowboys;

Indians; and ranchmenwere riding up and down;

blowing horns; shouting; and singing。  It seemed

impossible to interest an audience under such con…

ditions; but evidently the men liked variety; for

when we began to speak they quieted down and

closed around us until we had an audience that filled

the streets in every direction and as far as our voices

could reach。  Never have we had more courteous or

enthusiastic listeners than those wild and happy

horsemen。  Best of all; they not only cheered our

sentiments; but they followed up their cheers with

their votes。  I spoke from an automobile; and when

I had finished one of the cowboys rode close to me

and asked for my New York address。  ‘‘You will

hear from me later;'' he said; when he had made a

note of it。  In time I received a great linen banner;

on which he had made a superb pen…and…ink sketch

of himself and his horse; and in every corner sketches

of scenes in the different states where women voted;

together with drawings of all the details of cowboy

equipment。  Over these were drawn the words:



        WOMAN SUFFRAGEWE ARE ALL FOR IT。



The banner hangs to…day in the National Head…

quarters。



In California Mr。 Edwards presented me with the

money to purchase the diamond in Miss Anthony's

flag pin representing the victory of his state the

preceding year; and in Arizona one of the high…

lights of the campaign was the splendid effort of

Mrs。 Frances Munds; the state president; and Mrs。

Alice Park; of Palo Alto; California; who were carry…

ing on the work in their headquarters with tre…

mendous courage; and; as it seemed to me; almost

unaided。  Mrs。 Park's specialty was the distribu…

tion of suffrage literature; which she circulated with

remarkable judgment。  The Governor of Arizona

was in favor of our Cause; but there were so few

active workers available that to me; at least; the

winning of the state was a happy surprise。



In Kansas we stole some of the prestige of Champ

Clark; who was making political speeches in the

same region。  At one station a brass…band and a

great gathering were waiting for Mr。 Clark's train

just as our train drew in; so the local suffragists per…

suaded the band to play for us; too; and I made a

speech to the inspiring accompaniment of ‘‘Hail to

the Chief。''  The passengers on our train were great…

ly impressed; thinking it was all for us; the crowd

at the station were glad to be amused until the great

man came; and I was glad of the opportunity to

talk to so many representative menso we were

all happy。



In the Soldiers' Home at Leavenworth I told the

old men of the days when my father and brothers

left us in the wilderness; and my mother and I cared

for the home while they fought at the frontand

I have always believed that much of the large vote

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 
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