第 46 节
作者:痛罚      更新:2024-04-07 11:54      字数:9322
  friend who finally found the place for me had begun
  his quest with the pessimistic remark that I would
  better wait for it until I got to Paradise; but two
  years later he telegraphed me that he had discovered
  it on this planet; and he was right。  I have only
  eight acres of land; but no one could ask a more ideal
  site for a cottage; and on the place is my beloved
  forest; including a grove of three hundred firs。
  From every country I have visited I have brought
  back a tiny tree for this little forest; and now it
  is as full of memories as of beauty。
  To the surprise of my neighbors; I built my house
  with its back toward the public road; facing the
  valley and the stream。  ‘‘But you will never see
  anybody go by;'' they protested。  I answered that
  the one person in the house who was necessarily in…
  terested in passers…by was my maid; and she could see
  them perfectly from the kitchen; which faced the
  road。  I enjoy my views from the broad veranda
  that overlooks the valley; the stream; and the
  country for miles around。
  Every suffragist I have ever met has been a
  lover of home; and only the conviction that she is
  fighting for her home; her children; for other women;
  or for all of these; has sustained her in her public
  work。  Looking back on many campaign experi…
  ences; I am forced to admit that it is not always the
  privations we endure which make us think most
  tenderly of home。  Often we are more overcome
  by the attentions of well…meaning friends。  As an
  example of this I recall an incident of one Oregon
  campaign。  I was to speak in a small city in the
  southern part of the state; and on reaching the
  station; hot; tired; and covered with the grime
  of a midsummer journey; I found awaiting me a
  delegation of citizens; a brass…band; and a white
  carriage drawn by a pair of beautiful white horses。
  In this carriage; and devotedly escorted by the citi…
  zens and the band; the latter playing its hardest; I
  was driven to the City Hall and there met by the
  mayor; who delivered an address; after which I was
  crowned with a laurel wreath。  Subsequently; with
  this wreath still resting upon my perspiring brow; I
  was again driven through the streets of the city;
  and if ever a woman felt that her place was in the
  home and longed to be in her place; I felt it that day。
  An almost equally trying occasion had San Fran…
  cisco for its setting。  The city had arranged a Fourth
  of July celebration; at which Miss Anthony and I
  were to speak。  Here we rode in a carriage deco…
  rated with flowersyellow roseswhile just in front
  of us was the mayor in a carriage gorgeously fes…
  tooned with purple blossoms。  Behind us; for more
  than a mile; stretched a procession of uniformed
  policemen; soldiers; and citizens; while the sidewalks
  were lined with men and women whose enthusiastic
  greetings came to Miss Anthony from every side。
  She was enchanted over the whole experience; for
  to her it meant; as always; not a personal tribute;
  but a triumph of the Cause。  But I sat by her side
  acutely miserable; for across my shoulders and
  breast had been draped a huge sash with the word
  ‘‘Orator'' emblazoned on it; and this was further
  embellished by a striking rosette with streamers
  which hung nearly to the bottom of my gown。  It
  is almost unnecessary to add that this remarkable
  decoration was furnished by a committee of men; and
  was also worn by all the men speakers of the day。
  Possibly I was overheated by the sash; or by the
  emotions the sash aroused in me; for I was stricken
  with pneumonia the following day and experienced
  my first serious illness; from which; however; I soon
  recovered。
  On our way to California in 1895 Miss Anthony
  and I spent a day at Cheyenne; Wyoming; as the
  guests of Senator and Mrs。 Carey; who gave a dinner
  for us。  At the table I asked Senator Carey what he
  considered the best result of the enfranchisement of
  Wyoming women; and even after the lapse of twenty
  years I am able to give his reply almost word for
  word; for it impressed me deeply at the time and I
  have since quoted it again and again。
  ‘‘There have been many good results;'' he said;
  ‘‘but the one I consider above all the others is the
  great change for the better in the character of our
  candidates for office。  Consider this for a moment:
  Since our women have voted there has never been
  an embezzlement of public funds; or a scandalous
  misuse of public funds; or a disgraceful condition of
  graft。  I attribute the better character of our public
  officials almost entirely to the votes of the women。''
  ‘‘Those are inspiring facts;'' I conceded; ‘‘but
  let us be just。  There are three men in Wyoming
  to every woman; and no candidate for office could
  be elected unless the men voted for him; too。  Why;
  then; don't they deserve as much credit for his
  election as the women?''
  ‘‘Because;'' explained Senator Carey; promptly;
  ‘‘women are politically an uncertain factor。  We
  can go among men and learn beforehand how they
  are going to vote; but we can't do that with women;
  they keep us guessing。  In the old days; when we
  went into the caucus we knew what resolutions put
  into our platforms would win the votes of the ranch…
  men; what would win the miners; what would win
  the men of different nationalities; but we did not
  know how to win the votes of the women until we
  began to nominate our candidates。  Then we im…
  mediately discovered that if the Democrats nomi…
  nated a man of immoral character for office; the
  women voted for his Republican opponent; and we
  learned our first big lessonthat whatever a candi…
  date's other qualifications for office may be; he must
  first of all have a clean record。  In the old days;
  when we nominated a candidate we asked; ‘Can he
  hold the saloon vote?'  Now we ask; ‘Can he hold
  the women's vote?'  Instead of bidding down to
  the saloon; we bid up to the home。''
  Following the dinner there was a large public
  meeting; at which Miss Anthony and I were to speak。
  Mrs。 Jenkins; who was president of the Suffrage
  Association of the state; presided and introduced us
  to the assemblage。  Then she added:  ‘‘I have intro…
  duced you ladies to your audience。  Now I would
  like to introduce your audience to you。''  She be…
  gan with the two Senators and the member of Con…
  gress; then introduced the Governor; the Lieutenant…
  Governor; the state Superintendent of Education;
  and numerous city and state officials。  As she went
  on Miss Anthony grew more and more excited; and
  when the introductions were over; she said:  ‘‘This is
  the first time I have ever seen an audience assembled
  for woman suffrage made up of the public officials
  of a state。  No one can ever persuade me now that
  men respect women without political power as much
  as they respect women who have it; for certainly
  in no other state in the Union would it be possible
  to gather so many public officials under one roof to
  listen to the addresses of women。''
  The following spring we again went West; with
  Mrs。 Catt; Lucy Anthony; Miss Hay and Miss
  Sweet; her secretary; to carry on the Pacific coast
  campaign of '96; arranged by Mrs。 Cooper and her
  daughter Harriet; of Oaklandboth women of re…
  markable executive ability。  Headquarters were se…
  cured in San Francisco; and Miss Hay was put in
  charge; associated with a large group of California
  women。  It was the second time in the history of
  campaignsthe first being in New Yorkthat all
  the money to carry on the work was raised by the
  people of the state。
  The last days of the campaign were extremely
  interesting; and one of their important events was
  that the Hon。 Thomas Reed; then Speaker of the
  House of Representatives; for the first time came
  out publicly for suffrage。  Mr。 Reed had often ex…
  pressed himself privately as in favor of the Cause
  but he had never made a public statement for us。
  At Oakland; one day; the indefatigable and irresisti…
  ble ‘‘Aunt Susan'' caught him off his guard by per…
  suading his daughter; Kitty Reed; who was his idol;
  to ask him to say just one word in favor of our
  amendment。  When he arose we did not know
  whether he had promised what she asked; and as
  his speech progressed our hearts sank lower and
  lower; for all he said was remote from our Cause。
  But he ended with these words:
  ‘‘There is an amendment of the constitution
  pending; granting suffrage to women。  The women
  of California ought to have suffrage。  The men of
  California ought to give it to themand the next
  speaker; Dr。 Shaw; will tell you why。''
  The word was spoken。  And though it was not a
  very strong word; it came from a strong man; and
  therefore helped us。
  Election day; as usual; brought its surprises and
  revelations。  Mrs。 Cooper asked her Chinese cook
  how the Chinese were votingi。 e。; the native…born
  Chinamen who were entitled to voteand he re…
  plied; blit