The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-06-24

| both in the speaker and the nearer, Will
it requires no brains at all to march maud
lin through the streets shouting for Blain
or Harrison.
Here at Chicago there are more club
and societies than were visible at Minneap
oils, showing that in the Democratic part,
organization of the masses is perhaps NOR
depended upon than among the Republic
ans That most astute Republican leader
| Chairman Clarkson, of the national Repub
! lican committee, long ago perceived that thu
Democrats held an advantage in this partic
ular and at once began promoting the organ
ization of the league of Republican clubs
which is destined to play a prominent par
in the politics of the coming campaign an(
those which follow it, The Democrats, de
ternined to hold their advantage, have fol
two years past been engaged in perfectine
a similar organization within their ranks
and now | am told considerably more thar
a million of the 12,000 900 voters in the
country are enrolled in one or the other Of
these great party organizations.
At Chicago we see fewer women than al
Minneapolis. In the Republican national
convention the women were distinct fea'
ture There were no women delegates, but
Wyoming, as is well known, sent two
women alternates. These representatives
of the woman suffrage state attracted
much attention. Whenever the conven-
ton assembled the great crowd looked the
hall over and over till its eye rested upon
the fair alternates from Wyoming. To
my great regret the delegates from Wyom-
ing were always present in their seats.
Had | been one of the delegates from
Wyoming for whom woman stood as
alternate | should have found it conven-
lent to be absent from the hall during at
least one roll CALL so that my fair under
study might have had her name called out
and been given chance to respond thereto
before all that multitude and with the
eyes of the nation upon her. AS it was, the
women did not get an opportunity to
vote, and hence were compelled to go
Through the convention as too many
women are forced to go through life, play
ing the role of silent partners.
But the women were factors in the con-
vention after all, as they are factors in
pretty much everything that goes on in this
world nowadays Never before were SC
many women present in the hall of great
party convention. Among the spectators
in the galleries about one-third of all pres
CHU MSIC w OlliSL' III buS SOI VI OuC
West hotel, where the preliminary battles
were fought and where the excitement was
more fierce than in the convention hall it
self, women were present by the thousands.
They were in the thick of the fight, too,
thronging the headquarters, pinning the
badges of their favorites upon thousands
of manly breasts, and seeking to win by
smiles and soft words the favor of all with
with whom they came in contact.
Moreover, a small but determined band
of Indiana women were on hand working
a regular assignment in behalf of Presi-
dent Harrison Under instructions from
the presidents lieutenants on the ground
they took certain delegates in tow, and by
paying these possessors of votes those little
attentions which mean nothing and yet
which are so very agreeable contributed
not little to the frmness with which the
Harrison lines wthstood the assaults of
the enemy. There are delegates whose
loyalty to Harrison was suspected who
were taken out driving by pretty women
to the lake resorts which surround Mime
apolis, to little card parties at the homes
Of society people, and who don't know why
hey were thus honored. If they will jog
heir memories and perceptions and take
lint from me perhaps they will be able to
zee that they We're constantly surrounded
Turing these charming hours by Harrison
and that the women to whom
hey feel indebted for their pleasure were
n nearly every case neighbors and personal
riends Of the president This was legiti-
nate campaigning, and in some cases it
vas effective.
1t was woman, too, the wife of a well
.nown New York newspaper man, who
reated one of the most celebrated scenes
n the annals Of national conventions.
When Mrs Carson Lake. carried away by
er love for Mr.. Blaine and the excitement |
f the moment, stood upon her chair lust |
ack of the presiding officers platform |
nd waved her white parasol in delirium |
enthusiasm, the whole convention |
aught the cOntagion of her intrepid spirit, |
nd nearly lost its head in frenzied wave |
f feeling. For fifteen or twenty minutes
his pretty young woman had that great |
under her control She guided
nd directed them with that parasol as an
rchestral leader commands obedience
rom his musicians with his baton. When
nth the heat and fatigue her enthusiasm
rooped and he parasol swung with less
ming vigor, the storm in the hall subsidized
nd was about to die away all together,
hen the little woman with supreme eff
)rt, rose to a higher pitch than before,
I'd with both hands wildly swinging her
atom in an instant had the multitude re-
bonding in a burst of acclaim and motion
'hich filled the air with electric currents
nd stirred the hearts of the most common
lace and cold blooded. Had such an in
dent as this occurred in the convention
hich met at Chicago four years ago, the
ian in whose honor it was would have
cen nominated for the presidency, ard
len James G. Blaine, that fated leader,
ould havs been president after all
1t was woman, too let us remember,
no made Mr.. Blaine a candidate before
lis convention at Minneapolis. 1t is well
nown, as | have before pointed out in
lese letters, that but for the influence of
Lrs. Blaine the great statesman from
-aine would not have permitted his name
go before the convention. Mrs. Blaine
adj her reasons for exercising this strong
nd, as it proved dominating influence
pom her DISTINGUISHED husband, and as a
life who had shared his triumphs and his
il was her right TO rule
she could. She was brave enough TO be