The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-09

man suffrage crusade. Once I got put
into Jail while battling for it in New
| York, and was fined 500 and costs by "a
| justice of the United States supreme
court. My friend Mrs. Minor had a sim
liar experience in St Louis. During
| those days people who did not know me
| thought was a witch with horns. That
| has all passed now and / am accorded
nearly the same privileges as men in my
country. The first quarter century of
my career was a stormy one-sO tempcs-
tuous, in fact. that l have often asked
myself how have managed TO retain
that equable temperament and sweet
disposition with which God has
| endowed womanhood. did it
| through philosophy. When 1 started on
this career l realized that the task 1 had
assumed was a stupendous one, and I
trained my mind to cool, philosophical
reflection. I have been profound stu
dent of sociology, and what I have ac-
complished has been done by patient
and persistent effort which few men
could sustain.
81 have had but one object before me
all my life. As soon as my mind began
to unfold | saw the injustice of the sys-
tenn which deprives woman Of The matt
ural rights of the human being. 1 did
not shrink from this like other women
| consecrated myself to the work of re
forming this system. | have lived to see
what few reformers have been spared to
enjoy--a realization in lar e part of the
reformation which / inaugurated I eN-
pect to live to see -still fuller Iealiza-
tion.
BY tho Ballot Only.
"Of course, the ballot is the only meuus
by which woman can hope TO acquire her
full rights. Give her Lhis weapon and
she VIII fight her own battles. And she
won't be tyrant, either. l know the
two stock arguments of the enemy
against my reform is the tyrannical and
emotional nature of women. No gteater
-.
mother tyrant? Does the widow. sud
denly bereft and left with housetul of
children, without means of support, give
way to her tears and let her offspring
starve? There is no use to discuss Llese
eccentriclties attributed to wOmanhoOL
They are ISLANDERS, and that's all thore is
to them"
"But won't the ballot have a tendency
to unsex woman?" the reporter ventured
to inquire.
"Nonsense!' exclaimed M.N, Anthony
''That's another stock argument of the
enemy. 1t will only intensity the in
stinct of sex. Every woman has her
ideal man-one whom she loves for
loves sake. As now oppressed, few wo-
men can afford to wait to meet their
ideal, or their approximate. They are
forced into marriage by the necessity Of
getting somebody to support them. Lib
crate them, make them feel Independent
and self-res pecting, and they viii marry
only the men they love-
As to Breckinridge.
F'What do you think of the Pollard
Breckenridge yerdict?"
"Gloriousi" cried Miss Anthony. II
had never hoped for anything better than
a hung jury The result of that trial
shows the drift Of public thought more
clearly than has been shown oy any
occurrence of the century. Even ten
years ago such verdict would have
been impossible. 1t illustrates the prog
ress made by our crusade in the past
decade. Here is the spectacle Of rep
resentative American jury giving YER
dict to woman who had reached the
age Of consent, and when, at the time of
submission, she knew perfectly we'll that
the man could not right the wrong by
marrying her, because he had wife. 1t
speaks palmer than any words L might
utter. 1t means that we are fast
coming to one standard of conduct
alike for men and women. 1t
means that the chastity of the
male must be as unquestioned as
the chastity of the female The press
of the country reflected public opinion
during the progress of that trial as 10
never did before. Not a newspaper in
all this broad land tried to defend Breck-
inridge by quoting that trite and icis-
neyed old excuse, The woman tempted
him."
"What sort of wife does the woman
suffragist maker" the reporter inquired,
in an effort to change the discussion to
another phase of the topic.
sThe finest in the world" came the
answer quick and positive. "Take for
instance, the wife of Senator Warren of
Wyoming. She is one of the most charm
ing women at Washington, is a leader in
society at the capital, and is acknOwi-
edged by everybody as one of the most
wifely wives imaginable. And yet but
for the fact that her husband is in the
senate, Mrs. Warren would have accept
ed the nomination for governor of Wyo-
ming at the last election"
Four new cases of measles were re-
ported to the city health department this