The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-15

Gently or thoughtle6sly posted lot or
letters in the official envelopes OF the
Weman's Suffrage Association of Amer
ica- On these were printed our princi-
pie: No just government can be
formed without the consent of the gov
erned-" The German officials saw these
revolutionary documents with eonster-
nation, carefully held them for discus
sion and consideration, and after tho
consumption of large quantities of red
tape returned them to me with the sug-
gestion that such envelopes were con-
trary to law / found out afterward
that IL I had not been . guest OF
the United States legation I should
have been arrested as socialist, or an
archist or nihilist or disorderly charac-
ter.
Another great change which comes
home to me with ever increasing force
Is the attitude Of my own sex in mat
tiers not only OF suffrage, but OF all
great public questions. Long ago it
lwassan insignificant minority who be-
slowed any attention upon such sab
jects, while to-day believe that ma
jority of American women hold that
position. There WAS no organization
and no women's clubs, and very few
opportunities for women getting
higher education, much less profess
sional training To-day they are organ
lied IN every part of the continents
there are women's clubs, attractive, in
tellectual, cultured and upright, IN
every city and hundred universities
turn out not only sweet girl graduates,
but also scholarly and well equipped
The divulgence of these facts has been
one of the happiest features of my
work and travel in the past ten years.
During that period ] have been In
many states and territories, and
every have seen the same forces
at work and the same condition of az
fairs coming into being. The people OF
the east, who pride themselves upon
the Harvard annex; OF the middle
states, who glory in Barnard, Bryn
Mawr and Vassar, need not suppose
that they monopolize all of these good
things. In Michigan and Illinois, 10
Iowa and Colorado, in Wyoming and
California there are similar institu-
tons turning out hundreds. Of alum
nae; there are hundreds of clubs where
women meet, exchange ideas and keep
themselves informed upon the question |
Of the day; there are hundreds and
thousands of organizations intended TO
improve, assist, reward, reform or pun |
ish, as the case may be. / find the
same culture among the women OF the
prairies, the mining cities and the great
lake ports, as in the old municipalities
OF New England, and realize that the
age is sweeping onward to higher
moral and intellectual and social con-
dition.
While It is true that women have only
secured full suffrage in two states, they
have secured partial OF local suffrage
10 more than ten thousand commune
ties, including towns and villages, and
IN nearly every instance have discharged
their duties IN respect to the exercise
Of the ballot with purity and
which have won the es-
TEEN of all witnessing their action
They have already been candidates,
have passed the ordeal Of the ballot
box and occupied elective positions as
high IS mayor, state attorney OF state
Ind superintendent of state instruc-
ion. Thus far none of them have fol-
owed in the footsteps of man and
yielded to temptations, and hope they
never will. In communities where they
10 not vote they are organized and ex-
srt palpable, tangible influence upon
parties and upon candidature. What
With their political study, clubs, their
leagues, their social purity
their Christian Temper
lnce unions, the day is soon at hand
When no party can afford to put up
nan whose name is synonymous with
dissipation, with immortality, with Inn
or with the base side of human
nature. This Is largely the result Of the
suffrage movement, and In 40 1
this grand work they have
ariffs combined. The only difference
lone more for the true welfare of the !
lation than all the high tariffs and low I
hat remains, the last surviving relic OF
he age when woman was chattel prop
rty and was the savage slave Of still (
nore savage lord, remains to be wiped :
way. When this is done, for the first =,
ime IN the world we viii have perfect ,
liberty and perfect independence, per (
ect freedom and perfect equality. I
'hese have been the stars TO which {
az sails have been ever set, and ]
ow In the coming light of the new /
entury can see that the journey Is I
lmost done SUSAN B. ANTHONY. '
Dictated to Margarita Arlina Hamm.) l