The record-union., 1896-12-09

/ AI0hy WINS dAQ lCAPOA S4AO SAACAS Se~AAA-
paign" not little.
Another mistake which the suffragists
made was in the treatment accorded to
those women who differed with them In
opinion. There are, indeed, in the suf-
frage ranks many refined and courteous
ladies who are broad minded enough to
allow others to think for themselves and
possess their beliefs in peace. The ma
jOrity Of the suffrage army, however,
took the responsiveness" Of their cam
paign with them wherever they went,
and by their unpleasant tactics succeed
ed in rousing the active antagonism OF
hundreds of their quiet sisters who
might have been actually won over to
their side had they been treated d1frer-
emily. AS a general thing the woman
who dared to avow that, for any reason
whatever, she did not believe in woman
suffrage, exposed herself to most un-
pleasant and unkind attacks both in
public and private. She was sneeringly
given to understand that she was a
SimpletOn," or a coward, or was
trying to curry favor with men," Such
a spirit of intolerance was shown by GER
tain devoted followers Of the two excel
lent maiden ladies before-mentioned
that, during the last of the struggle,
many sensitive women from very dread
of them, remained away from all gath
erings where there was probability of
being brought in contact with one or
the earnest workers"
At first it seemed to some Of the
women, who thought that the right to
have and hold opinions of ones own
without being metaphorically burnt at
the stake therefor, was even more de-
sirable, for the time being, than the
right to vote, that 1t might be well to
organize and meet their sisters on the
lecture platform, but after considera-
tion this idea was given up. The suf-
fragists knew their arguments already
and scoffed at them. Plainly public dis
cussion would do no good, and would
only lead to manifold unpleasantnesses
Still they did not want the ballot-at
least not just at this time-and they did
not want it forced upon them by the
stranger hands that were pulling
wires in every direction with that end
in view.
What was to be done?
Each of us will just tell our own
people and our own friends that we do
not want that amendment passed" said
they land we will pass the word along
without any fuss or Quarreling. We
shall not need to lecture, or hold meet
ings, or write for the papers about It;
we will just tell our own voters to tell
other voters to vote mo- when the time
comes"
And so the silent campaign" was be-
gun, and the quiet word was passed
along" through village and town and
city and county until it went through
the whole State, from the Oregon to the
Baja California line, and from the Sier-
ras to the Pacific. And when election
day was over and the votes were count
ed, it was clearly demonstrated that In
the case of the proposed Sixth Amend
ment Speech had indeed been Silver"
but silence" had been golden"
The veteran leader Of the suffrage
forces seems to be willfully blind to the
facts in the case. She is reported as say
ing during the welcome home" recep-
tions rendered her in the East. that the
amendment was lost "only by very
small majority and stating that the
majority was composed of the whisky
and beer element" She even accuses
the kilograms say-the brewers of "giv-
ing their employees ballots specially pre-
pared for them" with "big no. after
the amendment question, and asserts
that these ballots were voted.
In this connection we would recon-
mend several things for Miss Anthony's
consideration:
First-That truth is a jewel which
should be worn even by suffragists.
Second-That an inspection of the off,
cial records might change her ideas as
to the very small majority that en-
phatically expressed our States deci-
sion on the suffrage question.
Third-That it would be well for
women who want to vote to know
something about the modus operandi OF
that Act in the State that they have
been working in for nearly two years.
Would not a man who tried to vote a
ballot specially prepared for him" by
anyone find some little difficulty in car
rying out his intention here in Califor-
MIA? Miss Anthony should know that
the Australian system is in use here, and
little study of that system ought to
convince even her that such proceed
ings as those of which she asserts the
brewers were guilty are simply impossi-
BILE under it's operation.
Fourth-That very small minority of
the women who do not want to vote are
in any way connected with the whisky
element" but that there are thousands
of women in our Golden State who are.
at the present time quietly rejoicing
over the fact that peaceful tactics con-
quered, and that success perched upon
the banners of the Silent campaign"
FLORENCE PERCY MATHESON.
Oakland Cal, Dec. 5, 1896.