The record-union., 1896-12-09

feet of women whose mission it was to
carry the gospel Of equal rights to
the poor heathen-those women whose
unenlightened minds made them OBJ
jects Of contemptuous pity to their
more advanced sisters. Scarcely
hamlet was so small that some more
or less gifted female orator did not
honor it with her presence and organize
a little band of suffrage workers to help
on the cause after her departure.
The third congress, which took place
this last May, was-a natural conse-
quence to the work of the previous year
devoted to the consideration of "Wo-
man and Government" and the subject
was treated most exhaustively, and, it
was hoped, impressively, by the ladies
who were selected to explain matters
to the general public.
From May to November the suffrag-
lists redoubled their efforts to mold
public opinion and win over to their
|, side men enough to give the famous
sixth amendment the seal of popular
approval on election day. The lectur-
ers imported from the East made them
selves heard everywhere, and on almost
every occasion. Indeed, it was said,
and with a good deal of truth, that
'only at a funeral could one be quite
sure that suffrage speaker would not
conclude the exercises by a few re-
marks on her favorite topic"
The newspapers treated the ladies
most courteously. One of the great
dailies," actuated by conviction or the
hope of gaining additional favor in
feminine eyes, even espoused their
cause and came out boldly as suffrag-
ist organ. The others gave them space
in their columns freely, and, if they did
not editorially indorse ther views, at
least gave them respectful considera-
ton.
Incidentally one amusing feature of
the campaign was the suffragists' pro-
nounced change of tactics as regarded
"tyrant man." Heretofore the maScu-
line portion Of humanity has been ham
died rather severely by the "woman's
rights contingent; mans misdeeds and
shortcomings have been very freely ex-
plotted and sneered at by the Strong
minded members Of the other sex; but
all this was changed in the campaign Of
'96. No matter how inferior the male
human being, in his infinite variety,
was wheedled, and f1attered, and ca
joled, and made much Of generally, by
the polite leaders of the would-be vot-
ers in a way which must have been
as surprising to him as it was amusing
to the lookerson, who were forcibly re-
minded Of the old fable about the mon
key the cat and the hot roasted chest
nuts.
With such active, energetic and tire
less workers in the field; with such able
generals to direct their maneuvers;
with funds sufficient to prosecute their
work in every direction; with elegant
headquarters in San Francisco; with
suffrage teas and house toulouse
canvaSses to arouse the Indifferent and
careless; it really seemed as though
with all this that the movement could
not end in failure. The eager workers
met with practically no opposition.
They were listened to courteously and
allowed to say and do whatever they
pleased in the premises without contra
diction or controversy. No foeman
worthy of their steel appeared to pick
up the gauntlet which they flung def
antly down on all occasions. Their
course was apparently 'walk-over''
from start to finish but-unbelievable
as it seems-when the finish came the
glorious cause met with overwhelm-
ing defeat
In San Francisco the majority of neg
ative votes was said to be 10000; in
Alameda County-the church county"
Of California, and reckoned their strong
hold-the majority against the amend
ment was nearly 5000. So it went all
through the State, to the utter surprise
and bewilderment of the good ladies who
had f1attered themselves that the COW
eted ballot was well-nigh within their
grasp, and to the surprise likewise of the
many who had not realized that dur
ing the past two months, two COM
paigns had been going on in our State.
The loud campaign every one knew
of, for the insistent din of it had been
heard all through the land; but the
other-the silent campaign"-had been
going on also. and, without officers,
lecturers, press agents, funds or noto-
riety, had achieved victory as signal
as it was unexpected.
Earnest, indefatigable and single
minded as were the officers and members
of the Amendment Association, they
made a vital mistake at the very out
set Of their career For some occult rea-
son they decided that the work-and, in
cidently, the generous salaries therefor
must be principally placed in the
hands of Eastern women, and a decided
"snub" was administered to Californian
women by the importation Of seven
In fray, hax,npd tho Pnrktac m ar o1,r
fighting for u.s. These ladies had not
won the blessing of the ballot for the
women of their own States, but they felt
quite sure that they could succeed in
gaining it here. They were supposed to
be able to show California men what
smart women really were and by reason
of their eloquence, intellectually and
all-around superiority, win votes by the
wholesale.
The California men, however, are
much inclined to favor home products.
They are, as rule, very proud Of Cali
fornia women, and some of them who
were at first disposed to think we'll of
the amendment quietly, but decidedly,
resented the imputation cast upon the
wives and daughters of our State.
.If our own women are so stupid and
| tongue-tied that they, must pay Eastern
women to intercede with their own
fathers, brothers. husbands, lovers and
friends In their behalf, said many of
our men, they might have to get East
ern women to come out here and tell
them how to vote after they had the bal
lot. It's a sure thing that some of the
Eastern women would feel 1t necessary
to STAY out here and represent them