The San Francisco call., 1898-12-04

tions held in Seneca Falls and Rochester,
 N. Y., in 1S4S, attracted the attention of
 Miss Anthony, who, for her courage and executive ability, was facetiouSly called by William Henry Charming the Napoleon of the, woman suffrage struggle. At this time she was teaching in the academy of CanaJoharie, little village in the valley of the Mohawk The Woman's Declara- tion of Independence" issued from those and she laughed heartily at the novelty of the demand. But on returning home to spend her vacation she was surprised
 to find that her sober Quaker parents and sisters. having attended the Roches- ter meetings, regarded them as very pro- nta6le and interesting, and the demands already interested in the anti-slavery and temperance reforms, and had spoken a few times in their public meetings, and. the new gospel of "Woman's Rights rom that time her best efforts were given to the enfranchisement of women.
 It was in the month of May, 1891, that Miss Anthony first met Elizabeth Cady stanton, the beginning of a lifelong friendship between them. Mrs. Stanton thus described this meeting afterward: lace and genial smile, dressed in gray silk, hat and all the same color, relieved by pale blue ribbons, the perfection of neatnesS and sobriety."
 About 1857 Miss Anthony became prom inent among the agitators for the aboli- ton Of slavery, and during the war de,
 
 League, which petitioned Congress in fla yor of the thirteenth amendment. In lSoO she was active in securing the pas sage of the act of the New York Legisla- ture giving to married women the pos session of their earnings and the guard ianship of their children. After twelve of the property bill New York conceded other civil rights to married women. Pending the discussion of these various bills Susan B. Anthony circulated peti- lions both for the civil and nnlitjc91 rights of women throughout the State, travel ing in stage coaches and open wagons and door to door through towns and cities, doing her uttermost to rouse women to some sense of their natural rights as human beings, to their civil and political rights as citizens of a republic; and while eXpending her time. strength and money to secure these blessings to the women of the, State they would gruffiy tell her they had all the rights they wanted, or shut the door in her face, leaving her to stand outside petition in hand, with as much contempt as if she were asking aims for herself. None but those who did that pe- tition work in the early days for the slaves and the women can ever know the hardships and humiliations that were en- dured.
 Among the influences that brought new thought to the question of woman Suf- frage was the establishm" "nt in the city of New York of a woman suffrage paper called the Revolution. The editors were Parker Pillsbury and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the owner and publisher Susan B. Anthony. Many who had strongly fa- vored woman suffrage thought that at that particular junction the women ought to keep their claims in the background; that 1t was the negroes hour" The Rev. olution held an opposite opinion and it was soon found that many women in every State understood the situation and saw that while the question of reconstruc- ton was under debate woman was false to herself not to put in her claims In face of all opposition those who did see the policy and justice of claiming this time as the womans hour also made the l most persistent, brave fight possible | Again were appeals and petitions sent to | Congress and the people, but now for | Woman's enfranchisement. The few who | insisted on absolute right stood firmly to- | gether under a steady fire of rdicule and | reproach. They knew their position was | unassailable, for they had well learned i anti-slavery and the Republican party | that all compromises with principle are | dangerous. The whole question of sui frage was up for discussions there could | not be a better time to get all the agita- ton possible in regard to womans claims. | The question once settled on the narrow | ground of class, it would not be renewed | for a generation. Time proved their fears | well grounded.
 In July, 1871. Miss Anthony and Mrs. Stanton visited California. They awak- ened new interest wherever their eloquent appeals were heard and every lecture given by them drew out large assemblies of the most influential citizens. It was during this trip that they visited Nevada City, where they met for the first time Hon. and Mrs. A. A. Sargent. who were visiting there for the summer and who ever afterward warm friends and advocates of all that tended to the elevation of the political and civil status of women. After Mrs. Stanton returned to New York Miss Anthony remained for several months and travelled about in Cal itornia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington Territory She went East in company with the Sargent family at time when the trip required nearly three weeks be- cause of a long-continued snow blockade In the Rockies.
 Fortified by the opinion of Charles Sumner and other eminent jurists that women were citizens and entitled to vote under the constitution, and more so than Amendment, Miss Anthony registered and voted at the Presidential election in 1872. For this she was accused of in- fringing the law of the land and put on trial. Her counsel, Judge Henry R. Sel- den, prominent jurist testified that he told Mrs. Anthony before election that she had right to vote. The points made by MT. Selden in the argument were that the defendant had legal right to vote; that even il no such right existed if she in good faith she committed no of fense; and, lastly, he argued that she did vote in pursuance of such belief The point was made that Miss Anthony a woman. Had her brother, under the same circumstances. dore the same thing his act would not only have been innocent but laudable. The crime was therefore, not in the act done, but in the sex of the person who did it. Women remarked the Judge, have the same in- terest in the maintenance of good gov -