Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-29
Unique Suffrage Library

woman question during the last twenty years These
| are preserved in twelve large. handsomely bound
scrap booka the contents Of each indicated by gold
lettering the red backs Every volume Is carefully
! indexed and altogether they offer mine Of In
| formation this much discussed question which
will gladly be taken advantage Of by those who are
| interested
| The books represent what may be termed the cur
rent events relating suffrage and the gen.
eral progress Of women during this long period as
wek by week and by they take up the points
OF special prominence just at that moment II was
during this time that Mrs Harper wrote the bio
graphy OF Susan y. Anthony and the last volume Of
the History OF Woman Suffrage. and the fund Of in
formation which It was necessary 10 acquire for this
work contributed TO the accuracy OF these articles so
1 they likely to be largely drawn upon by future
writer's the subjects they cover.
BY no means the least important part OF this col
lection the volumes containing the accounts OF the
! great international congresses OF held in
Europe beginning with the international Council OF
| Women in London in 1899. This followed by
others in Berlin. Copenhagen Paris. Geneva. The
| Hague, Amsterdam. Budapest. and down TO the
large meeting at Rome in 1914 Graphic descriptions
given. from the viewpoint OF delegate and
speaker, OF the distinguished people in attendance
the courtesies extended by the municipalities. the
ceptions by queens empresses the nobility and others
OF note garden parties. visits institutions. Ac
companying these invitations. menus. pictures and
souvenirs of many kinds.
One page of maiden hair ferns and delicate blos-
SONS Is inscrbed Gathered in the little conserva-
tory at the foot OF the stairs leading to Tennysons
study" Under cluster of pressed IL written
Placed in my hands by Queen Margherta Of Italy"
and under another. "A from the bouquet OF
Eleanora Duse." In other library in any country
collection OF these congress letters be found
and they all the record that exists OF those
mopoIltan meetings except the official business
ports while the social festivities their life
charm. very interesting feature s the number Of
autograph letters from eminent people in the United
States and Europe. some of them possessing value
even beyond their signatures. leaving these and
other mementoes in the books Mrs Harper has shown
a commendable faith In the honesty OF the readers
Two volumes Of especial interest are made up en-
tirely OF the series articles ran continuously
for five years. Ise1SOs in the New York Sunday
| This a period when the words woman suffrage
| seldom appeared IN the newspapers. and they at
tracted much attention because OF their range.
| fearlessness and satire. Men much rasher in
their printed uterances than nowadays and they were
flayed without mercy, while the "antis." who
were Just beginning TO organize joyfuy held up
to scorn These several hundred articles give
curate pen picture OF public sentiment the woman
| question ten fifteen years ago. and they record
also practically every important step OF progress
II was largely through the influence OF Miss An
thony that the Sun began the publication OF these
articles and she followed them closely and with the
keenest interest This was also true OF Mrs Eliza
| beth cady Stanton. and several Of her letters are
| given In which she urges that they be put in some
| Kind OF permanent form and makes suggestions for
future writing. Some Characteristic Miss Anthony
are inserted. telling how she hurries home from
church to read the articles and a copy OF a protest
she sent Mr. Dana because of them was cut!
She carefully preserved them scrap books OF her
own. Mrs. Harper herself has added a graphic ac-
| count OF how they happened to be written and has
made oopious annotations for the assistance OF the
/ readers
The story IL told or many suffrage campaigns In
Guiding that OF California 1896 the first which at
tracted the attention of the country at large Hear
| nj
granting OF partial suffrage in states ana tne
action OF Legislatures recorded The suffrage cues
on is discussed from every point of view beginning
when II was chiefly academic and every possible oh.
lection is anRlyzed and answered AS the years gc
by its development Is followed into practical politics
and the later volumes the victories in ester-
states and the effects Of womens acknowledgements or
the laws their election 20 office. etc. ble
space Is allotted In the books OF 1914 ana 1915 tn tho
discussion OF national amendment and the debates
and votes in congress.
Through all the early volumes the personality oi
Miss Anthony runs like thread OF gold as many OF
them were written while Mrs Harper was in he,
home and they were working on the History of
Woman suffrsgev and Miss Anthony's biography Fol
about ten years before her their association a
very close. each assisting the other. Miss Anthon,
always said that Mrs Hsrpers pen came 10 her helr
Just as Mrs. Stanton's was laid aside A number o.
Miss Anthonys articles also contained in thes.
books. and some which they wrote together Mrs
Harper lived to see both Mrs stanton ana Miss An
thony pass from earth and to preserve in thes
volumes the tributes OF the press to their memor,
and her own appreciation OF their character expressc
In various magazine articles
In a brief note OF presentation Mrs. Harper says
These scrap books contain a considerable mart n
my magazine and newspaper articles for the las
twenty years. They performed their mission at m
time they were published and like all such ephernera
work. were not preserved by others In connects
FORM Because OF their associations and their con
venience for reference they possess a speoial vain
for me. but think that this time when there is
much STUDY OF the woman suffrage question the
should render more general service For this reaso
present them to the Library OF Congress ALTHOUGH
with the feeling OF parting from my children Asid
from the assistance which they may offer TO st,
dents. present ana future their illustration OF IN
gradual evolution OF public sentiment and the siren
Gus objections OF the opponents will probably ineres
and amuse.
Il am deeply apprecistive OF the opportunity OF
tered by this great library preserve these records
me records consist OF over 1soO pages ana forr
! a NJ aal uuhr