The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-27
IBy Richard B. B. Mood.l

writer who said in a magazine article
not long ago, that
Equal suffrage Is not the first step
In an impending revolution, but only
a necessary adjustment to a revoiu-
ton hat has already happened"
Without accepting or rejecting his
proposition and suggesting no view
point, shall allow each reader to
select his own angles as suits the
various tastes and opinions. While
Iowa has been apparently moving
backward and forward for many years
on the subject, 1t appears to those
VINO are anxious and impatient for
success and who are spending much
OF their thought to advance the
cause. that satisfactory progress has
not been made. But don't they re-
member how often in their childhood
they were told that Rome was not
built in a day"
Robert Haven Schauf1er told us
only a few months 6 that
Enthusiasm is the thing that
makes the world go round; without
its driving power nothing worth doing
has been done. Love. friendship, re,
ligion, altruism. devotion to career
or hobby,-all these and most of the
other good things in life are forms of
enthusiasm" And If suffrage for
women is a good thing, then the good
women Of Iowa and this broad repub.
tic may btde their time, and if it is
not a good thing, can afford to wait
or do without it..
Those who have become weary and
impatient at their apparently slow
progress should repeat approvingly
the words of Tagore who said:
AT this very moment when the
rainfall resounds in the sky Of the
evening, it hides from us the aspect of
action. In this silent meeting of dark
ness it throws no hint of it's mission
of supplying each blade of grass and
each leaf of the tree with their nour-
ishment."
This apparently hating silence may
be the terminating period which pre-
cedes the fruitage season.
And what may the harvest be? O,
we of little faith.
In preparing this little sketch,
which I find might be heightened
into volumes 1 also discover thai no
comprehensive review of the suffrage
history Of Iowa can be given, for the
reason that space must be economical
and the patience Of readers must
have consideration. This is a rush
age n the average reader abhors
AoAS SSoAASo VI tHC pdSI. Will lie
jumbled notes before me, the story
cannot be given in strictly chronology
cal order, perhaps, but must be jot-
ted down as / catch them-on the fly.
Noted keokuk Women.
Running through musty archives
for facts, and incidents, and names,
has awakened fnnumerable memories
of noted and worthy women l have
seen, some Of whom l have heard on
the platform or met in social conver-
%sation, a number Of whom shall not
be mentioned here for the reason
that they nave no prominent place in
the records Of the Iowa suf-
frage movement. 1 readily call to
mind Sue Harry C1agett, a once popu-
lar Keokuk girl, prominent in Iowa
affairs and a writer of brilliant prom
Use; Mrs. Harriet Foote Gear, the
noble n gracious wife of Hon. John
H. Gear, a former governor, congress-
man from the First Iowa district and
United States senator from Iowa. She
worthily O. the title of the pre-
server Of Iowa war flags" Rev. Mary
Augusta Stafford, who began her com
mendable career in sight Of Keokuk,
just across the river at Hamilton,
ILL.,, coming to Iowa a number of
years ago where she has continued
her beautiful career Of laboring dill
gently for the betterment of the race.
She is a gifted, cultured and sincere
woman. ihen there were the late
| Mrs. Anne II. Wittenmyer and Mrs.
| w. H. Thompson, both Keokuk WON
en- who left remarkable records of
noble deeds performed among the
sick and wounded soldiers during the
civil war, not forgetting Aunt
Becky" Young who came to Iowa to
reside at the close OF the war, a
woman of strong personality whom it
was always a pleasure to meet. She
attended many of the reunions of the
veterans and encampments. and was
always treated with the strictest cour-
tesy by the comrades among whom
she was a great favorfte. I have also
! heard the voice of Susan B. Anthony,
the pioneer advocate Of woman suf-
frage, when she canvassed in this
| state.
1t has not been many years short
| of a century, since the first organized
movement for women to secure equal
rights with men, in civil, political and
industrial affairs, was formed. 1t was
about the year 1887 when a woman's
antt-slavery convention vas called.
This may not appear pertinent to h
woman suffrage movement, but facts
and incidents Will show that 1t had
much to do with 1t.
This convention met in New York.
In q history written by Susan b. An
| thony she says "the movement for
woman suffrage, botn in England and
America, may be dated from the
! worlds an~ti-slavery convention"
Division in Ranks.
We are told that the question of
the right of women to speak in pub
lie. vote, and to serve as delegates in
conventions caused a division in the
ranks of the American anti-slavery
society In 1910, and disturbed the
peace Of the worlds anti-slavery con.
vention held IN London the same
year. AS delegates to that coaven
ton, among whom were Lucretia
Mott, Abby Southwiek and six other