The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-06
ON THE PICKET LINE WITH
 THE SUFFRAGISTS AT THE
 HOME OF THE PRESIDENT
How and Why Women Desiring Votes Stood Days Front of White House Defying Freezing Weather-Presdent Wilson Greets Them With Cheery smile-Ex
 periences of One of the Tickets
Rv REULAH AMInnN

l It was a nasty, blustery February
 morning, with a wind whipping down Pennsylvania avenue, that l am surt blew straight from Hudson bay. l fought my way across Lafayette square, down Madison place. to the fine old mansion with the purple, white
 and gold flag flying from the ba;- cony and "Congressional Union for
 Woman Suffrage)) (this was before the union and the woman's party had amalgamated under the name of the larger organization, the woman's party) above the door.
 I hurried into the famous little white house" just before 10 o'clock ano found the big general office full Of women, all hurrying and all talking rapidly. T haven't been down to tho line for a week." q wanted so much to come the day Julia Marlowe was here" Have you two right gloves9 Mine are both lefts;" q know I left my arctics here" while they talk ed the women were bundling themselves into great coats and sweaters and mufflers and arctics and big, woo!lS- gray gloves. Miss Virginia Arnold the executive secretary. hustled through the seeming chaos, hunting up lost articles, looking to mufflers and furs and taking particular care of the many women who had not picketed before.
 Wrap up well. North Dakota" she greeted me. Here's Mrs. Rents fur coat. She left 1t for you" Mrs Kent happens to be the wife of Represen- tative Kent of California, national chairman of the Woodrow Wilson League of America)
 The center of interest that morning g was tiny white-haired woman whose eyes were the wide, bright eyes tha. belong to people who never grow old. Its Dr. Olympia Brown" Miss Ar mold told me- as she adjusted the pur- pie, white and gold regalia over my big fur collar. And so this was Olympia Brown. who, in spite of hel S6 years. is working valiantly fol suffrage. as she worked when she and Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady stanton were doing the first hard pio- neer work. And now she had traveled all the way from Wisconsin to stand on the picket line in the demand of women for political liberty
 HOW LONG, MIR. PRESIDENT?"
 At last everyone was ready. At five minutes before 10 o'clock the long line formed. and marched out from Cameron house each woman taking a banner as she passed the stack of them in the vestibule. Some of the banners were streamers of purple, white and gold Others were great gold standards, that read, MT. President, how long must American women wait for liberty?" The line of women crossed the square, marched down Pennsylvania avenue and took up positions, half at one gate and half at the other. I stood by the east entrance, right beside the gate. Two policemen were on guard there, and the gate was open. That meant that the President was out. Beside me was a gotten an hour off to picket. Beside her was a prominent New York society woman. Next her stood Mrs. Florence a former ambassador to the Court of gate, all kinds of women, business, so- ciety, professional, but all there for Just one thing: to make a demand for political freedom.
 Presently Joe came along. Joe was a very useful institution on the picket line, as I was to learn. He wheeled barrow full of lumpy things, wrapped in burlap, and how I learned to bless those Jumps! They were hot bricks, and a hot brick is about the most com fortable thing you can stand on when it Is February on Pennsylvania avenue But the crowds interested me, even more than Joe.