The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-07
washington Tines

encouragement and your support |
know | will get it. promisc-I
promise
A little catch in the throat. "A quick
dab of the handkerchief to her eyes
where the tears We're beginning to
show, and Miss Rankin, the first
woman to be elected to the congress
Of the United States. had made her
speech.
She made no specific PROMISES she
only promised to do her best.
And when she sat down, overcome
with the responsibility which today
descended upon her, representatives
of the National Woman's party and
the National American Woman Suf-
frage association had merged for the
FIRST time since the severance of re-
lations, years ago.
More Than $50 Present.
More than $50 women were present
at the Shoreham to pay tribute to
| Miss Rankin on the morning she was
to take her seat as the first congress
woman.
There was something pathetic in
the extreme about the breakfast.
Stray locks of hair were brushed back
from flushed faces with trembling
fingers. Smiles were sudden and
| tense. There We're no tears. but Miss
Rankin swallowed hard. and looked
intently at her uneaten meal as the
| speakers rose to pay her tribute.
! 1t was IL mOmentous occasion for
| the women. 1t was the elimination
of years of hard, discouraging work
| Now the future looked bright for
| those women who had spent. many Of
| them. the best years Of their lives
working that they might see their SEX
! represented in the legislative halls of
the nation.
| Envoy Of Womanhood.
At last the long looked for moment
arrived when the champion of her sex
was to make her pledge to the women
/, whom she was to represent. At that
| moment she stood. not as the repre-
sentative of the state of Montana, but
as the representative of womanhood
| throug hout the nation.
! The toastmistress introduced her.
she arose. and as she did so, chairs
| were pushed back and the simple
! tribute of the entire assemblagc
| standing was accorded her. AS the
| handclapping ceased and the others
sat down, the slim figure in black
chiffon was left outlined against the
| flnNnrc in of h,,,r
| mantel.
| \ black straw sailor hat. a mod
| eratcly low black chiffon gown, with
high neck in the back three quarter
| length sleeves, all made over white
| silk--this was the costume Miss Ran
kin had chosen to wear on her first
public appearance in the capital.
She seemed very brave as she be
gan. and her black-lashed blue eyes
| sparklcd as she spoke AS everybody
| strained forward to hear her. she be-
! gan in a moderately low pitched voice.
easily heard in the dead silence of the
| room. 20 outline her ideals and intcn >
| tions.
| But it was too much.
Smiles With Tears Near.
| The color left her face. and as she
| flashed n brave little smile around the
room the tcnsencss of her lips was
noticeable.
! a convulsiNe swallow, and she be-
Gan---"have heard all the things
which have been said. and I promise
/ promise--'
Her voice trailcu off. she stopped as
( suddenly as she had begun. then sat
down abruptly, biting her lips, and
gain" fiXedly at the table.
For moment there was silence.
The reputation of woman suffrag-
lists as being above Sentimental sniff
Ting hung in the balance. The faces
of the women We're seen to twitch. and
| many woman lowered her head and
stared fxedly at her plate. Many a
woman who before had been only luke
| warm in her praise of the congress-
woman from Montana now felt her
heart go out in sympathy to the little
| figure in black, sitting there with her
head in her hands. one could almost
trace the brain workings of the guests.
Two Factions Reunited.
Here was the first material rccor
milton of the work of more than half
a century; the first promise of unre
| strictcd loyalty in the governing body
of the nation; the elimination of
whole lfetimes Of speechmaking and
street pleadings: and the first time in
four years that the two bodies of suf
f"agists were united.
| And then-thcre We're no tears, no
cheers. for one could not trust to the
voice-the applause which unburdened
every happy heart in that assembling &c
of women. who wanted to cry bu,
didn't dare, burst out in hand clap
ping to reward the best and poores,
speech of the morning.
The women had come from all parts
OF the United States to do honor (,
Miss Rankin on the eventfu morning
Women who had campaigned with tn,
new congresswoman in California
\ -h1