Evening star., 1924-02-16
Susan B. Anthony.

Doubtless many of those who last
night attended the local celebration of
The 104th anniversary of the birth of
Susan b. Anthony. held under the
auspices of the Anthony League. knew
that remarkable woman in her life.
time. To others. of course. She is now
Tut name in history. particularly
the history of the movement which
eliminated fourteen years after her
death in victory for the cause of
woman suffrage.
Two women for long time consti-
tuted the vanguard of the suffrage
army-Susan E. Anthony and Eliza
beth Cady Stanton-two remark
able women. each the possessor
of special gifts for the work they
undertook, gifts differing in char
acter and together making Il powerful
influence for the awakening of the
country to the injustice of denial of
the vote to its womanhood. Miss An
thony was the flaming sword of the
duo. She had the quality Of the cru-
less in speech and action. determined.
She was Shrewd in her management
of the campaign. She had the politi-
cal sense highly developed. 1t was
often said of her during the fury of
the fight she and her associates waged
that she had mans mind She
Gid not like this characterization, for
she always maintained that there was
no sex difference in the matter of
brains and capacity.
Those who are of sufficient years to
have had the privilege of acquaintance
with Susan B. Anthony will recall her
on the platform, half u century ago
and later. scoring with thrusts that
could not be parried the opponents of
equal rights" She had a wide range
OF vocabulary, a keenness of wit, an
instant readiness of expression that
made her public addresses delight
Small of stature. and in her advancing
years feeble of frame she never flag
ged in her task, while her health
permitted. She travelled altogether an
incredible distance in her journeyings
In the cause. She grasped every op-
portunity for hearing.
One of the annual delights of Con
gress III the seventies. eighties and
early nineties of the past century was
the regular appearance Of Susan B.
Anthony and her colleagues before the
adj i,Y
of the constitutional amendment Civ
ing the women the franchise. Though
few members then We're sympathetic.
all were delighted with her presenta-
tion of the case. She always showed
herself thoroughly master of her sub
ject. No man ever got the better of
her in an argument upon the funda-
mentals of the question.
AS the years took their toll Susan r.
Anthony was forced to slacken in her
endeavors. But she had recruited Il
large army of workers and could well
afford to leave the arduous task to
others to finish. She did not live to
see the winning of the victory, dying
MdiCIl Id, lJUO. bul upOll lIle lOullud-
tion she and Mrs. Stanton laid their
successors completed the structure. 1t
was mainly their work that brought
woman suffrage about. For they had
during the long years of their untirlng
advocacy awakened the public con-
science and the concluding service in
the final decade or two of the fight
was that of shaping it to the point Of
action.
It is proposed to erect here at Wash
ington a memorial to this great Amer
lean, this woman who served her coun-
try SO nobly, who impressed her per-
sonality so indelibly upon the public
mind. who fought so courageously and
capably for a cause that was not only
just, but that made for the moral bet
terment of the entire people. This en-
terprise deserves the encouragement
and support of all Americans. as a
tribute of respect and honor to one of
the true soldiers for the right in
America.