Evening star., 1937-02-14
Susan .Anthony's Final
Natal Event Held Here
Great Suffrage Figure Was Received by
Royalty and Won Way From Unpopular
Place to High Rank in National Life

had lived to see many legal reforms
made to the benefit of women, equal
suffrage in four States and limited
suffrage in several other States. She
had not, however, lived to see the
suffrage amendment added to the
Constitution.
Fourteen years later the National
Suffrage Association. under the lead
ership Of Carrie Chapman Gait, re-
joiced that on August 16, 1920, the
Susan B. Anthony amendment became
part Of the Constitution of the
United States. Thus the Susan B. An.
thony postage stamp was Issued last
August to celebrate the twentieth an
niversary of the adoption of the suf-
frage amendment. giving to the wom-
en- OF the United States the right to
vote. Millions of women today vote,
earn their living in the business or
professional world and many occupy
high governmental Offices.
IT is not easy to realize that when
Miss Anthony, young woman OF
SO, started out as a pioneer reformer.
with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. womani
place was so definitely in the home
that Miss Anthony was still in public
disfavor for having dared to voice her
opinion at local temperance meeting.
Only men were supposed to talk IL
meetings. At that time the statute
books of the United States carried
many Of the old laws which had come
from old English law of the middle
ages regarding women If a married
woman worked it was not legal for her
to receive her own wages from her
employer for that right belonged to me-
husband
If the husband chose to apprentice
the children to work and live in
strangers homes without her consent,
, the law was on his side. He might
even will them away after his death.
The woman who dared to earn her
living in any other work besides keep
ing boarders or teaching school found
it difficult to maintain her reputation
for respectability. Inasmuch as young
women were not provided with the
same educational advantages as their
brothers, there was little prospect fer
their success in any career requiring
training. AS a teacher young Susan
B. Anthony had worked for one-fourtil
of the salary given men occupying
similar positions.
In 1853 Susan B. Anthony and Eliza
beth Cady Stanton planned a woman's
rights convention in Albany, N. Z,
for February, 1854. They determined
to ask the New York State Legislature
to change some of the wors: laws
affecting women. After trudging coun-
try roads and city streets the suffrage
workers had 1000 names to their
petition for equal suffrage and 5000
to the petition asking for such legal
changes as would give mothers equal
guardianship with their husbands over
their children. They were neither sur
prised nor discouraged when many
women slammed doors in their faces
declaring. I'VE have all the rights We
want"
Even though Miss Anthony had worl
the demure Quaker dress of her re-
ligion, she was called masculine Later
the mistake which she and a few of
her followers made in wearing for
short time the bloomer costume of
long trousers and coat brought such
disgrace" to their cause that years
were required to live it down. 1t hal
branded "woman's rights" as meaning
masculine women and neglected
homes.
EOR many years there was such
public antagonism to the reform
leaders that they were often insulted
and maligned. At times their meet
ines were so disturbed by rowdyism
that audiences had difficulty in hear
ing the speakers who were advocating
woman's suffrage as the key to OBJ
tanning legal reforms for women.
In a short time Susan B. Anthony
became the dynamo Of her organiza-
ton. She began spreading the propa-
ganda Of woman's rights and woman's
suffrage throughout the Nation. In
her long career she Travelled back and
forth across the United States year
after year. The several thousands Of
lectures which she gave won her ma
tional reputation as q clear, convinc-
ing speaker, whose arguments could
not be answered. She and her fol-
lowers worked for legal reforms in
States as well as in Congress. Her
name became q by-word Of disdain
for those who resented her constant
attendance at conventions and mass
meetings.
She Travelled by OK cart, the old
family carriage. canal boat, river boat.
freight car and in railroad coaches
when trains were heated by stoves.
Often she carried cold food to last|
several days Of train travel, In theI
years before she enjoyed the luxury
of parlor car and diner.
Her work took her into the sparsely
settled new States Of the West as
well as to large cities. She stopped
] at adobe houses and rural cabins, but
she was also entertained in many Of
the finest homes of America and well
coined at the White House at Wash.
ington by Presidents Of the United
States and First Ladies Of the land.