Susan B. Anthony
by Harriet A. Townsend, 1916
From Reminiscences of Famous Women by Harriet A. Townsend. This edition originally published in 1916. Introduction The etext has been reformatted, redesigned and hyperlinked to add to its usefulness as a research document. This version: Copyright © 2000 Jone Johnson Lewis. All Rights Reserved. |
Susan B. Anthony, the greatest apostle of Woman's rights, was a remarkable character. I remember when a young school-girl that my father, who was a busy lawyer, said to my mother: "There is to be a meeting today in behalf of woman's suffrage, and I want our girls to go."
My mother, an old-fashioned home woman of Quaker descent, was greatly surprised. "You would not have them wish to vote," she said.
"I do not know yet, but I want my daughters to be educated on all important questions of the day and to learn to think for themselves, and this bids fair to become a subject of great interest to all women."
My sister and myself went to hear the first talk on women's rights ever given in our city and there heard Susan B. Anthony and Antoinette Brown in the very beginning of their careers. The stage was entirely bare of decorations. A pine table and two wooden chairs were its only furniture. The young women speaking were dressed in black gowns, relieved by white cuffs and collars. There was no one to welcome or introduce them. They were in full accord with their surroundings; they did their part nobly. The message was like a bugle call for followers. Little applause greeted them, but all who heard were respectful and made to think.
I often contrast this view of Miss Anthony with the last time we met, at a luncheon given by the Women's Union of Rochester. We had been devoted friends then for years. She stood in the receiving line wearing a purple velvet dress trimmed with rare old lace; above her heart was pinned a yellow ribbon badge of the Suffrage Association; with her gray hair and face softened by age, she made a noble picture. The woman in me exclaimed at the beauty of her gown and she smiled and said: "I wore this dress to take tea with Queen Victoria in Buckingham Palace." It was indeed a far cry from the barren stage and plain attire where I first saw her to the velvet dress and the hospitality of the great queen. It indicated the progress of the years and emphasized the marvelous work of its peerless and pioneer leader.
There are many interesting stories of Miss Anthony. It was not easy to daunt her. She was always ready to stand for her convictions. Once in a western town, a leading suffragist told me of a recent visit from Miss Anthony. She was on her away to Minnesota to attend a meeting of the National Suffrage Association and arrived on Sunday morning, tired from the long journey. Her host asked at night if she were going to church. "No, I think I will rest tonight."
"But our pastor is to speak on woman's rights."
"Give me my bonnet," said the excited guest, "I will go."
The young parson was just out of college and divinity school and knew everything; he gave a stirring talk on the evils of the suffrage agitation, and waxing eloquent toward the close he asserted that if it were not for such uneasy old women as Susan B. Anthony and others who are going up and down our land endeavoring to make women discontented with their lot, all interest in the subject would soon die. As soon as the service was over Miss Anthony's hostess sent for the young minister, who came briskly down the aisle with a most self-satisfied air and was introduced to Miss Anthony. "Oh!" said the young man with infinite embarassment, "What have I said?"
Miss Anthony, drawing up to her full height, looked down upon the preacher, and patting him gently on the shoulder, answered; "Never mind, I only want to tell you that last week I was in Washington and heard in the capitol one of the finest arguments in favor of woman suffrage ever given; the congressman who gave it, five years ago knew no more about it than you do now."
When our Women's Union succeeded in securing a guardianship bill giving equal rights to the mother in New York state, Miss Anthony came to see me. To her first question: "How did you do it and not let us know?"
I answered, "Because we did not let you know." and she laughed heartily. Miss Anthony fully understood. She knew what conditions were at the time and that the leaders in both houses of our legislature were opposed to the ballot for women. I then spoke of my belief that just laws for woman did not entirely depend upon her having the ballot, and ventured the advice that as the suffrage association had such well-organized bands of women in all the states and had so cleared the way, they should give up for one year their difficult struggle to set the laws right (by other methods) wherever unjust to women. She replied: "Go on, I like to hear you talk, but you know it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks."
Soon after, when a Women's Union was organized in her own city, we met again. Miss Anthony, although giving so much of her time and strength to her own beloved cause, was not narrow; questions of social purity, the boy criminal, in fact, all that worked for the higher life appealed to her. She was always dignified and had a quaint simplicity refreshing to see. On the occasion above mentioned, when asked to sit upon the platform and to speak, she said: "Would that be wise? Some timid woman might be frightened for the fear there would be a suffrage plank in your platform."
A luncheon at the old Anthony home, with its rare treasures and traditions, is a valued memory. Susan B. Anthony was a great woman, always tolerant of those who disagreed with her; she respected the individual, she felt that the right must win and she could wait. Her creed held the comforting belief that "the cause of right for which we labor never dies, works in long periods, can afford many checks, gains by our defeats and will know how to compensate our extremest sacrifice."
There is a bit of old Greek philosophy which proves that history teaches by example. It is well in these days, when many are living thoughtless or trivial lives, to remember and pay tribute to such women as Susan B. Anthony.
Introduction | Julia Ward Howe | Susan B. Anthony | Frances E. Willard | Maria Mitchell | Abby Morton Diaz
