Elizabeth Cady Stanton SPEECHES & WITNESS FILE Reminiscences Chapter 35 Reminiscences .1. by Elizabeth Cady Stanton Chapter XXXV Texas, Nebraska, the Mothers in New Civilizations In 1869, 70, 71, 72, Miss Anthony & I made several trips through Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, holding meetings at most of the chief towns, & speaking to women alone in the afternoons on 2 on "Marriage & Maternity." As Miss Anthony had other pressing engagements in Kansas & Nebraska I went alone to Texas speaking in Dallas, Sherman, & Houston where I was delayed two weeks by floods, & could not go to Austin, Galveston, & some points in Louisiana, where I was advertised. In fact I lost all my appointments for a month. However 3 there was a fine Hotel in Houston & many pleasant people, with whom I made some valuable acquaintances. Beside several public meetings, I had parlor talks & scattered leaflets, so that the time was not lost. [crossed out: When I asked for my bill my hosts graciously remarked] I recall too a jolly Christmas dinner with some Liberal editors, & our 4 genial landlord & wife. The great drawback to complete enjoyment was the need of summer clothing, as the heat was excessive, especially in heavy winter garments. When at last the waters subsided & I asked for my bill, my host graciously remarked that it was already paid, that the pleasure & profit they had derived from my society, left them in my debt. 5 After my lecture in Dallas, resting in an easy chair in my room, a servant brought me several cards of ladies and gentlemen, asking me, if not too much fatigued, to meet them in the drawing room. I accordingly descended + found quite an assemblage of southerners from the different states who 6 had moved into Texas after the war, as many did, to mend their broken fortunes. Some were from Georgia and Florida, others from the Carolinas and others still from Virginia. They at once made a circle round me and requested all present to make the conversation general and there we talked until long after midnight. I asked some ladies from Georgia 7 who were particularly wide awake on all phases of the "woman question" how they came to know so much about this northern movement. They said some of their friends had attended the woman suffrage conventions held in Saratoga during the fashionable season, and brought home many of the leaflets scattered there. One lady bought all that were left at 8 the close of the convention and scattered them in Georgia and got many extracts published in their daily papers. There has been a vast amount of seed- sowing done in this way all through the south, and now we should plan a campaign through those states. Can't we get some accomplished beggar to lay siege to Andrew Carnegie to give us a $1,000,000 for such an undertaking 9. As the floods had upset all my plans for the winter. I went straight through from Houston to New York over the Iron Mountain railroad. I anticipated a rather solitary trip but fortunately I met Gen Baird whom I knew & some other army officers who had been down to Mexico to settle some troubles in the "free zone" as 10 an unsettled region; given over chiefly to maurauders: between [between] Texas & Mexico, is called. We amused ourselves over the long journey with whist & woman suffrage discussions. We noticed a dyspeptic looking clergyman, evidently of a [billius] bilious temperament, eyeing us very steadily, disapproving by the first day. & in a quiet way we warned each other, that in due time he would give us a sermon on the sin of card playing. Sitting alone 11 early next morning, he seated himself by my side, & asked me if I would allow him to express his opinion on card playing. I said "Oh yes. I believe fully in free speech." "Well" said he. "I never touch cards. I think they are an invention of the devil to lead unwary souls from all serious thought of the stern duties of life & the realities of eternity! I was sorry to see you with your white hair, probably near the end of your earthly career, playing cards & talking with those reckless army officers 12 who delight in killing their fellow beings. No, no, I do not believe in war or card playing: such amusements do not prepare the soul for heaven." "Well," said I, "you are quite right with your views to abjure the society of army officers & all games of cards. You, said I, no doubt enjoy your own thoughts & the book you are reading, more than you would the conversation of these gentlemen & a game of whist. We must all regulate our conduct by eachs own highest ideal. 13 While I deplore the necessity of war, in the transition period of the race from a lower to a higher civilization, yet I know many of the noblest types of manhood in our army, whose acquaintance I prize highly. I enjoy all games too from chess down to dominoes, There is so much that is sad & stern in life, that we need sometimes to lay down its burdens, & indulge in innocent amusements 14 Thus you see, what is nice from my standpoint is not from yours. I am sorry that you repudiate all amusements, as they contribute to the health of the body & soul. You are sorry that that I do not think as you do, & regulate my life accordingly. You are sure that you are right. I am equally sure that I am. Hence there 15 is nothing to be done in either case, but to let each other alone, & wait for the slow process of evolution to give each of us a higher standard. Just then one of the officers asked me if I was ready for a game of whist, & I excused myself from further discussion. I met many of these dolorous saints in my travels, who spend so much thought on eternity & saving their souls that they lost all the joys of time. 16. as with those sweet virtues of courtesy & charity that best fitted them for good works on earth & happiness in heaven! In the spring I went to Nebraska as Miss Anthony & I again made a Western tour sometimes together & sometimes by different routes. If I can hold Miss Anthony still at at my side next summer, I hope to prepare my Reminiscences for book form, with hers intertwined, at many points which I have forgotten & thus add greater interest to the volumn & represent us as we have tried most always, together. I should finish mine by April 1st just two years since their commencement then if the committee on the Women’s Bible formed three years ago, agree to it we will commence the publication chapter by chapter in The Tribune which will probably take only two years more as in only in about the eleventh part of the Old & New Testament do we find any mention of woman. 17 A constitutional convention was in session in Lincoln and it was proposed to submit an amendment to strike the word “male” from the constitution. Nebraska became a state March 1st, 1867 and took “Equality before the law” as her motto. As a territory she had discussed many points of liberal legislation for women 18 and as a state twice considered propositions for Women’s enfranchisement. I had a valise with me containing Benjamin F. Butler’s minority reports on woman’s right to vote under the XIV amendment. As we were crossing the Platte river in transferring the baggage to the boat my valise 19 fell into the water!! My heart stood still at the thought of such a fate for all those able arguments. After the great General had been in hot water all his life. it was grievous to think of any of his inculcations perishing in cold water at last. Fortunately they were rescued. On reaching Lincoln I was escorted to the 20 hospitable home of Governor Butler where I spread the documents In the sunshine & they were soon ready to be distributed among the members of the Constitutional convention[.] I found the Governor & Mrs. Butler strong advocates of woman suffrage and liberal in their opinions on most questions. During my stay, there was a great 21 celebration of the opening of some railroad coming into Lincoln. An immense crowd from miles about assembled on this occasion. The collation & speeches were all in the open air. The men congratulated each other as to the wonderful progress the state had made since it became an organized 22 Territory in 1854. There was not the slightest reference at first made to the women. One speaker said, this state was settled by three brothers, John, James & Joseph, & from them have sprung the great concourse of people that greet us here today. I turned and asked Governor Butler if all these people had sprung, Minerva like, from the brains 23 of John, James & Joseph, as the speakers had thus far made no mention of any women having emigrated to Nebraska? He urged me to put that question to the speaker, so in one of his eloquent pauses I propounded the query which was greeted with loud & prolonged cheers to the eventual satisfaction 24 of the women present The next speaker took good care [to mention the women,] to give the due meed of praise to Ann & Jane & Mary, & to every mention of the mothers of Nebraska the crowd heartily responded. In toasting “the women of Nebraska” at the collation I said “Here’s to the mothers, who came 25 hither by long tedious journeys, closely packed with restless children in emigrant wagons, cooking the meals by day, & nursing the babies by night while the men slept. Leaving comfortable homes in the east they endured all the hardships of pioneer life, suffered with man the attacks of the Dakota Indians 26 & the constant apprehensions of savage raids, of prairie fires & the devastating locusts, mans trials, his fears, his losses, all fell on woman with double force, yet history is silent concerning the part woman shared in the frontier life of the early settlers. Men make no mention of her heroism & divine patience. 27 They take no thought of the mental & physical agony women endure in the perils of maternity without nurse or physician oftimes, in the supreme hour of their need, going as every mother does to the very gates of death in giving life to an immortal being. Travelling all over these western states in the 28 early days, seeing the privations women suffered, & listening to the tales of sorrow at the fireside. I wondered that men could ever forget the debt of gratitude they owed it to their mothers, or fail to commemorate their part in the growth of a great people Yet the men of Nebraska have twice defeated 29 the woman suffrage amendment. [submit?? the vote of the people] The most aggravating feature of these defeats is that the population is largely composed of foreigners, & thus by a vote of the riff-raff, of the old world, native born American woman of education & position denied their civil *The first time woman-suffrage was submitted to the popular vote in Nebraska was in 1871. It was a coupon to the constitution which was also defeated, so the vote was no test to the feeling on woman-suffrage which it was thought would have carried at that time. but for other features of the proposed constitution to which the people were averse. This is not usually regarded in Stating the results of popular [vote?] this question. 30 political rights, by the [votes?] of those who knew nothing of the principles of republican government Coming from Countries where women are harnassed with dogs & cows, & made to carry heavy burdens on their shoulders, the mere slaves of men, how could they understand the significance of Justice, Liberty & Equality as applied 31 to women? Civilized man might learn lessons of respect for women even from The Indians whom we have been steadily driving from their Ancient hunting grounds, & mercilessly crowding into the sea. Morgan in his [History????] 32 tells us that in more than half of the American tribes, [that] the property, children & descent were in the female line; that wise women sat in all their Councils; had a voice in the selection of their chiefs; & sometimes filled the highest positions of trust themselves, However much the people of 33 Nebraska may have advanced in civilization in many respects, beyond their ancestors the Dakotas, they are still far behind them as to woman’s status in government. Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.