Jailed for Freedom Part 10

Occasionally a woman came forward to remonstrate, but more often women were either too shy to advance or so enthusiastic that nothing could restrain them. The more kind-hearted of them, inspired by the dauntless pickets in the midst of a now freezing temperature, brought mittens, fur pieces, golashes, wool -lined raincoats: hot bricks to stand on, coffee in thermos bottles and what not.

Meanwhile the pickets became a household word in Was.h.i.+ngton, and very soon were the subject of animated conversation in practically every corner of the nation. The Press cartoonists, by their friendly and satirical comments, helped a great deal in popularizing the campaign. In spite of the bitter editorial comment of most of the press, the humor of the situation had an almost universal appeal.

At the Was.h.i.+ngton dinner of the Gridiron Club, probably the best known press club in the world,--a dinner at which President Wilson was a guest,-one of the songs sung for his benefit was as follows:

"We're camping to-night on the White House grounds

Give us a rousing cheer;

Our golden flag we hold aloft, of cops we have no fear.

Many of the pickets are weary to-night,

Wis.h.i.+ng for the war to cease; many are the chilblains and frost- bites too; It is no life of ease.

Camping to-night, camping to-night,

Camping on the White House grounds."

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The White House police on duty at the gates came to treat the picketers as comrades.

"I was kinds worried," confessed one burly officer when the pickets were five minutes late one day. "We thought perhaps you weren't coming and we world have to hold down this place alone."

The bitter-enders among the opponents of suffrage broke into such violent criticism that they won new friends to the amendment.

People who had never before thought of suffrage for women had to think of it, if only to the extent of objecting to the way in which we asked for it. People who had thought a little about suffrage were compelled to think more about it. People who had believed in suffrage all their lives, but had never done a, stroke of work for it, began to make speeches about it, if only for the purpose of condemning us.

Some politicians who had voted for it when there were not enough votes to carry the measure loudly threatened to commit political suicide by withdrawing their support. But it was easy to see at a glance that they would not dare to run so great a political risk on an issue growing daily more important.

As soon as the regular picket line began to be accepted as a matter of course, we undertook to touch it up a bit to sustain public interest. State days were inaugurated, beginning with Maryland. The other states took up the idea with enthusiasm.

There was a College Day, when women representing 15 American colleges stood on the line; a Teachers' Day, which found the long line represented by almost every state in the Union, and a Patriotic Day, when American flags mingled with the party's banners carried by representatives of the Women's Reserve Corps, Daughters of the Revolution and other patriotic organizations.

And there were professional days when women doctors, lawyers and nurses joined the picket appeal.

Lincoln's birthday anniversary saw another new feature.

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A long line of women took out banners bearing the slogans:

LINCOLN STOOD FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE 60 YEARS AGO.

MR. PRESIDENT, WHY DO YOU BLOCK THE NATIONAL SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT TO-DAY?

WHY ARE YOU BEHIND LINCOLN?

and another:

AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WOMEN ASKED FOR POLITICAL FREEDOM. THEY WERE TOLD TO WAIT--THIS WAS THE NEGRO'S HOUR. IN 1917 AMERICAN WOMEN STILL ASK FOR FREEDOM.

WILL YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, TELL THEM TO WAIT-THAT THIS IS THE PORTO RICANS HOUR?[1]

A huge labor demonstration on the picket line late in February brought women wage earners from office and factory throughout the Eastern States.

A special Susan B. Anthony Day on the anniversary of the birth of that great pioneer, served to remind. the President who said, "You can afford to wait," that the women had been waiting and fighting for this legislation to pa.s.s Congress since the year 1878.

More than one person came forward to speak with true religious fervor of the memory of the great Susan B. Anthony. Her name is never mentioned nor her words quoted without finding such a response.

In the face of heavy snow and rain, dozens of young women stood in line, holding special banners made for this occasion.

Thousands of men and women streaming home from work in the early evening read words of hers spoken during the Civil

[1]President Wilson had just advocated self-government for Porto Rican men.

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War, so completely applicable to the policy of the young banner- bearers at the gates.

WE PRESS OUR DEMAND FOR THE BALLOT AT THIS TIME IN NO NARROW, CAPIOUS OR SELFISH SPIRIT, BUT FROM PUREST PATRIOTISM FOR THE HIGHEST GOOD OF EVERY CITIZEN, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE REPUBLIC AND A3 A GLORIOUS EXAMPLE TO THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH.

AT THIS TIME OUR GREATEST NEED IS NOT MEN O$ MONEY, VALIANT GENERALS OR BRILLIANT VICTORIES, BUT A CONSISTENT NATIONAL POLICY BASED UPON THE PRINCIPLE THAT ALL GOVERNMENTS DERIVE THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED.

THE RIGHT OF SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR ONE-HALF OF ITS PEOPLE IS OF FAR MORE VITAL CONSEQUENCE TO THE NATION THAN ANY OR ALL OTHER QUESTIONS.

During the reunion week of the Daughters and Veterans of the Confederacy, the picket line was the center of attraction for the sight-seeing veterans and their families. For the first time in history the troops of the Confederacy had crossed the Potomac and taken possession of the capital city. The streets were lined with often tottering but still gallant old men, whitehaired and stooped, wearing their faded badges on their gray uniforms, and carrying their tattered flags.

It seemed to the young women on picket duty during those days that not a single veteran had failed to pay his respects to the pickets. They came and came; and some brought back their wives to show them the guard at the gates.

One old soldier with tears in his dim eyes came to say, "I've done sentinel duty in my time. I know what it is . . .

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And now it's your turn. You young folks have the strength and the courage to keep it up . . . . You are going to put it through!"'

One sweet old Alabamian came shyly up to one of the pickets and said, "I say, Miss, this is the White House, isn't it?"

Before she could answer, he added: "We went three times around the place and I told the boys, the big white house in the center was the White House, but they wasn't believing me and I wasn't sure, but as soon as I saw you girls coming with your flags, to stand here, I said, 'This must be the White House. This is sure enough where the President lives; here are the pickets with their banners that we read about down home."' A note of triumph was in his frail voice.

The picket smiled, and thanked him warmly, as he finished with, "You are brave girls. You are bound to get him, pointing his shaking finger toward the White House.

President Wilson's second inauguration was rapidly approaching.

Also war clouds were gathering with all the increased emotionalism that comes at such a crisis. Some additional demonstration of power and force must be made before the President's inauguration and before the excitement of our entry into the war should plunge our agitation into obscurity. This was the strategic moment to a.s.semble our forces in convention in Was.h.i.+ngton.

Accordingly, the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage and the Woman's Party, that section of the Congressional Union in suffrage states made up of women voters, convened in Was.h.i.+ngton and decided unanimously to unite their strength, money and political power in one organization, and called it the National Woman's Party.

The following officers were unanimously elected to direct the activities of the new organization: Chairman of the National Woman's Party, Miss Alice Paul, New Jersey; Vice-

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