Suffragists -- United States; Women -- Suffrage -- United States
Presumably this was expected to disarm us and perhaps silence our
demonstration. However, it merely moved us to make another hasty visit
to Senator Overman, Chairman of the Rules Committee, and to Senator
Jones, Chairman of the Suffrage Committee, between the hours of two and
four to see if the President’s statement that he would do all he could
to secure an early vote had altered their statements made earlier in
the day.
These Administration leaders assured us that their statements stood;
that no provision had been made for action on the amendment; that the
President’s statement did not mean that a vote would be taken this
session; and that they did not contemplate being so advised by him.
Such a situation was intolerable. The President was uttering more fine
words, while his Administration leaders interpreted them to mean
nothing, because they were not followed up by action on his part.
We thereupon changed our demonstration at four o’clock to a more
drastic form of protest. We took these words of the President to the
base of Lafayette Monument and burned them in a flaming torch.
A throng gathered to hear the speakers. Ceremonies were opened with the
reading of the following appeal by Mrs. Richard Wainwright, wife of
Rear-Admiral Wainwright:
“Lafayette, we are here!
“We, the women of the United States, denied the liberty which you
helped to gain, and for which we have asked in vain for sixty years,
turn to you to plead for us.
“Speak, Lafayette, dead these hundred years but still living in the
hearts of the American people. Speak again to plead for us like the
bronze woman at your feet, condemned like us to a silent appeal. She
offers you a sword. Will you not use for us the sword of the spirit,
mightier far than the sword she holds out to you?
“Will you not ask the great leader of democracy to look upon the
failure of our beloved country to be in truth the place where every one
is free and equal and entitled to a share in the government? Let that
outstretched hand of yours pointing to the White House recall to him
his words and promises, his trumpet call for all of us, to see that the
world is made safe for democracy.
“As our army now in France spoke to you there, saying here we are to
help your country fight for liberty, will you not speak here and now
for us, a little band with no army, no power but justice and right, no
strength but in our Constitution and in the Declaration of
Independence; and win a great victory again in this country by giving
us the opportunity we ask,—to be heard through the Susan B. Anthony
amendment.
“Lafayette, we are here!”
Before the enthusiastic applause for Mrs. Wainwright’s appeal had died
away, Miss Lucy Branham of Baltimore stepped forward with a flaming
torch, which she applied to the President’s latest words on suffrage.
The police looked on and smiled, and the crowd cheered as she said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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