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died。 And now the room was filled with eager
voices。 Four or five women were telling at once
that they； too； had been reluctant in the beginning；
and that when they had reached the point of consent
this； that； or another cause had kept the husbands
from marrying again。 They were all so passion…
ately in earnest that they stared at me in puzzled
wonder when I broke into the sudden laughter I
could not restrain。
‘‘What fortunate women you all were！'' I ex…
claimed； teasingly。 ‘‘Not one of you arrived at the
point of consenting to the presence of a second wife
in your home until it was impossible for your hus…
band to take her。''
They flushed a little at that； and then laughed
with me； but they did not defend themselves against
the tacit charge； and I turned the conversation into
less personal channels。 I learned that many of the
Mormon young men were marrying girls outside of
the Church； and that two sons of a leading Mormon
elder had married and were living very happily with
Catholic girls。
At this time the Mormon candidate for Congress
（a man named Roberts） was a bitter opponent of
woman suffrage。 The Mormon women begged me
to challenge him to a debate on the subject； which
I did； but Mr。 Roberts declined the challenge。 The
ground of his refusal； which he made public through
the newspapers； was chastening to my spirit。 He
explained that he would not debate with me because
he was not willing to lower himself to the intellectual
plane of a woman。
XIII
PRESIDENT OF ‘‘THE NATIONAL''
In 1900 Miss Anthony； then over eighty； decided
that she must resign the presidency of our Nation…
al Association； and the question of the successor she
would choose became an important one。 It was
conceded that there were only two candidates in
her mindMrs。 Carrie Chapman Catt and myself
and for several months we gave the suffrage world
the unusual spectacle of rivals vigorously pushing
each other's claims。 Miss Anthony was devoted
to us both； and I think the choice was a hard one
for her to make。 On the one hand； I had been
vice…president at large and her almost constant
companion for twelve years； and she had grown ac…
customed to think of me as her successor。 On the
other hand； Mrs。 Catt had been chairman of the
organization committee； and through her splendid
executive ability had built up our organization in
many states。 From Miss Anthony down； we all
recognized her steadily growing powers； she had；
moreover； abundant means； which I had not。
In my mind there was no question of her superior
qualification for the presidency。 She seemed to me
the logical and indeed the only possible successor
to Miss Anthony； and I told ‘‘Aunt Susan'' so with
all the eloquence I could command； while simul…
taneously Mrs。 Catt was pouring into Miss Anthony's
other ear a series of impassioned tributes to me。 It
was an unusual situation and a very pleasant one；
and it had two excellent results： it simplified ‘‘Aunt
Susan's'' problem by eliminating the element of per…
sonal ambition； and it led to her eventual choice
of Mrs。 Catt as her successor。
I will admit here for the first time that in urging
Mrs。 Catt's fitness for the office I made the greatest
sacrifice of my life。 My highest ambition had been
to succeed Miss Anthony； for no one who knew her
as I did could underestimate the honor of being
chosen by her to carry on her work。
At the convention in Washington that year she
formally refused the nomination for re…election； as
we had all expected； and then； on being urged to
choose her own successor； she stepped forward to
do so。 It was a difficult hour； for her fiery soul re…
sented the limitations imposed by her worn…out
body； and to such a worker the most poignant ex…
perience in life is to be forced to lay down one's
work at the command of old age。 On this she
touched briefly； but in a trembling voice； and then；
in furtherance of the understanding between the
three of us； she presented the name of Mrs。 Catt to
the convention with all the pride and hope a mother
could feel in the presentation of a daughter。
Her faith was fully justified。 Mrs。 Catt made
an admirable president； and during every moment
of the four years she held the office she had Miss
Anthony's whole…hearted and enthusiastic support；
while I； too； in my continued office of vice…president；
did my utmost to help her in every way。 In 1904；
however； Mrs。 Catt was elected president of the
International Suffrage Alliance； as I have mentioned
before； and that same year she resigned the presi…
dency of our National Association； as her health
was not equal to the strain of carrying the two
offices。
Miss Anthony immediately urged me to accept
the presidency of the National Association； which
I was now most unwilling to do； I had lost my
ambition to be president； and there were other rea…
sons； into which I need not go again； why I felt that
I could not accept the post。 At last； however； Miss
Anthony actually commanded me to take the place；
and there was nothing to do but obey her。 She was
then eighty…four； and； as it proved； within two years
of her death。 It was no time for me to rebel against
her wishes； but I yielded with the heaviest heart
I have ever carried； and after my election to the
presidency at the national convention in Washing…
ton I left the stage； went into a dark corner of the
wings； and for the first time since my girlhood ‘‘cried
myself sick。''
In the work I now took up I found myself much
alone。 Mrs。 Catt was really ill； and the strength
of ‘‘Aunt Susan'' must be saved in every way。
Neither could give me much help； though each
did all she should have done； and more。 Mrs。
Catt； whose husband had recently died； was in a
deeply despondent frame of mind； and seemed to
feel that the future was hopelessly dark。 My own
panacea for grief is work； and it seemed to me that
both physically and mentally she would be helped
by a wise combination of travel and effort。 During
my lifetime I have cherished two ambitions； and
only two： the first； as I have already confessed；
had been to succeed Miss Anthony as president of
our association； the second was to go around the
world； carrying the woman…suffrage ideal to every
country； and starting in each a suffrage society。
Long before the inception of the International Suf…
frage Alliance I had dreamed this dream； and；
though it had receded as I followed it through life；
I had never wholly lost sight of it。 Now I realized
that for me it could never be more than a dream。
I could never hope to have enough money at my
disposal to carry it out； and it occurred to me that
if Mrs。 Catt undertook it as president of the Inter…
national Suffrage Alliance the results would be of
the greatest benefit to the Cause and to her。
In my first visit to her after her husband's death