"Women have voted in Utah fourteen years， but， because of the little word 'male' that still stands upon the statutes， no woman is eligible to any office of emolument or trust. In three successive legislatures， bills have been passed， providing that the word 'male' be erased； but， each time， the Governor of the Territory， who has absolute veto power， has refused his signature. Yet women attend primary meetings in the various precincts and are chosen as delegates. They are also members of county and territorial central committees， and are thus gaining practical political experience， and preparing themselves for positions of trust.
"In 1882 a convention was held to frame a constitution to be submitted to the people and presented to the Congress of the United States. Women were delegates to this convention， and took part in all its deliberations， and were appointed to act on committees with equal privileges. It is the first instance on record， I think， where women have been members and taken an active part in a constitutional convention.
"Much has been said and written， and justly， too， of suffrage for women in Wyoming； but， in my humble opinion， had Utah stood on the same ground as Wyoming， and women been eligible to office， as they are in that Territory， they would， ere this， have been elected to the legislative Assembly of Utah.
"It is currently reported that Mormon women vote as they are told by their husbands. I most emphatically deny the assertion. All Mormon women vote who are privileged to register. Every girl born here， as soon as she is twenty-one years old， registers， and considers it as much a duty as to say her prayers. Our women vote with the same ******* that characterizes any class of people in the most conscientious acts of their lives."
These various questions were happily solved in 1895， when Utah became a State. Its Constitution gives women the right to vote on all questions， and makes them eligible to any office.
The journey over the Rocky Mountains was more interesting and wonderful than I had imagined. A heavy shower the morning we reached the alkali plains made the trip through that region， where travelers suffer so much， quite endurable. Although we reached California in its hot， dry season， we found the atmosphere in San Francisco delightful， fanned with the gentle breezes of the Pacific， cooled with the waters of its magnificent harbor. The Golden Gate does indeed open to the eye of the traveler one of the most beautiful harbors in the world.
Friends had engaged for us a suite of apartments at the Grand Hotel， then just opened. Our rooms were constantly decked with fresh flowers， which our "suffrage children，" as they called themselves， brought us from day to day. So many brought tokens of their good will杋n fact， all our visitors came with offerings of fruits and flowers杢hat not only our apartments， but the public tables were crowded with rare and beautiful specimens of all varieties. We spoke every night， to crowded houses， on all phases of the woman question， and had a succession of visitors during the day. In fact， for one week， we had a perfect ovation. As Senator Stanford and his wife were at the same hotel， we had many pleasant interviews with them.
While in San Francisco we had many delightful sails in the harbor and drives to the seashore and for miles along the beach. We spent several hours at the little Ocean House， watching the gambols of the celebrated seals. These， like the big trees， were named after distinguished statesmen.
One very black fellow was named Charles Sumner， in honor of his love of the black race； another， with a little squint in his eye， was called Ben Butler； a stout， rotund specimen that seemed to take life philosophically， was named Senator Davis of Illinois； a very belligerent one， who appeared determined to crowd his confrè；res into the sea， was called Secretary Stanton. Grant and Lincoln， on a higher ledge of the rocks， were complacently observing the gambols of the rest.
California was on the eve of an important election， and John A. Bingham of Ohio and Senator Cole were stumping the State for the Republican party.
At several points we had the use of their great tents for our audiences， and of such of their able arguments as applied to woman. As Mr. Bingham's great speech was on the Thirteenth， Fourteenth， and Fifteenth Amendments， every principle he laid down literally enfranchised the women of the nation.
I met the Ohio statesman one morning at breakfast， after hearing him the night before. I told him his logic must compel him to advocate woman suffrage.
With a most cynical smile he said "he was not the puppet of logic， but the slave of practical politics."
We met most of our suffrage coadjutors in different parts of California.
I spent a few days with Mrs. Elizabeth B. Schenck， one of the earliest pioneers in the suffrage movement. She was a cultivated， noble woman， and her little cottage was a gem of beauty and comfort， surrounded with beautiful gardens and a hedge of fish-geraniums over ten feet high， covered with scarlet flowers. It seemed altogether more like a fairy bower than a human habitation. The windmills all over California， for pumping water， make a very pretty feature in the landscape， as well as an important one， as people are obliged to irrigate their gardens during the dry season. In August the hills are as brown as ours in December.
