Native Daughter
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1 42 Copyright, 9 , by AL RI CH MO N D Publirb ed ANITA WHITNEY 1 70 Golden Gate Avenue lifornia CON TE N T S The H a t Glimmer Tender , Beautiful Years " 1 Loved My People From Suffrage t o Socialism War and Aftermath The Case of Anita Whitney Formative Years The Great Crisis Be sr Known , Most Beloved The Secret of Leadership ’ On the occasion of Anita Whit ney s 75th O bi rthda ul 7 l942 this bio ra hical y , J y , , g p ske tch is inte nded as a birthday gift to he r thousands of f riends comrades and edmi r , e rs He r l l n nd r ch has be n de . ife o a i e , g , voted to them and to those millions of othe rs who st ill do not know he r but in , time will come to love and reve re he r as those wh n w h r For them th boo o k o e do. is k is inte nded and if it se rves them eve n mi , nute l as we ll as Anita Whit ne has se r ed y y v , it will ha e r ed them we ll v se v . CHAPTER ONE she n0 t The little girl , could have been more than - n a seven , was wide eyed at the vibra t brilli nce which filled T h the vast rotunda of the Capitol Building . e gas jet of l r flames , the source all this i lumination , spa kled through the varicolored crystals of great chandeliers which descended from the tall ceiling that soared upward an d upward in a majestic curve to form the Capitol dome . The crowd that moved thr ough this spacious cha mber was as n as l . t brillia t the ight How beautiful were he ladies , their rich satins reflecting the glow of the lights! H ow i k mposing the gentlemen , Stiff in their formal froc coats , elegant in their white gloves! The little girl w as awed nor only by the physical of n splendor the scene, but by the vague k owledge that ’ these handsome ladies and gentlemen were America s t grea , its statesmen and soldiers , lawmakers and jurists . She clutched more tightly at the hand of her aunt who r swept th ough the crowd with aristocratic ease . At times she a gl nced at her uncle, Justice Field , bowing stiffly in of t on recognition respectful gree ings all sides . Justice 1 2 NATIVE DAUGHTER Field looked like a Supreme Court justice should . He had a long, graying beard , its sparseness somewhat disguised by the sheer length of the hair which had remained . S imilarly, he compensated for the barrenness of his smooth t head , glistening amidst all his radiance , by the luxuriance hi s n of the remaining hair which rimmed head , begi ning t at the chin and running up he jaws , then flowing from the f H is rear incline of the skull over the nape o his neck . Strong face , built around a broad nose, was topped by thin rimmed spectacles through which gazed alert and int elli gent eyes . i ’ Justice Field enjoyed h s niece s manifest excitement . It was his inspiration that brought the little visitor from far f o f California to the Capitol party . He had insisted that the little girl see all the sights Washington had to offer . Yes im , he said, the White House and the Capitol were pressive by day . But the Capitol rotunda illuminated at funCt ion ! night for a social Ah , there was a sight to fire f - the imagination o a seven year old girl . And he was right . The little girl was aglow . The scene before her had driven from her mind the many fleeting images she had retained from the trip cross - country through the ma ' esric t u j Rockies , over Indian erritory and immense nsettled v z for plains which ser ed only as gra ing ground buffalo , then past a series of ever larger railroad stations and towns as the train roared eastward . The little girl had known ’ i k of 1 870 s noth ng but the Oa land the , brightened by an a occasional trip across the bay to San Fr ncisco . For her the long journey to Washington had been an ever- mount ing tide of excitement, now capped by the social elegance of the capital . T and drow smess he hour was late for her, natural , THE FIRST GLIMMER 1 3 of i blended with the splendor her surround ngs , only heightened the feeling that this was some magnificent dream through which she floated on wings of soft exhil . t oo l aration Her big eyes shone, overwhe med by the toral effect to detect detail . she t oo t t o Of course , was li tle a girl know that really she the social season had n0 t been up to par . Even had n or been told , her mind could comprehend why the failure di hi a in of 1 87 of two lea ng Was ngton b nks the fall 3 , at of m the height the financial panic, should have di med ’ sh Washingt on s social life . Nor could e have under Stood the peculiar nostalgia which permeated some sec hi t t he tions of Was ngton socie y, fed by a resentment at w as changes in the wake of the Civil War . This a time of great change in Washingt on and social change has a f sad effect upon the molds o social amusement . The physical appearance and social habits of the capital u co ld not help but reflect the deeper change in progress . old t i The taverns were replaced by ho els , and the soph s t icat ed Washington correspondent of The New York " for t o Herald sighed , Alas those who love take their ease in inns! The old taverns are badly replaced by t he ‘ ’ ” l so so hore s so . modern , gaudy, dear and uncomfortable of With the proper touch irony, The Herald correspond " ent suggested that a college of heraldry be endowed by the government to advise the new and ill - bred Congress " ” on e of a i or for men s lection crest , sh eld and m to their " more so as s n t paper , to prevent ome amusi g mistakes tha ” t . might occur, as o hers have occurred The anecdote of the season was perhaps most expres sive of the contempt with which the representatives of the rising and robust bourgeoisie were regarded by the 14 NATIVE DAUGHTER old southern aristocrats and their s nobbish northern w as friends . The Story was told that a masquerade to be given by Governor Shepherd at his mansion and the Con g ressional Library was crowded with those seekin g de f signs and inspiration or costumes . " ” What character can I take ? asked a new Congress of t t she is man a Tennessee belle , said o be as wit y as beautiful . " she of Go as a gentleman , replied, and none your u friends will recognize yo . " S of evere, but merited , was the curt comment The Herald correspondent who could n or resist publishing i um the witticism in h s col n . With the same scorn he wrote of the wives of western Congressmen in their new cheap black silks ; their hus in t - bands frock coats , dir y, ill fitting gloves and colored ” " of a neckties and the dep rtment people, with ravenous appetites . But t he little girl could n0 t disting uish the various per sona es . S g he moved among them entranced , oblivious of t so the deep rivalries , he petty social jealousies , much f F r o n t . o t a part Washingto socie y her, Ken ucky belles t of one and he wives Ohio Congressmen were but swirling, unbelievably wonderful mass . The shabby Southern aris t ocrat s who salved the wounds of defeat on the field of battle with pointed witticisms at the expense of the victors had no virtues in her eyes which distinguished them from ’ . t Boss Tweed s boys of New York In her innocence, i he t oo . s was all wonderful Her head swam , and sank into a State which in older persons might have been engen f t dered by the lassitude o slow intoxication . The brigh lights began to blur and the once wide- open eyes began THE FIRST GLIMMER 1 5 to narrow as her eyelids dr ooped under the increasing f of o . weight sleep The hubub voices seemed far away, rising and falling as sound often did when sh e flapped i her hands aga nst her ears . She was relaxing into the soft of on down contented sleep , wrapped in a fatigue brought by sheer exhilaration and brimming joy . er Suddenly she was Startled ou t of her drowsiness . H “ aunt had gently nudged her, Dear, the party is not over . " We are about to see a Stage performance! food i hts Before improvised g , there appeared a young t woman , her face streaked with sorrow and drawn wi h hunger . She was clad in rags and a frayed shawl dr aped sshev led her shoulders . Her di hair strayed over her fore T w . o t t head lit le children clutched at her skirts , heir faces raised in supplication .