The Story of the Woman’s Party
by Inez Haynes Gillmore
The most poignant event — and perhaps the most beautiful in all the history of the Congressional Union — took place on Christmas Day of this year, the memorial service in memory of Inez Milholland. Inez Milholland was one of the human sacrifices offered on the altar of woman’s liberty. She died that other women might be free. p 184
That Christmas Day, Statuary Hall in the Capitol of the United States was transformed. The air was full of the smells of the forest. Greens made a background — partially concealing the semi-circle of statues — at the rear; laurel and cedar banked the dais in front; somber velvet curtains fell about its sides. p 185
Every one of the chairs which filled the big central space supported a flag of purple, white, and gold. Between the pillars of the balcony hung a continuous frieze; pennants of purple, white, and gold — the tri-color of these feminist crusaders.
The audience assembled in the solemn quiet proper to such an occasion, noiselessly took their seats in the semi-circle below and the gallery above. The organ played Ave Maria. Then again, a solemn silence fell. Suddenly the stillness was invaded by a sound — music, very faint and faraway. It grew louder and louder. It was the sound of singing. It came nearer and nearer. It was the voices of boys. Presently the beginning of a long line of boy choristers, who had wound through the marble hall way, appeared in the doorway.
They marched into the hall chanting:
Forward, out of error,
Leave behind the night,
Forward through the darkness,
Forward into light.