CLARA BARTON GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Hooker, Isabella B. Sept. 1890-Dec. 1898R. Sept. 15 90 " 16 Isabella Hooker [?] write her at Chicago Hartford Sep. 12. 1890 Copy Dear Mr. Waller As I may not be able to go to Chicago next week permit me to make a few suggestions. 1. As the Women Commissioners are entirely subject to the Commissioners appointed by Congress, & as they will not be called to meet with them next week when plans of work are to be developed & announced, a Woman President & Vice Prest. Should be appointed at once & required to attend all the meetings of the Commission & Consult with Prest. Palmer as to the work expected of the "Woman's Board" by the Sovereign Commission. 2. This Commission should settle the question of a separate exhibit for women in the Negative - first, on account of the increased expense & difficulty of such an arrangement- & second, because of the impossibility of separating the work of men & women. The Chief work of woman is men, & we can't exhibit these if we would, & some of them we wouldn't if we could. Mothers & teachers have little time for general industries, but there are women who have done good work in nearly every direction & they will hardly care to receive prises labeled, "Best China painting done by a woman." Please read an extract from a letter justreceived, from a lady of high position after conversing with one of the Commissioners from her State. "I had a talk with Mr ______ & this was the gist of his remarks-- that the women had never had such an opportunity before-- that it was almost unheard of--the same number of Commissioners as the men, to do the same work for women that they did for men. He said some of the senators & representatives were furious about it--thoroughly disgusted that such a proposition should pass. With regard to a separate exhibit for women, he said the proper thing was for the women to get together & agree what they wanted & then if they applied to the President there would be no doubt of their having what they wished. But if they were going to quarrel among themselves then it would simply disgust the men, & they would get nothing. I failed to see Mr _______ but I presume all the commissioners think alike about this. As to the separate exhibit all women will see the sense of it, when it is explained to them, that in the past a man will make a fine exhibit of lace, for instance, every thread of which has been made by a woman, & he gets a premium for the best exhibit of lace." You will perceive our position. If there is a difference of opinion among women, we are to be cast out of the synagogue, before we have been called together for consultation, before our Commissioners have been appointed & their duties made known & their compensation fixed. Another Commissioner informed a lady whom he was consulting as to the choice of Coms. for his State, that he should expect her to be comparatively young, & very active & intelligent, & able to visit every town in the State & make careful report of woman's work in each: & added that his own duties would not be in that line but chiefly in the management of the Exposition at Chicago. It seems plain to me, that the men + women Commissioners should have substantially the same duties & the same compensation--& the women should be instructed to work for the Exposition as a whole, putting their best thought & labor into it, to make it worthy of the "People of the United States of America." John Stuart Mill said once, in the House of Commons that "Women were every day accustomed to make small means effect much, but Parliament to make vast means effect little": and you may depend upon it if women had sole charge of the finance department, the cost of the Exposition would be thousands less than it will be, not to say millions.Make Clara Barton Prest. of Women's Board (and she is the peer of any man on the Commission + has more foreign medals than any or all of them) & you will have all that can be had, for every woman of us will work under her without a question & the Grand Army simply adore her. If you add Mrs. Genl. Logan as Vice Prest. nothing more could be asked. Mrs. Senator Harley who called on me yesterday, said she & others had obtained the names of every senator's wife & every representative's to a memorial asking Congress to appoint women on the National Board of Commissioners. But the Rule failed & even this partial measure was passed with difficulty. She was thankful however (as we all are) for any official recognition + she was against separate exhibits for women's work_Thought it would prove a failure as in the last Exposition, & throw discredit on the really valuable achievements of women. With much respect, faithfully yrs, Isabella Beecher Hooker Hartford Sep. 13 90 Laty. My dear Friend, The enclosed copy of a letter to Mr Waller, our Connecticut Commissioner, & lately our Minister to England, explains itself. What I want of you is to be ready to go to Chicago on a telegram early next week_& on no account to decline (the) to be President if chosen. I am to be appointed Commission for Connecticut as a democrat (which I am in every sense of the word) & shall go to Chicago on Monday to help the women there make things go as they should - especially no separate exhibit - & I am determined to have a womanat the head of Women's Board who understands business & can hold her own as against such men as the ones mentioned in my letter to Mr. Waller. I wish you could come to Chicago any way - so we could conduct & then influence such commissions as are reasonable - I learn that it was Mr. Waller who really secured the two women from each state in the midst of opposition. Write me there. Care of Dr Frances Dickinson 70 State St. Chicago. With much love Isabella B. Hooker Hartford Dec 12. G letter book p. 401- Cuba. My dear Your book is out - so you can just write me a line - to this effect that sometime during the month of January you will come to us & keep our work in the legislature. It must be of a Wed. or Thursday - or the members will be off somewhere _ but any week will do _ or even inIsabella B. Hooker Dec. 13 " 16 -98 Wants help before legislature. [*G letter book p. 451 Cuba*] Dec. 30. 1898 Hartford Conn. Dear Friend, Can you not promise to spend a few days with us sometime in Feby.? If you can this will answer all present purposes - & we can wait your convenience for giveing precise date. Faithfully Isabella B. Hooker You surely ought to have a vacation by that time & we will make it both pleasant & morally & spiritually profitable.Feby - all I want is to be able to say to my Exe. Com. that you will come sometime You really must do this for we are getting old & time is short for this fellowship- Faithfully Isabella B. Hooker Mrs. I. Beecher Hooker Dec. 30 Jany. 3 -98.