Catt, Carrie Chapman General Correspondence Unidentified National American Woman Suffrage Association Member National Council of Women Honorary President, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 26 West 61st Street, New York. President, Susan B. Anthony, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, New York. Recording Secretary, Alice Stone Blackwell, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Vice-President-At Large, Rev. Anna H. Shaw, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Treasurer, Harriet Taylor Upton, Warren, Ohio. Corresponding Secretary Rachel Foster Avery, 119 N. 19th St., Philadelphia, Pa. Auditors, Laura Clay, Lexington, Ky. Catharine Waugh McCulloch, Chicago, Ill. Chairman Committee on Organization, Carrie Chapman Catt, 107 World Building, New York. National Headquarters, 107 World Building, N.Y. May 17, 1899. (Dictated.) Dear friend, - The organization Committee of the National-American Woman Suffrage Association is striving to build up an organization large enough and powerful enough, to combat successfully the prejudices of society and secure the enfranchisement of women. We are bending every energy of brain and body to this end. Organization is the aggressive work of our Association and without it, there is little hope of final victory. We have planned a splendid year's work, which, if carried out, will place our whole movement a long step ahead. For the past two years we have given considerable help to Iowa, with the result that there are now 250 active clubs in that State, a County organization in nearly every County, a Headquarters at Des Moines, the capital, wherein the correspondence is done and press work conducted. We hope for a successful amendment campaign in this State in the near future. We want to bring every State to this degree for grand success. We believe the organization of regions surrounding Iowa will be a powerful help to that State. We, therefore, propose the organization of the three southern tiers of counties in Minnesota, the three northern tiers in Missouri, and the organization of the entire State of Nebraska. The constitution of Nebraska is so framed it is impossible to amend it, and because of this fact, a constitutional convention will undoubtedly be held in the near future. So not only as a help to Iowa, but by way of preparation for a campaign, likely to be precipitated at any time, we believe the organization of Nebraska is of critical importance. To this end we propose to hold a series of county conventions in these three States which will cover 120 counties. We propose, further, to hold a series of Conferences in eleven southern States. These have been repeatedly urged by the friends in those States, but we have been unable to comply with their request because of lack of funds. If we are able to hold them this year, it will give a much needed impetus to our work throughout the South. We wish, also, to give further assistance to Iowa and Oklahoma; to reorganize Arizona and New Mexico; to reorganize New Hampshire, which has declared its Association dead. These results mean hard grinding, self-sacrificing work. Day after day, from morning until night, week in and week out, our office force will be at its post, without vacation, without rest, in its effort to carry all these plans into effect. We can not succeed alone, and whether we do any of it must depend upon YOU. We feel that a moral responsibility rests upon us to see that there is no pause in the onward march of suffrage organization. Yet we can not go on without YOUR help. - 2 - The organization fund is supplied entirely by voluntary contributions. We have no claim upon any of the regular resources of the Association. What we do, therefore, depends entirely upon what we get. We have estimated that $10,000 will be necessary to carry out the campaign planned. We ask you to help. Send us any amount, but make it as large as possible. A careful accounting is made of every penny, and a detailed report of the work will be sent every person who contributes. If you can send nothing now, send us a pledge on enclosed slip that you will pay something during the year, that we may know the amount to depend upon and when to expect it. Ours is a great cause. Its establishment means a better and holier order of things, but its coming depends almost entirely upon the amount of money which can be put into the aggressive work. Therefore, be generous, kind friend. Please do not lay this letter aside and forget about it, but reply at once, and send something if possible. Yours for early victory, Carrie Chapman Catt 2 West 86th Street, New York City. November 12, 19 09. Dear Senatorial Chairman: I desire to receive at the earliest possible moment, bills for postage. If your cards of notification were sent out by your Assembly Organizers, will you get their bills? If anyone desires to contribute the postage, I desire to know the amount and to credit her with it. The first duty is to interview the Senator and Assemblymen of each District. Will you do this, or see that it is done? Kindly secure answers upon these three points when possible: (1) The views of Senator or Assemblyman upon the general subject of woman suffrage. (2) Is he favorable to the submission of a suffrage amendment? (3) Will he use his influence to get the bill out of the Committee, if that Committee gives evidence of smothering it as usual? Please report the name and address of your Senator and your three Assemblymen, together with the answers to the above questions as soon as possible. If these instructions sound autocratic, please forgive. I only wish to make them clear. The State Legislative Committee will meet soon, and I should like to report to it the status of all our Albany representatives. Kindly report to me if Permanent Assembly Chairmen were elected in any of your Districts. I am in doubt about most of the Districts. The 25th Assembly District, Mrs. Ivins, Chairman, has already had a meeting and has appointed several Election District Chairmen. The District will be canvassed thoroughly to find suffragists who will be listed and literature distributed. The imperative need is to get correct District lists for each District. Are your Chairmen ready and willing to do this kind of thorough work? Will you send me names and addresses of any women known to you who might be acceptable speakers at District meetings, specifying to what class of people they will appeal most strongly? Is there anything I can do to assist your work? Most cordially, (Carrie Chapman Catt) 2 West 86th Street, New York City. November 12, 1909. Dear Senatorial Chairmen:- The hearing before the Charter Legislative Committee for our Convention will take place in the Council Chambers of the City Hall, on Monday, November 22nd, at ten o'clock. Originally we tried to get an appointment of one person from each Assembly District, so as to make the audience upon this occasion representative of the whole City. Only a few Chairmen reported any such nominations. The Council Chamber holds several hundred people, so that it will be allowable to get as many people there from your three Districts as you may desire. Will you kindly let me know how many you think will come from your Districts? We should like to have the hall full, and if the number is likely to be limited, we will send out some sort of public notice. An educational hearing will take place on Wednesday morning, November 17th, and we are permitted to have someone there to speak upon women on the Board of Education, and we will do so. Yours cordially, Carrie Chapman Catt Century, of almost Achievement, complete Three quarters, triumphant Today, evermore! Alice T. L. Parvens[?] 21 EAST 66TH STREET Free Verse Acrostic to Mrs. Catt. January 9 - 1934 Comrades, congratulate, Acclaim, yea, Revere, and Rejoice in this Interesting Event of our dear Champion, our Heroine of victory vote, the Actual, true Patriot, even now note a Menace to armies, Antagonist of navies, Nemesis of War. 21 EAST 66th STREET Free Verse Acrostic To Mrs. Catt. January 9 - 1934 Comrades, congratulate, Acclaim, yea, Revere, and Rejoice, in this Interesting Event of our dear Champion, our Heroine of victory vote; the Actual, true Patriot, even now note, a Menace to armies, Antagonist of navies, Nemesis of War. August 27, 1925 My dear Mrs.Catt: May we use parts of your speech in our Weekly News? Miss Brainerd has cut it as you will see in attached copy, so that it will fit the space she has available. We do not want to use it in any way that would not please you. Is this all right? I shall telephone in the morning for your answer. Yesterday was a wonderful day and I only hope you were pleased with it. Mother heard you on the radio and said it was as clear as if you had been in the room with her. My love to you and my "Boss". Affectionately yours EJH Girard. Oct 24 Dearest Lady:- One of the great throng happy about the Pictorial Review award. I must tell you so. It is just right that it should go to you. Please'm remember me to Miss Wilson & M. G. Peck & believe me as ever. Your utterly devoted Elizabeth J. H. 567 West 186th St.,New York October 23, 1930 Dearest Lady: Just a line to congratulate you on receiving the $5000. Pictorial Prize. That's great! I am just as happy as I can be about it, as I am sure all your friends are. You should feel mighty proud of yourself. But you deserve it, and more too! I enjoyed the Luncheon very much and thank you for the privilege of being at your guest table, which was very much appreciated. Lovingly, Minnie Business is punk! NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. Oct. 22/ 30 Dear Chief:- Good enuf. Warmest congratulations. Your charm and genius were born with you and in my competent judgment Sh'd be credited with one percent of the award. The other ninety nine percent of your conquest is sheer hard work and dogged devotion in the application of both talents and acquired skill. In 1913 in Berlin, Marie Stritt said to me in effect "it makes me weary to hear people say that Mrs. Catt achieved her great leadership by some special genius. She did it by hard work". No prize ever given at any time anywhere was awarded with greater justification than this to you. It was good to see you yesterday sitting in your familiar place of distinction. You know how to wear a crown. One need never be nervous that some impish trick will give it a rakish tilt. Here's making you great enjoyment of your new bonnet. With loving remembrances, Clara The Woman Citizen Carrie Chapman Catt Chief Contributing Editor Mrs. Raymond Brown Managing Director The Editorial Office 171 Madison Avenue New York February 8, 1927 Dear Mrs. Catt: If my thank you for the beautiful carnations is a bit belated, at least the carnations have lasted until I could send the note off; so you see how fresh and vigorous they were. Really, they gave us the greatest pleasure, both with their beauty and with their spicy fragrance. Thank you so much. I am looking hopefully, [always] almost with my tongue hanging out, for an editorial. The date I gave you was the 19th, and this is to tell you that it honestly is a last-minute date so far as I can see. Well, perhaps if I got something by the very early gong on the 21st I might manage to beat the printer into letting me put it in. At any rate, don't say you couldn't get it here by the 19th and so didn't send it, if there is the slightest chance that you could get it here by the 21st. Nicaragua, Mexico and China are all just aching for some powerful comment from your powerful pen. I am enclosing a rough record of something that Mrs. Stewart told me yesterday - not because of its having any special importance at the moment, but for your interest. Some of -2- these days we'll have to find the right way to round up all this sort of business and give it a few really good whacks. As a matter of fact, aren't you planning to do the whacking? If the Hapgood book doesn't come along pretty soon, don't you want to cut loose without it? As ever, with love for both of you, Virginia VR.CL REPORT OF AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN MRS. CORA WILSON STEWART AND D. A. R. OFFICIALS Mrs. Stewart was approached by some of the D. A. R. board members, who were interested to consider cooperation with the National Illiteracy Crusade. I don't know whether or not Mrs. Stewart had made any approach to them in the first place. The women asked her many questions about the origin of the movement and its backers. When she spoke of having been in Europe last year at an international meeting on illiteracy, they questioned why she should do that rather than spend her time on illiterate Americans. They looked at her letterhead, and when they saw the name of Jane Addams they said, "Oh, do you consider her a big woman?" and when Mrs. Stewart said wholeheartedly that she did, and why, they said, "Well, we don't." The next day a Mrs. Hobart, one of the D. A. R. officials, called up Mrs. Stewart and asked her if she would meet with some of them again, in a group which would include a Mr. Munn, who, said Mrs. Hobart, was one of their advisers. Mrs. Stewart accepted, and of course, knowing the special interests of the D. A. R., she prepared herself with some of the literature that showed the use of flag drill and patriotic pledges, etc., in the course of instruction. When she got to the appointed place she found herself at a long table, around which were seated not only board members, but four or five men. They were all introduced to her, but not specifically identified. Among them was a Colonel (?) Ryan, who seemed to be the chairman of the men's group, and who was, by the way, the most courteous of the bunch. Mrs. Stewart was placed in the midst and subjected to a thorough grilling. They asked her who financed the organization and whether any one had offered to do so. Of course she expressed a fervent wish that some one would. They asked her who was back of the movement, who had called it together, and when she said that she had, one or two of them seemed a bit contemptuously surprised. They were quite definitely discourteous in some of their questions, and patronizing in their later suggestions, she said. When they had finished their inquisition, they pulled out the letterhead which the women had taken away with them the day before, and said that they highly approved of the aims of this Crusade, and they didn't want to see so fine a movement fail, but that their group could give no cooperation so long as Mrs. Stewart's board contained a certain five objectionable names. These were: Jane Addams, Mrs. Catt, Ida Tarbell, Ida Clyde Clarke and Glenn Frank, and they pointed out that the president of the [committee] board, William Allen White, had recently had an article in the Masses* suppressed by the Post Office Department.* [*Not true.*] I asked Mrs. Stewart what were the charges they brought against these five (six, really), and she said they were all lumped together as undoubted "Reds." Mrs. Stewart, of course, didn't give them an inch of satisfaction on their charges, and the meeting ended. -2- After she was left alone with Mrs. Hobart, Mrs. Stewart said to that lady that this had been an absolutely unprecedented experience for her, and she wanted to understand it better. She asked Mrs. Hobart to give her the names and identifications of each of the men present. Mrs. Hobart said that she really couldn't do it, that she didn't know they were to be there, except for Mr. Munn. The next day Mrs. Stewart called Ryan, and asked him the same question. He said he would give her the names and addresses, and incidentally mentioned that they hadn't known they were to be there - he spoke of them as a "committee" - until twelve o'clock, when Mrs. Hobart had called them up and asked them to be present at two. Mrs. Stewart was unable to repeat to me the full names and identifications of the men, but she remembered that there was one representative of the American Legion, one of the Sons of the Veterans, one from the Sons of the Revolution, one from the Better America Federation, and it was her impression that Mr. Munn is a munitions maker. The Ryan man, she thinks, has something to do with the Federal Reserve. Mrs. S- isn't telling this story generally - she may later - but she said I might tell you for your delectation. S.V.R. Western Union (13 1947 JAN 9 PM 6 33 N98 10=NEWROCHELLE NY 9 445P MRS CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT= HOTEL BILTMORE = BEST WISHES FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY FROM THE CLUB CANDLE STAFF= TAYNTON. Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.