NAWSA
General Correspondence
Burleigh, Florence

ROOM 210
Tel. 3500
EQUAL SUFFRAGE LEAGUE
MYRICK BUILDING
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
President, Eliza R. Whiting
1st Vice-President, Mary C. Bowden
2nd Vice-President, Jennie J. Starr
Treasurer, Virginia M. Southworth
Recording Secretary, Florence Burleigh
Corresponding Secretary, Anne M. Chapin
1st Auditor, Abby P. MacDuffie
2nd Auditor, Marie Ames

82 Belmont Ave.
Springfield Mass.
My dear Miss Blackwell,
Your editorials are
always interesting and to 
the point and I almost
always agree with you,
but in that headed
"Women and Honesty" in
the issue of Sept. 27th I
must differ with you on
a matter of principle so 
write to tell you of it.
You say, If Mrs. Johnson
could show that in the
enfranchised states more women

2.
than men cheated at elections
she would service fair forms
against woman suffrage. 
If the number of men and
women cheating were about
equal, it would not be an
"argument either way." In 
which case it would logically
follow that if more men
then women cheat at 
elections (which is the case)
that would be a "fair 
argument" against male
suffrage, would it not?
It seems to me your 
argument should be founded 
on bedrock principle that
women should have the
vote as a natural right

3
to self protection as criticizing
in a community; that 
one class - or sex - has no
right to say what another
class - or sex - should do 
so long as they do not infringe on the rights of 
others. Each woman should
decide for herself just what
her course of  credit should 
be just as each man 
should for himself. If we
make a plea for what
women will do with the
vote when she gets it we
weaken our stand. The
question is, are women
human beings and as
such have they a right to

4

a part in the government
housekeeping?  If so, grant
their right to vote;  if not,
the burden or proof is
with the antis.
   I don't mean to say that
we should never show
what has been done in
the suffrage states because
some minds work that
way and want results
rather than fundamental
principles;  but I do feel
very strongly that we
want to keep pretty
strait to the line when
we are giving arguments
if we can, but at any rate

5

not leave a loophole in
our logic for our friends
the enemy to take hold
of.
   Do you get my point
and will you pardon
my criticism?  It is so
seldom that you are
caught napping I almost
hesitate to write but
am sure you will feel,
with me, that what we
want most in this work
is to advance the course.
And it is certainly growing
faster than we had dared
hope five years ago.
  Very sincerely yours,
Florence A. Burleigh
October 5th

Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.