NAWSA       GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE        BURR, FRANCES E.

Frances Ellen Burr [?] 
Hartford, May 23./74
Dear Friends
I have been for 
the past month at the
bedside of a such friend,
& in addition to this, a
member of our family
is not lying very low,
not expected to recover
so it will be impossible
for me to attend the
meeting, which I should
be very happy to do, if
able. As to the report
of the work of our State Society,
I am in no condition to
get up one now. However,
there would be little to
say, at the best. Connecticut 
is not very enthusiastic 
in woman

suffrage matters, but as
much so; perhaps, as [any]
a majority of the States.
There are some that are
much ahead of her – Michigan, 
for one, which stands
some chance of being the
banner state.
    Mr. Eaton has just presented 
a couple of bills
in the Legislature, one
giving women the ballot
on a property qualification – 
& the other, to be
brought forward only in the
event of the failure of the
former – exempting women
from taxation while disfranchised. 
These bills were
drawn up by Mr. Hooker.
Mr. Eaton as you are probably
aware, has just been

elected to the United States 
Senate. [Whether he favors
woman suffrage or not,
I cannot say, but] His kind
& gentlemanly favors to the
advocates of the cause,
show a genial, liberal
spirit that may some
day not very distant, give
us a good champion
in the United States
Senate.
     Miss Abby Smith & sister
have just been up from
Glastonbury to make
arrangements to have
a hearing before the
Legislature, which is
now assembled in
New Haven for the

last time, Hartford
being the one Capital
hereafter, & the White
marble walls of our
new State House fast
giving up. I hope by the
time it is completed-
two or three years hence-
women will grace its
halls as members of the
Legislature. No more
fitting inauguration of the
new building & opening of
legislative work there
could be made than by
the occupancy of some
of its seats by women
& their enrollment on
the list of members-
What a grand day & an

honor would that be to
this conservative old
Commonwealth! That 
would serve to wipe
out all her past record
of blue laws & bilious
bigotry in all things
progressive. Will
she never see a truth
in the light of the
noon-day sun, or must
she slump in the
mind forever? Spirit of
Blue Laws & intolerance
forbid!
Yours sincerely
Frances Ellen Burr

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