NAWSA
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
EMPIRE STATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

[*CATT*]
COPY

(From the files of Mrs. William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. President in 
1915 of the Newton, Mass. Equal Suffrage League.   Letter sent 
to field workers by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, Chairman of the 
Empire State Campaign Committee, New York.)

EMPIRE STATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
303 Fifth Avenue, N.Y.

March 18, 1915.

To all Field Workers:
I am enclosing two valuable clippings for your attention. 
THE NEW YORK WORLD, quite unbeknown to suffragists or anti-suffragists, 
has taken a straw vote on the question of Woman 
Suffrage, having sent return postal cards to very many women. The 
editorial is extremely valuable, and I am sure from these two 
clippings you will get some interesting points for your speeches 
and for your own encouragement.

Some of you have been working in hard fields and perhaps 
getting a little depressed over the outlook at times. Let me tell 
you that here in New York the pendulum of popular opinion, which 
seemed to have swung away from us when the war came along, has 
swung back now in our direction. Men are saying that four weeks ago 
they would have declared it to be impossible that our question should 
carry, but now they think it may carry by a very large majority. I 
never dreamed in my most optimistic moments that the press of New 
York would become so favorable as it is. The Hearst papers- JOURNAL 
and AMERICAN- read by thousands of people, are making hard blows in 
our behalf. The WORLD editorial, you see, is for us. The EVENING 
SUN and the TRIBUNE are very warmly endorsing our question. The 
TIMES is so nasty in its opposition that it is doing us worlds of 
good. 

Every city officer from the Mayor up and down in the Borough 
of Manhattan, has come out boldly for Woman Suffrage. Many people 
say to us that they hear Woman Suffrage talked in every direction 
and find an astonishing number of people in favor.

In a number of Assembly Districts here in [in] New York, 
regular canvassing is being pursued, and so far as this canvass has 
been made, the majority is for suffrage.

This is not for public announcement but for your own personal 
encouragement. Be assured that if all goes well we are in a winning 
campaign, but each and every one of us must make our strokes for the 
cause bring big results.

I present to you my most earnest sympathy and best greetings
with the hope that you are well, optimistic, and with the sense of 
victory thrilling through your veins. 

"FAILURE IS IMPOSSIBLE." 
Most cordially yours, 
(signed) CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT

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