NAWSA General Correspondence LaFollette, Belle Case 3320 Avenue of the Presidents, February 7, 1914. Dear Miss Blackwell: Your appreciation of LaFollettes and friendly confidence in us personally goes to the right spot. I wish I could better help to clarify the problem for you. Mr. LaFollette says the policy on the Union of holding the administration responsible on the suffrage issue, is defensible politically and if carried out with judgement can be made to promote the cause. The caucas action of the House Democrats certainly was a slap in the face and furnishes a slogan with which to go out into the suffrage states and appeal to the voters to rebuke the party, it might be made to work, I can not say. But I can not but feel doubtful about the practical results of such a course in the states where amendements are pending. Most of the leading suffragists of the nation have been educated to the policy of non-partisan-ship. They would need to be converted or else be divided and there is always too much of that in every state. In Wisconsin the republicans, the progressives and the socialists were committed to suffrage, but the votes were not held by it and if we had attacked the democrats we should lost votes and wasted our efforts. Personally I should not think of interfering in those states that have referendums pending nor elsewhere for that matter, without conference with the reliable leaders of those states. Miss Paul and Miss Burnes have appeared to adhere to their line of action as mapped out in their minds without fear of consequences. They have been very successful in their agitation here in Washington and I am not inclined to criticise or put any obstacles in their way, even though their plan does not seem to be the wisest one to me. I should not like to see the Woman's Journal commit itself unqualifiedly to their announced policy. I think you can help in your judicial way to make it understood and suggest its application where practicable. But where conditions do not warrant raising the party issue it should not be allowed to overshadow or to retard, in any way interfere with the organized work. I am enclosing a copy of what I wrote Mrs. Glendower Evans some ten days ago as to the effect of the disagreement. As you will see I did not speak with any great positiveness, not as a participator but as an observer from the outside. I think as editors, if we can emphasize the importance of recognizing the value of all these different agencies and say as little as possible about their personal differences we shall do the greatest service. It is a pleasure to feel in close personal touch with you and I assure you that you need never fear that your confidence will be violated. Truly yours, Belle C. LaFolette [*FILE*] Personal 3320 Avenue of the Presidents Washington, D. C. 8 June 1914. Dear Miss Blackwell: After I answered Mrs. Roessing's letter as per carbon copy attached, it occurred to me to send the correspondence on to you. What do you think of the idea of distributing flyers, as she suggests, at the chautauquas where Miss Price and I are to debate the suffrage question? I am so accumtomed not only to making a constructive argument for suffrage, but to thinking that way, that I have given but little consideration to the claims of the antis and the arguments upon which they build. If you approve of Mrs. Roessing's suggestion, may I send you Miss Price's speech, when Mrs. Roessing sends it to me, and ask you to outline the answer to such of her statements as you think should be refuted? I do not feel that anybody has the intimate, ready knowledge that you have for doing this thing, and I know that no one has better judgement as to which of the arguments are worthy of reply. Sincerely yours, Belle [?] Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.