NAWSA GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Whitcomb, Camilla G. 35 Oxford Street Worcester July 2, 1915 My dear Miss Davidson, I have just written to Mrs. Pruitt in regard in our Southern border towns giving her carte blanche to plan, with you and the other generous Connecticut "suffragists" the whole thing. Miss Boatwell considers herself authorized, to arrange for the Connecticut help but she had so much thrust upon her in various towns of Worcester County that she was quite at a loss to know just what to plan for first. Now that I am once more in a position to speak with some authority I hope the whole thing can be worked out not only to our great benefit but to your satisfaction . I should like so much to have you come up to our County Conference. Having your relatives here I hope may make it possible for you to come the night before as our meeting begins rather early in the day. With kindest regards to our Mother and Miss Peckham and with the pleasantest memories of the day at your beautiful home, Believe me Most cordially yours Camilla G. Whitcomb MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION 585 Boylston Street, Boston President Miss Alice Stone Blackwell Vice-President Mrs. Ellen F. Adams Treasurer Mrs. Oakes Ames ______ Chairman Executive Board Mrs. Gertrude Hallady Leonard Chairman Ways and Means Committee Mrs. Benjamin F. Pitman Chairman Legislative Committee Mrs. Teresa A. Crowley Chairman Organization Committee Mrs. Wenon O. Pinkham _______ Secretary and Office Manager Mrs. Evelyn Peverley Coe [U.S. Map showing states with Full, Partial, Presidential & Man Suffrage] Votes for Massachusetts Women, November, 1915 Manomet, Mass. July 20 [*1915*] My dear Miss Danielson As Webster is on my mind a good deal of late I am wondering if it is possible to have some street speaking there by some of your Connecticut speakers - there seems to be such a fine chance for an audience around the Jocelyn House any pleasant evening. I wrote more than a week ago to one of the Webster women, Mrs. James Hetherman, to find out the restrictions, if there were any, in the matter of street speaking and get permits if necessary. I have been disappointed in not hearing from her but if you should be driving to Webster at any time perhaps you could make some inquiries and then all that would be necessary is to just have an automobile and a speaker some evening - and the audience will collect. Our Massachusetts speakers are so much in demand for weekly out of door speaking all summer in over twenty of our cities [that] towns the size of Webster & Southbridge seem to have nothing planned for them and they need that sort of thing badly. I am down here for a few weeks but will probably go up to Worcester whenever I can help things along in the county. Has the Dudley Grange meeting come off - I hope it was successful in the way of endorsing Suffrage. Does Mrs. Bartlett do out of door speaking? And do you? I should imagine that you two might make a very interesting program. Why not try it in Worcester and then try to get some others to do it later. We have one young woman in Worcester who was quite used to such speaking in Washington State and is quite willing to go wherever she is needed after the middle of August. Several of our young women of Worcester who have done more or less canvassing expect to go to Southbridge next Friday, the 23rd to canvass. I have endeavored to get some of the Southbridge women interested in it also - whether they will help or not remains to be seen. Has anything been begun in Worcester in canvassing? If you and others from Putnam were ready to invade Worcester it would be all right to pitch right in, taking some of the streets you have listed, without waiting for the Worcester people. Excuse this haste but I must get this into the mail - Very cordially yours, Camilla G. Whitcomb MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION 585 Boylston Street, Boston PRESIDENT MISS ALICE STONE BLACKWELL VICE-PRESIDENT MRS. ELLEN F. ADAMS TREASURER MRS.OAKES AMES ______ CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE BOARD MRS. GERTRUDE HALLADAY LEONARD CHAIRMAN WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE MRS. BENJAMIN F. PITMAN CHAIRMAN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MRS. TERESA A. CROWLEY CHAIRMAN ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE MRS. WENONA O. PINKHAM _________ SECRETARY AND OFFICE MANAGER MRS. EVELYN PEVERLEY COE WHITE STATES. FULL SUFFRAGE SHADED STATES. PARTIAL SUFFRAGE ILLINOIS. PRESIDENTIAL SUFFRAGE DARK STATES. MAN SUFFRAGE VOTES FOR MASSACHUSETTS WOMEN, NOVEMBER, 1915 ____________________________________________________________ Manomet Mass. Aug. 1, 1915 My dear Miss Danielson Your letter of the 24th was most encouraging with its fine report of the Dudley Granger meeting and its assurance of your continued willingness to help in Worcester and Southbridge. Five of our Worcester members made a visit in Southbridge on Friday July 23 - did some canvassing and one of them spoke to some two hundred men at the optical works at noon. Mrs. Geo. Litchfield had been instrumental, at my request, in having a few streets planned out with the voters' names for their canvassing but it had been found impossible to get any Southbridge women to help them except one who claimed a rather on the fence position and seemed afraid she might be thought a suffragist. However it Certainly was brave of her to pilot them about at all. Mrs. Litchfield whose child had the measles turned them over to Miss Gladys Litchfield who is president of the Woman's Club and very fearful of taking a pronounced stand on the suffrage question - & beyond having tried to get others to canvass with the Worcester people she could do nothing. I believe she or Mrs. Litchfield (I believe they are cousins) agreed to do something more with the lists. If you would write to either of them telling just how much you have done it would avoid their duplicating your work. I somehow did not realize that Miss Birtmill had asked you to do that work for Southbridge though I knew she did talk of it, or I might have sent you word about the Worcester canvass going and they might have had your lists. However it was good for the Southbridge ladies to be given some responsibility. The optical works seem to be where a large majority of the voters are employed and if you could drive out there and have some noon meeting? it might be a wonderfully good thing. Mrs. J.F.C. Wheelock, 43 D[???????] St, with whom I corresponded first wrote me that although she was not able to do much, she would be very willing to have any kind of a meeting at her home after Aug. 1. We had expected a new organizer for Worcester Co. who could be sent down there to work the ground but after doing a few days work in Gardner, she resigned. Worcester County seems to MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION 585 Boylston Street, Boston President Miss Alice Stone Blackwell Vice-President Mrs. Ellen F. Adams Treasurer Mrs. Oakes Ames ______ Chairman Executive Board Mrs. Gertrude Halladay Leonard Chairman Ways and Means Committee Mrs. Benjamin F. Pitman Chairman Legislative Committee Mrs. Teresa A. Crowley Chairman Organization Committee Mrs. Wenona O. Pinkham _______ Secretary and Office Manager Mrs. Evelyn Peverley Coe WHITE STATES. FULL SUFFRAGE SHADED STATES. PARTIAL SUFFRAGE ILLINOIS. PRESIDENTIAL SUFFRAGE DARK STATES. MAN SUFFRAGE Votes for Massachusetts Women, November, 1915 have its full share of troubles. Our Worcester members who went to Southbridge think they would like to go again and if you and your Putnam workers could plan some canvassing trips there the Worcester people could perhaps join you - but if you can go at any time without waiting to communicate with Worcester please do so as any bit of work will count. A call upon Mrs. Wheelock might be a good thing as I gave her the list of women whose names had come to me in one way or another and if you could engineer a meeting of women for the purpose of organizing a working committee it would make our hearts glad and I should be so grateful. I will write you any developments which I may hear of. Worcester remains inactive as a town. Mrs. Hetherman regrets she has not more time but she is very much [?????ed] in Good Samaritan work and it demands most of her time & strength. I hope the State Assoc. will send some street speakers there but any possible thing that can be done by anyone [???] is willing to give Worcester outside help is most [?] urged to put that willingness into practice. I am writing all this to let you know that the door is open for any of your Connecticut workers to try your making up [?]. The Victory Campaigns have Worcester scheduled for Sept 1, Dudley for Sept.2, Sturbridge for Sept. 3 & Southbridge for Sept. 4. They will accomplish a good deal but I hope we shall get something effective done before that. Do you not want to join in with our pilgrimage to Lucy Stone's home in West Brookfield? It would be fine to have a delegation from Connecticut. You know it is to be on Aug. 13 and the State Assoc. is making up some fine plans Do come up with your car decked out for Suffrage - it purple, green & white will add to the effect wonderfully, and have Connecticut in big letters. The Victory Campaigns are to be in West Brookfield that day and we hope many voters in town will be reached in some way. I shall go up to Worcester probably on the 10th so if you have reason to write to me after the 8th, direct to Worcester. I shall return to Manomet probably on the 14th. I take it Mrs. Bartlett did not succeed in getting and endorsement of Suffrage from the Dudley Grange but it was very encouraging, wasn't it? I hope she can do some outdoor speaking. I am afraid I have tired you out with this but there seems to be no end to what one wishes to talk one. With kindest regards to your Mother & Miss Pinkham Cordially your for Victory in Mass. Camilla G. Whitcomb [*I would like to have any Wor. Co. cards sent to me first - but if the Dudley men's cards were checked by the voting list it was just as well to send them to Boston. C.G.W.*] [*Votes for Women 1915*] Conference of Suffrage Workers in Southern Worcester County at the Threshing Floor, 35 Oxford Street, Worcester on Wednesday July 7 (1915) at 10 a.m. REPORTS from towns and districts, DISCUSSION of methods and plans for winning our Campaign, under the leadership of Mrs. Claude U. Gilson, of Wellesley, LUNCHEON at 1:30 p.m. to which all out of town delegates are invited guests. Please give us the encouragement of your interest by attending both the Conference and Luncheon. CAMILLA G. WHITCOMB, County Chairman. Kindly reply by Tuesday if we may have the pleasure of your company at the Luncheon. Manomet Mass Aug 17 1915 My dear Miss Danielson I hope you have received the cards which I arranged to have mailed to you on Sunday or Monday. I am so grateful to you for suffering[?] into the Southbridge work and I hope it will not prove quite so unresponsive to your efforts as the Southbridge attitude among some of the women seems to indicate. I am afraid there is no chance of getting a Worcester party to go to Southbridge this week - the workers who are in town are busy with plans for other things and the days are so warm[?] I hardly like to ask them to branch off into my county work. The Southbridge women ought really to help - perhaps they will. The Victory Campaigns are to be in Southbridge on Sept. 4 and we hope for fine results from their canvassing and out-door speaking, but the more that can be done before they arrive the more thoroughly will the whole town be lined up. I will send to Mrs. Wheelock the regular circular letter about the Victory Campaigners and hope she or someone else will make the arrangements necessary. We had a short interesting day last Saturday at West Brookfield - I wish you might have been there - I had a call while I was in Worcester from Mrs. Hethirman of Webster. Work is going on slowly there. A new list has been printed of the Webster voters by streets which will be very useful and ease a lot of work in preparing the lists. Mrs. H. is to secure one or more copies. I am sorry we did not know the town was to do such lists before you took so much trouble in preparing them. The Victory Campaigners visit Webster on Sept. 1, Dudley, Sept. 2, and Southbridge Sept 3. I wonder if Mrs. Bartlett of Putnam can advise me whom to send the letter to in Dudley about the visit of the V.C.'s. The Dudley cards have not been sent back to me from Boston as they should have been, and would you kindly ask Mrs. B. if she has the Dudley voting list to either send it to me or see if she can get me another? I sent to the Town Clerk for one but received no response. Did the Dudley Grange pass any resolution of endorsement? If you find men who are favorable see if they object to signing cards I would like their names also & check off on the voting lists. I wish I could promise you some help on the 20th but fear it is impossible. With kindest regards to your mother and to Miss Peckham and with cordial gratitude to you & to Mrs. Bartlett I remain Yours for Victory Camilla G. Whitcomb Manomet Mass Sept 1 1915 My dear Miss Davidson There is good prospect of having a fine suffrage speaker -- Mr. Weatherly gives two days next week to Worcester Co and it seems to me that Webster Smithbridge & Sturbridge would be the places ' to put him if you can manage to look after arranging for him He can speak three times a day which will give fine chances for noon meetings at factories & evening meetings -- out of doors if possible. Can you get the thing planned for? If you think you can will you write directly to Mrs. Susan Ball, Speakers Bureau asking the days you prefer. I am now at a Suff. business meeting at Plymouth and will tell Mrs. Page who goes back to Boston to see that two days are reserved for the next week -– Mr. W. they say is very fine indeed and is just giving a short time. Some local people to be with him is of course most desirable and an auto to speak from. Webster needs something of the sort tremendously and I should think. Southbridge was in just the condition now to make such a visit most effectual. Do put it through. I shall be in Worcester in a few days -- perhaps by Friday night. Please send me a card direct to Worcester -- also one to Mamomet, at the same time writing to Mrs. Ball at Mass. headquarters. This seems peremptory but it is only very urgent. Cordially yours Camilla G. Whitcomb Private Mailing Card Manomet Mass. Aug 5 4 PM 191[?] Miss Raemond Davidson Putnam Heights Putnam [Conn?] MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION 585 BOYLSTON STREET, BOSTON PRESIDENT MISS ALICE STONE BLACKWELL VICE-PRESIDENT MRS. ELLEN F. ADAMS TREASURER MRS. OAKES AMES CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE BOARD MRS. GERTRUDE HALLADAY LEONARD CHAIRMAN WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE MRS. BENJAMIN F. PITMAN CHAIRMAN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MRS. TERESA A. CROWLEY CHAIRMAN ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE MRS. WENONA O. PINKHAM SECRETARY AND OFFICE MANAGER MRS. EVELYN PEVERLEY COE WHITE STATE, FULL SUFFRAGE SHADED STATES, PARTIAL SUFFRAGE ILLINOIS, PRESIDENTIAL SUFFRAGE DARK STATES, MAN SUFFRAGE VOTES FOR MASSACUSETTS WOMEN, NOVEMBER, 1915 35 Oxford Street Worcester Sept.8 [*1915*] My dear Miss Danielson: The Weatherly speaking fell through after all. Mrs. Page was to book him for Nor. C. for two days this week but it appears that she did not tell Mrs. Ball of the Speakers' Bureau and he was booked up elsewhere for May day, as I learned yesterday by telephoning to Boston. I was sorry as I had determined to see the whole thing through. However we must get some good speaking in these times. I hope the Victory Campaigns did good work. It was too bad about the Southbridge meeting - Mrs. Pruitt must have felt that Massachusetts should be wiped off the map - some of its women are so intolerably slow to grasp a situation. We have our County Conference on Friday of this week at 10 a.m. I hope I can persuade some of the Southbridge & Webster women to come – If you are anywhere near do come. Cordially yours Camilla G. Whitcomb Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.