NAWSA GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Winston, Edward M. EDWARD M. WINSTON ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW SUITE 901, ASHLAND BLOCK 155 NORTH CLARK STREET PHONE DEARBORN 6684 CHICAGO Dec. 13, 1939. Dear Miss Blackwell: Your card, the first of the year, is before me. I reminds me of a time when I took dinner at your home - on Dorchester Heights, if my geography is correct. - Your father and mother were present, yourself, a friend of yours — Eva Grace Channing if my recollection serves, - and myself. Your father remarked that he was to make a speech that night. Some of the younger trio asked what he would talk about. - and we were all much surprised that he said he had not thought about it. In later years we all no doubt came to the point where we would not have to take so much thought for a [talk?], — and of course to your father and mother, who had been making public speeches for years and were full of the [their?] subjects, no thought was needed. This is a long while ago. — probably in the spring of 1884. There is one thing in which the life-long crusader in public questions is fortunate. Knowing the long, long, struggle, we do not grow despairing at a single defeat, - for it is not a single battle that counts but the war. - and on one of these great questions the war cannot end except in success. - for it will not end until success has come, no matter how many battles go against us. Looking back over my life, I recall that I have seen almost the whole course of the agitation which has changed the whole status of women, - even if there are still some inequalities to straighten out. With best wishes, and much Christmas and New Year Greetings. I am Cordially Yours, Edwards M. Winston EDWARD M. WINSTON ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW SUITE 1317 ASHLAND BLOCK 155 NORTH CLARK STREET PHONE DEARBORN 0757 CHICAGO Oct. 30, 1937. Dear Miss Blackwell, I am enclosing a clipping from a paper which I think you may find interesting if you have not seen it. - I am under the impression that the lower left hand picture is your mother - but the others I do not know, though I should be glad to know. This reminds me of my acquaintance with your people, of the Woman's Journal office on Park Row, of a pamphlet - by various notable people approving the suffrage program, for which I secured the material by correspondence. I suppose it was used for a long time. And also of my various visits at your home, down in Dorchester overlooking the hills at [?], and particularly one occassion when I [?] dinner. There were present your father and mother, yourself, and a young woman of about your age whose name I do not now recall though I retained it for many years. Your father remarked that he was to speak [*E.M. Winston*] that evening and we three juniors were astounded at his statement that he had not thought over what he would talk of. I know that in the throngs of youngsters whom your people welcomed into the suffrage movement and into their friendship during these busy years few of us have remained in your recollection. But your acquaintance with my sister and brother-in-law, Mr & Mrs Keller, may give me a status in your memory. At any rate, having changed to my own astonishment into the status of an ancient during these years. I return to inflict this bit of reminiscence upon you. Fortunately the causes for which your parents gave their lives have most of their won, in public acceptance if not in actual fruition. Whenever I see the freedom, comparatively at least to which our young women have come in these years, I am rejoiced in the recollection that I was in at least a small way a participator in those great agitations - and I hope that I may yet see great progress toward the ideals of the Socialist movement as well. I am sincerely yours, Edward M. Winston 5427 Blackstone Ave Chicago, April 9, 1943. Dear Miss Blackwell: Here the Easter greetings. You sent me as you are good enough to do every year, these always pleasing things on the card, and always things that produce thought. I am particularly interested this year in the quotation from Mrs. [Stone?]. To the faint-hearted, who are always assuming that a set-back means final and complete defeat, I often say, "But this is civilization and therefore it will ultimately win." That is I take it the meaning of Mrs. [Stones?] statement. I think of the day when I took dinner with your family down on the heights overlooking Quincy- and when your father. within an hour before he was to speak somewhere, said that he had not thought what he would say- rather to the [consternation?] of the three youngsters present, who had not had the [training?] of a life time of public speaking behind them Cordially Yours, Edward M. Winston Chicago, Dec 20, 1940 Dear Miss Blackwell, Thanks for the card which you were good enough to send me. These cards as they come year after year always remind me of the time, now 5 years ago, when I belonged to all the suffrage societies in sight, both the two national societies, and the local ones as well, when I spent much time at the Woman's Journal office - 5 Park Street I think it was. And when I visited at your home out in Dorchester - and especially one time when I took dinner there. I think I wrote you of this letter some years ago, the company consisting of your father and mother, yourself, a young lady, a friend of your son, and myself - I think the name was Eva Charming, though I have not an idea how I came to remember the name, as I never met her so far as I know except that time. Though I have never recanted as to my faith in the Woman's Rights movement and have never ceased to argue for it on every possible occasion. I did not keep my activity in it after I arrived in Chicago, in 1888. (??????) Kate Gary, I think before she named by brother, was one of the Woman's Party people who picketed the White House in [Nelson's?] time and went to jail for a year long. But I did cease to take part in agitation. In 1887 and 1888, while I was in the law school at Madison, Wisconsin I was a member of the Prohibition Party, and the next year walked in the torch light procession of the Prohibitionist here in Chicago. I think the last of the torch-light Political procession which Chicago ever saw - Then after a four years return to my hereditary allegiance to the Republican Party, because I thought I was opposed to the [Face Silver?] program. Then 13 or 14 years in the Socialist Party, which I left in 1917, because I dissented from the war position of that party and because I had made up my mind that no party could be based in this country on a complicated economic theory, which the average man cannot understand, from lack of training But I had no mind to engage in this [?] of reminiscences! Perhaps it is appropriate enough at [*May the world return to some [?] sanity and to more sense before you and I cease to cling to it. Cordially Yours Ephrand M [?] [*78 ones [name] life is mostly behind us and therefore the mind runs on, How can youth indulgence reminiscence, - They have nothing to remember. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.