NAWSA
Subject File
Congressional Union
Dock, Lavinia L.

Lydia L Dock
Lavinia

265 Henry Street,
New York, June 1st, 1915.

Dear Mrs. Catt:-
I have a copy of the letter written by you to
Miss Paul and members of the Congressional Union, and I
honestly believe you take the matter far too seriously, and
quite of proportion.
I am a member of the Union - However, away
back last winter I told them I must temporarily leave them in
abeyance - not because I disapprove their acts - but simply
because I couldn't do more than one thing and that one must
be our campaign.  True, I did go on the deputation  to
Senator O'Gorman, but otherwise I have kept my nose right to
our local grindstone. I did not know of the visit to the
President until I read it in the paper.  However, I do not
criticize them, and wrote them to that effect.  It seems to
me that at a time when men are performing as they are with
every manner of violence - it is a queer indeed that it should
be considered unseemly for women to try to urge their claims
on the president who is after all the head of the country and
the promotor of public opinion.  I hold that it is right and
timely for women's protests to be heard on all sides and on
every occasion, and that men will really respect them more if
they do insist on coming forward.  The indignation of suffragists


[-2-]
ought rather - I believe - be turned against the president
for his insulting, ignoring and evasion of the two Philadelphia
women - who went in a perfectly ladylike manner and waited
submissively for two whole days to see him.  But not one
paper criticized him for that shabby, seamy insult. And what
is the great burden on the president?  Isn't it the fear of
what men are going to do?  Why then must women be so considerate
of him?
It seems to me ignominious for suffragists to
apologize to the president and to write letters to the papers
reprobating so simple and justifiable an incident.  They ought
to take a more spirited stand and declare their own impatience
and resentment at being so brushed aside and so absurdly lectured
by editors.
I honestly think that these people who pretend to
be changed in their opinion - "I was going to vote for you -
but now I won't" do not deserve to be taken seriously.  It is
too puerile an attitude.  O'Gorman is the type who couldn't
be trusted no matter what he said - and no matter what he ever did
say - I would never expect him to help woman suffrage.  Same
way with the editor you speak of - He certainly would never be
anything but a hollow sham.  We might all be angels and it
would not avail anything with him.  Wasn't this whole thing
proved at the time of the civil  war - when women meekly put
aisde their own demands?

- 3 - 
Those people who want to - can always find reasons. 
There is really nothing any group of women can do but offends
somebody. The fact that Chicago women voted for Republicans
has alienated many Democratics here. The fact that western 
states are democratic sets many of our Republicans against us. 
Every new dry country anywhere loses us some votes here. Two
women selling their votes somewhere makes a lot of faint hearts.
Are we to be anxious over these things? I think not - and
the action of the Congressional Union is like a toothpick
among telegraph poles in comparison. Dear Mrs. Catt, the 
upper classes of men whom you chiefly see never will let women
vote if they can help it. Before the Congressional Union was 
ever heard of they were unalterably hostile, and tomorrow they 
will have forgotten the "heckling" but will still be hostile.
   The only hope we have for winning is in the labor
vote. If we don't get that we can't win - and that vote is
not at all disturbed by the heckling of a President. I will
tell you what is a much more serious injury to the New York
campaign than the activities of the Congressional Union - and
that is the fact that the National Woman Suffrage Association
has earned the illwill of organized labor by persistently refusing
to unionize its office. Even if they do it now at the
last minute they can't efface the ungracious, unsympathetic
impression they have made. 


- 4 - 

Now I would not have written any of this to you, 
had you not sent your letter to me. But I am sure you have
magnified the critics a thousandfold.
I am, 
Sincerely,
L.L. Dock

[*It seems to me the immense nationwide stimulus and
pace setting of the Cong Union more than balances 
the individual offense it may give her there to 
decorous people.*]

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