NAWSA Subject File Congressional Union Irwin, Inez Haynes COPY Carrie Chapman Catt 120, Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York March 29, 1933 Mrs. Inez Haynes Irwin 240, West 11th Street New York, N.Y. My dear Mrs. Irwin: I apologize for delay in making reply to your letter of March 22nd. It happens that this week has been crowded to the limit. After reading your letter, I felt deeply impressed that I had either offended or hurt you in something I had said. For that I am very, very sorry. I have no feelings toward you except those of the kindest. I see that you and I have very fixed convictions and I am certain, now, that neither of us can easily be persuaded to give up a single one of those convictions. These is no profit, therefore, to continue the discussion. I would have something to say about everything you have said to me and you would have something to say in return. By and by, we would both be worn out. I should like the author of twenty-two books to like me very much and I am sure she won't if I write her any more letters! I think it best not to accept your invitation to write a few pages about the National American Women Suffrage Association, because the story about this organization and the story about that one is not good history, for the public will not be much interested in either organization. They are going to want to know how suffrage was won. I do not think you have the right of that, but I will say no more. It is your book. Concerning the manner in which the Congressional Union ceased to be a 2 member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, I believe you are entirely mistaken, but I have not time to spend in searching for the facts in the old records, so I must resort to my memory alone. I had been absent from the United States for two years and when I returned, the Congressional Union had been organized and trouble had been brewing between the two. I believe it was at that time that the new group had adopted its policy of holding the Democrats responsible and the National American Woman Suffrage Association was opened to that policy. The officers of the Association asked me to sit in a sort of adjustment committee, composed of delegates from the N.A.W.S.A. and an equal number from the Congressional Union. I remember that very well and yesterday, by chance, I met a woman who had also sat upon that Committee. Our memories were in entire agreement as to what had taken place. The N.A.W.S.A. point of view was that the Congressional Union could not remain a member and part of the National Association if this anti-democratic policy should be continued. Alice Paul was present and declared that it would probably be their policy; therefore, this was reported to the Board, who denied the further adherence of the Congressional Union to the National American Woman Suffrage Association. I know nothing of $100 annual fee or 5% of budgets ever having been a part of the policy of the National Association and I do not believe that this was ever true. I was president of the National Association from 1900 to 1904, but I fell ill and withdrew, never expecting to have any official connection with the National Association again. I was, meanwhile, president of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance for some twenty years and it gave me quite enough responsibility. I was, therefore, not fully in touch with changes that may have taken place, but when Miss Shaw retired, I was teased into serving again, against my wish and will, I accepted in 3 the winter of 1916, I think. While I may have lost some point in this process, I feel quite certain that I have stated the main point in a correct manner. You ask how many members [of] the National Association had from 1916 on. I remember trying, myself, to get correct reports from every state, so that the membership might be added and the total, thus secured, would be reliable. We did not have a national membership. The form of organization was being changed and some states had dues and others did not. I think the membership, at that time, in all the state auxiliaries was about two millions. The N.A.W.S.A. has still a legal existence and has a very tiny headquarters where the annual Woman Journals and the bound minutes of the National Association may be seen. I am sorry that you are now pressed for time and I assure you that hunting out facts from all of those printed records is no easy task; yet, it is not an excuse for an historian to say that she has omitted items because she did not know about them. It was a long and complicated story and nothing but hard study would probably dig out all of the facts. You have a brilliant book in the main. To my mind, the most important thing in the history of women that happened during the last one hundred years was the winning of the Vote and that story is, I fear, not at all correctly told. I regret it, but I shall not feel sad about it because some day, somebody will write a history of these past few years and merge the truth about everything and everybody in such a way that the story will be told without injustice to any group and that story will probably stand the test of acceptance by the nation at large as the truth about woman suffrage. I am really very sorry, my dear Mrs. Irwin, that I made any comment at all. I think I must lay that blame upon Miss Phillips for teasing me so hard to read the manuscript. I realize I ought not to have done it. Yours very sincerely, (signed) Carrie Chapman Catt Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.