NAWSA               SUBJECT FILE             Congressional Union
                                                               Moque, Alice L. H.

Moqui 
Alue L.H.
Et al

Washington, D. C.
February 19, 1914.

Dr. Anna Howard Shaw,
President, Natl. American Woman Suffrage Assn. ,
New York, N. Y.

Dear Madam:-
     A number of members of the Congressional Union have publicly 
expressed their dissatisfaction with the methods of the 
Congressional Union, by which its financial affairs are controlled 
and its policies dictated by a self-appointed chairman 
and a self-constituted committee, who have made to the members 
of the Union no financial report, save a printed resume 
in the Suffragist of February 9th, and who arbitrarily and 
entirely of their own volition announce what courses of action 
shall be taken by the so-called "Union."

     A general statement of the reasons for such local dissatisfaction 
is given in the same resolutions herewith enclosed, 
which were passed at a mass meeting of members and formers 
members of the Congressional Union on January 28, 1914.

     We understand from various sources that the conduct of 
the chairman and the committee of the Congressional Union 
has given the National Association considerable embarrassment 
in financial and other ways. Therefore we, the committee 
from a number of members of the Congressional Union, 
appointed in pursuance of the of the final clause of the enclosed 
resolutions, feel the need of authentic information in regard 
to these matters, before taking any further steps. For this 
reason, we take the liberty of asking you to answer as fully 
as possible the following questions:

     1. In your opinion, is it reasonable to expect any 
cooperation between the Congressional Union and the National 
Association, or any of its branches?

     2. Can you give us any data of proof in regard to 
alleged attempts of the Congressional Union to undermine 
or otherwise injure the National American Woman Suffrage Association?

     3. What is your opinion of the probable effect of the 
published policies, recent actions, and proposed methods of 
procedure of the Congressional Union, upon the general cause 
of woman suffrage?

     4. Has the the legislative work of the Congressional Union 
been of value to the general cause of suffrage?

     5. Has the Congressional Union done organization work

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outside the District of Columbia, and if so has such work been 
helpful or detrimental to the work of the National Association 
and suffrage in general?
6. Is it true that the Congressional Union has retained 
in its possession and refused to relinquish certain properties 
and records belonging to the National Association, and does 
such refusal hamper and embarrass the National Congressional 
Committee in its work in Washington?
7. Inasmuch as the chairman of the Congressional Union 
has, by publication in the Suffragist, submitted to its 
members only a general statement for the financial reports 
of both the Congressional Union and the Congressional Committee
of the National Association during the past year, 
with no distinction whatever between their respective funds; 
has the National Association received such separate, precise 
and detailed accounting on the part of the former congressional 
committee for the last year, that by a process of elimination 
the membership of the Congressional Union could thereby 
obtain an accounting of the funds received and disbursed 
in the name of the Congressional Union itself?
8. Have we your permission to make public your answers 
to these questions in the case it should be deemed expedient to 
do so?
We would greatly appreciate an answer to the above questions, 
together with any suggestions or advice which you may 
feel free to give us in regard to the local situation.

Very respectfully yours,
(signed) Alice L. H. Moque', Chairman,
Ivy Kellerman Reed
Mrs. Mosshart
Committee.

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