NAWSA Subject File Congressional Union NAWSA, Separation From [*Noted*] [*Synopsis of correspondence + conferences etc. re separation of Cong. Union + NAWSA*] 1913-14 1913 - At the last business session of the Convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, in Washington, D. C., December 5th, it was moved by Mrs. Catt and seconded that it be the request of the Convention to the Executive Committee that the Congressional Committee be continued another year, that that the Official Board and Congressional Committee co-operate so to adjust matters that all causes of embarrassment to the members of the Convention be removed. (Exhibit A: Convention Minutes, Dec. 5, 1913.) At the Post Convention Executive Committee meeting on Friday afternoon, December 5th, Mrs. Roessing of Pennsylvania, said, "Pennsylvania asks information from the Executive Committee and Board of Directors as to whether they approve of the press statements which are sent out. As I asked at this morning's meeting. I don't know whether by the Union or the Committee but they are sent from Washington - in which certain statements are made which affect state work. We 1 discovered that material was being given to representatives of Philadelphia papers who have correspondents in Washington, and one day a letter came from Washington declaring that it is no longer practicable to work for suffrage state by state. If this is the policy of the National, then Pennsylvania wants to know, and, if not the National policy, then the Congressional Committee policy should be approved or disapproved, so we may know where we stand. If this policy is true, then Pennsylvania will not be able to work." After discussion, Miss Mary Garrett Hay said it was the sense of the Executive Committee that any proposed notice sent out that outlined the policy of the Association should go out with the O. K. of the Executive Board of the National Association. The motion was carried that any item sent to the press, defining the policy of the National Association, should first be submitted to the Official Board, or someone authorized by the Official Board. (Exhibit B: Minutes Executive Committee, Dec. 5, 1913.) 2 On the evening of December 5th, there was an informal meeting of the Board in Washington. Those present were: Dr. Shaw, Miss Addams, Mrs. Bowen, Miss Ruutz-Rees, Mrs. Breckinridge, Mrs. Fitzgerald and Mrs. Dennett. Mrs. Laidlaw and Mrs. McCormick had been obliged to return to New York. Miss Paul, Miss Burne and Mrs. Lawerence Lewis had been asked to confer with the Board. Mrs. Lawrence Lewis sent work that Miss Paul was lying down in her room, utterly exhausted, and really ill. We, therefore, sent a message up to Miss Paul to the effect that, if she felt unequal to the conference, she should not try to come. The answer was that she certainly would come, which we presently did, together with Miss Burns and Mrs. Lewis. Previous to her appearance, it was decided that, in view of that fact that Mrs. McCormick and Mrs. Laidlaw were nit present, and that Miss Paul was feeling so used up, the meeting should not be considered a regular one, but merely an informal conference. 3 Miss Addams apparently voiced the feeling of the Board, by saying to Miss Paul, that since she was so tired they would not try to make very important plans, but would be glad, if she wished, to just talk about the world unofficially. Miss Paul, however, had almost nothing to say, and seemed to give the impression that she was rather unwilling to talk at all; at least she did not make conversation easy. Most of the dimension was with Mrs. Lawrence Lewis in regard to the right of the Congressional Union to organize branches in the states over the heads of the state organizations. Mrs. Lewis contended that the Congressional Union had a right to do this, and should do it, and that for her part, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Union, she would do it. She was asked if she meant she would do that in spite of the protest of the Pennsylvania State Association, and she said yes, because she felt that Pennsylvania State Association was unreasonable in its demand for co-operation. 4 After Miss Paul, Miss Burns and Mrs. Lewis went out, Mrs. Roessing came in for a conference, at her own request, on the subject of the work of the Congressional Union in Pennsylvania. Exhibit C: Statement by Mrs. Dennett; O.K.'d by Miss Shaw, etc. On December 6th, Miss Shaw wrote Miss Paul as follows: "The Board desires that you send to 505 Fifth Avenue, New York, a report of the Congressional Committee, including the financial report, so that we may have it at a meeting of the National Board on Dec. 9th." (Exhibit D: Letter of Dr. Shaw to Miss Paul) At the Board meeting, two alternative plans were discussed by the Board for adjusting the relations between the National Congressional Committee, and Miss Ruutz-Rees was asked to interview Miss Paul and Miss Burns, and submit to them the two schemes of establishing the proper relationship between the National Association with the Congressional Committee and the Congressional Union. These plans were as follows: 1st- Whereas the work of the Congressional Union is essentially a part of the work of the National Congressional Committee, and whereas whatever suffrage work is undertaken to influence Congressional action is, by the public, inevitably considered as work of the National Association, we therefore, ask that reports of the work done, and the work planned by the Congressional Union (so closely related to the National Congressional Committee) be submitted through the [c]ommittee to the National Board, with the further conditions as requests from the Board to the National Congressional Committee and the Congressional Union. 1. That no money shall be raised by the Congressional Union in the name of the National Association without the knowledge and consent of the National Treasurer. 2. That no organizer shall be sent into states for Congressional work without the knowledge and consent of the presidents of the State Association. 3. That the Congressional Union shall print its own stationery, and that the official stationery of the N.A.W.S.A. be used only in case of definite committee business and never for the raising of money. II. As alternative scheme: That the National Congressional Committee and the Congressional Union be more definitely separate in name. 6 That they shall have separate Headquarters and separate stationery. That the Chairman of the national Congressional Committee shall not be the president of the Congressional Union. That there shall be no money raised in the name of the Congressional Committee except for strictly committee business. That the accounts of the Congressional Committee shall be rendered regularly through the National Treasurer, and that the annual financial report of the National Treasurer shall contain the report of all donations from the Congressional Union or from other sources to the National Congressional Committee. That a member of the committee shall report personally at all regular Board meetings. That plans undertaken by the Congressional Committee involving the policy of the National Association shall be submitted to the National Board. That Press Bulletins involving the policy of the National Association shall not be issued without having been checked by an authorized representative of the National Board. That money for headquarters and office staff of one for the Committee be supplied by the N.A.W.S.A. That it be understood that the Congressional work in the states is the work of the National Congressional 7 Committee and not of the Congressional Union. It was further agreed that if the report of Miss Ruutz-Rees as to this interview, should be satisfactory, the National Congressional Committee should then be named as follows: Chairman- Some member of the official board. Other members- Miss Paul, Miss Burns, Mrs. Medill McCormick, Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs. Catt, Mrs. Breckinridge and Mrs. Beard. Miss Ruutz-Reez, on December 9th, telephoned Miss Paul at Washington; told her the Board was then meeting, and asked her that she and Miss Burns or at least, Miss Paul, herself, come and see her the next day, so that she might discuss the situation with them or with her, and report to the Board. Miss Paul said, "I cannot possibly come"; and Miss Ruutz-Rees said, in substance, "Oh, Miss Paul, it is really very important, the Board is meeting in the next room and much depends on your coming; I should make and effort to come if I were you." Miss Paul then said, Yes, she would come, and Miss Ruutz-Rees suggested that she should come to Greenwich. Miss Ruutz-Rees then arranged with the Board that 8 it should come to Greenwich next day, and meet there after her interview with Miss Paul, and while Miss Paul was in the house. Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Breckinridge and Mrs. Stanley McCormick had planned to leave town that day, but all agreed to wait over in order to learn the result of Miss Ruutz-Rees' interview with Miss Paul. The next morning Miss Ruutz-Rees received a telegram from Miss Paul, saying that she had been unable to leave and would come the following morning (Thursday). Miss Ruutz-Rees telephoned this to the members of the Board and Mrs. Breckinridge and Mrs. Fitzgerald agreed to remain in New York until after the interview with Miss Paul. Mrs. McCormick was unable to do so, as she had made arrangements to go West. On Thursday morning Miss Ruutz-Rees went down to the train at Greenwich to meet Miss Paul, but instead found Miss Burns who explained that Miss Paul had not been well enough to come. 9 Miss Ruutz-Rees and Miss Burns went thoroughly over the proposals made by the official board. Miss Burns expressed herself as not liking the first proposal. The second proposal she took up section by section, telling Miss Ruutz-Rees what she thought Miss Paul would agree to, but Miss Burns did not, so Miss Ruutz-Rees understood, take final responsibility for Miss Paul's agreement on our point. Miss Ruutz-Rees said in substance to Miss Burns in regard to the third clause of the proposal; viz, that the Chairman of the National Congressional Committee should not also be the President or Chairman of the Congressional Union: "I suppose we could not expect Miss Paul to be Chairman of the Congressional Committee under the circumstances"; and Miss Burns replied: "No, I think you could not." In the course of the morning, Miss Ruutz-Rees learned that the Board preferred not to come to Greenwich, but suggested that she should take Miss Burns to meet them in New York. 10 Miss Burns stayed in the outer office at 505 Fifth Avenue, while Miss Ruutz-Rees consulted with the Board. She related the result of her interview with Miss Burns, and said she thought Miss Burns could be persuaded to be Chairman of the Congressional Committee. Accordingly, the Board voted to tell Miss Burns that, since in order to avoid the confusion which exists in the Minds of so many people, it seems essential that the President of the Congressional Union be not the Chairman of the Congressional Committee; it would like to ask Miss Burns whether, as Miss Paul is president of the Congressional Union, she, herself, would consent to serve as Chairman of the National Congressional Committee. Miss Ruutz-Rees then consulted with Miss Burns, who said she sould have to think the matter over, but she gave Miss Ruutz-Rees the impression that the National might hope to have her as Chairman of the Congressional Committee. Miss Burns was called into the Board meeting, and the matter was discussed with her and she said that in her opinion 11 the work of the National Congressional Committee and the Congressional Union should be as follows: That work with Congress direct, political work, hearings, lobbying, etc., was the work of the National Congressional Committee, while parades, publicity and propaganda work along more popular and broader lines were the work of the Congressional Union. (Exhibit E: Minutes of Meeting of the National Board, December 9 and December 11. Exhibit E-1: Statement of Miss Ruutz-Rees as to efforts with Miss Paul and Miss Burns. Exhibit E-2: Annotated plan of procedure proposed by Board for Committee.) On Friday, December 12th, Miss Burns came to headquarters at 505 Fifth Avenue and had a long conversation with Mrs. Dennett, the gist of which was, she feared it would be unwise for her to accept the Chairmanship, as that action might be misconstrued as antagonistic to Miss Paul, 12 the fact that she was Chairman would not disabuse the minds of the public from the belief that the Union and the Committee were one and the same society. They discussed organizing Congressional Districts in co-operation with the State Associations, and Mrs. Dennett tried to over-rule Miss Burns' objections. (Exhibit F: Letter by Mrs. Dennett to Mrs. Breckinridge.) At about the same time, Dr. Shaw talked with Miss Burns and Mrs. Lawrence G Lewis, and tried to make them see that it would be unwise for the Congressional Committee to enter into different states to organize contrary to the wishes of the existing state societies. She was not successful. (Exhibit F-1: Letter of Dr. Shaw to Members of Official Board, Dec. 18, 1913.) Miss Burns went to Washington that day; no reply had come from her by Tuesday night. Mrs. Dennett Telegraphed her and the next morning received a telegram, in which Miss 13 Burns said she would decline to serve as Chairman of the Congressional Committee, stating that a letter of explanation would follow. The letter was as follows: "I understand from my interview with the National Board last Thursday, that you wish to separate the activities of the Congressional Committee from those of the Congressional Union, but I am now closely identified with the Congressional Union and would, I think, connect it with the Congressional Union quite as much as it is connected at present. I should not, however, wish to withdraw from the Union. I feel a certain responsibility for it, since I helped start it. I think , Moreover, that an organization like the Congressional Union with a direct membership of women, primarily interested in Federal work, is absolutely necessary if we are to raise money enough to carry on an active campaign in Washington. I should be most happy, and so would Miss Paul, I know, to serve on your Congressional Committee, either one of us being Chairman, if at the same time, we might, with your approval extend the organization of the Congressional Union. I believe we could do our work in your name without damage to the reputation of the National Association, especially as we are 14 entirely one in regard to plans for political work. But, if you do not wish the present arrangement to continue, we shall be very glad to co-operate in every way with any Congressional Committee which represents you next year in Washington. With very real regret, I write to tell you that I cannot act a s Chairman of the Congressional Committee for next year." (Exhibit G: Letter from Miss Burns to Dr. Shaw, Dec. 17, 1913.) Miss Shaw then wrote to the members of the Official Board that in her opinion the conditions outlined by Miss Burns would make the situation an absolutely impossible one. "It would undermine all existing state societies, take from them every incentive to do active Congressional work and build up a barrier between them and the National Association, which it would be impossible for us to explain away." "We have received at headquarters further information from other states than Pennsylvania of the activities of the Congressional Union by which they antagonized the 15 state officials and by which they have made conditions very unpleasant, and , I am sure that if we are to keep harmony, which we hope we may do during the coming year, it will be necessary for us to secure a Chairman for the Congressional Committee who is not involved in any activity, which seems to be antagonistic to existing state societies." (See F-1 again: Letter by Miss Shaw to National Board, December 18th.) A statement was then given out by the National Press Chairman, giving names of those appointed on Congressional Committee, and stating conditions outlined by Board. (Exhibit H: Press Statement headed "Congressional Committee") On December 16th, Miss Paul wrote to Mrs. Dennett that the Congressional Union wished to be an auxiliary and not an affiliated organization of the National, since it could not afford to pay the amount which an affiliated society in compelled to do. (Exhibit J: Letter from Miss Paul to Mrs. Dennett, on December 16th.) 16 Miss Paul wrote that the statement brought by Miss Burns to New York was statement of Union and P Committee, as practically nothing was handled by Congressional Committee. (Exhibit J-l: Letter from Miss Paul to Mr. Dennett, Dec. 16th.) On December 20th, Mrs. Dennett wrote it would be hardly possible to print the report of the Congressional Union rather than that of the Congressional Committee in the minutes and said that a large amount of the money included in the report was raised and expended by the committee previously to the organization of the union. In the same letter she wrote: "If the Congressional Union wishes to become an auxiliary association, I suppose the process which must be gone through, is to send National Headquarters a statement that the Congressional Union wishes to withdraw from the National Association as an affiliated society and follow with application for membership as an auxiliary, which application will then be referred to the 17 Executive Council". (Exhibit J-2: Letter of Mrs. Dennett to Miss Paul) And on December 31st, Miss Paul wrote, withdrawing as an affiliated body, and applies as an Auxiliary. On December 19th, Mrs. Medill McCormick was appointed Chairman of the Congressional Committee and accepted. On December 20th, Miss Alice Paul and Mrs. Beard came to the National Headquarters at 505 Fifth Avenue, and had a long talk with Mrs. Dennett, the substance of which was, that Miss Paul's financial integrity had been attacked by National officers, and that she had worked herself to death for the National. (Exhibit L: Signed statement from Mrs. Dennett.) 18 On December 20th Dr. Shaw wrote to Miss Lucy Burns, objecting to a story which she had seen in the Philadelphia papers, in regard to the National official Board Congressional Committee. Dr. Shaw also explained fully the position of the National Board as to State work. (Exhibit M, Letter from Dr. Shaw to Miss Lucy Burns) One December 23d, Miss Burns wrote to Dr. Shaw, explaining the news story, claiming that it was not sent out from the Headquarters of the Union; and also stated under what conditions she would serve as a member of the Congressional Committee. In brief, she said that she would have to have freedom to work with the Union, and that the Union would consider itself free to work in the State in any way it pleased. (Exhibit M-1, Letter from Miss Lucy Burns to Dr. Shaw) On December 23d, a statement signed by Dr. Shaw and Mrs. Dennett was sent to all of the suffrage papers. It was headed, "The New Congressional Committee and Headquarters. 19 This statement announced that Mrs. Medill McCormack, the new Chairman of the Congressional Committee, had moved into the new headquarters of the Committee, in the Munsey Building, in Washington. The statement outlined the conditions under which the new committee was to work, and also stated the efforts of the Board to secure Miss Burns and Miss Paul on the Committee. (Exhibit N, Statement headed: "New Congressional Committee and Headquarters.") On December 26th, Mrs. Beard wrote to Mrs. Dennett, saying that she did not want to accept a re-appointment on the Congressional Committee, because she thought the Chairman, and as many members of the Committee as possible, should be permanent residents of Washington; because she thought the Chairman of the Committee should be given control of the work, and the various steps in the work should not be submitted to the National Board; the work of the Committee being judged by results only. (Exhibit O: Letter Mrs. Beard to Mrs. Dennett) 20 On December 27th, Dr. Shaw, Mrs. Dennett, and Mrs. Medill McCormack, met in Washington, and engaged headquarters for the Congressional Committee. They had conferences with Miss Burns and Mrs. Gilson Gardener; no definite conclusions we reached. (Exhibit P: Letter of Dr. Shaw to the Official Board.) Mrs. Medill McCormack remained in Washington, and tried to make an amicable agreement and plan of work with Miss Paul, Miss BUrns, Mrs. Lwrence Lewis, Jr., Mrs. Benedict, and Mrs. Gardener. Her attempt was entirely unsuccessful. (Exhibit Q: Letter of Mrs. Medill McCormack to Mrs. Dennett, on Dec. 30, and Exhibit Q-1: Letter of Mrs. Medill McCormack to Dr. Shaw on Jan. 1; also Exhibit P: Letter of Dr. Shaw to the Official Board with Mrs. McCormack's proposed agreement with the Congressional Union annexed.) 1914 On January 2d, Miss Shaw wired Miss Burns, asking if she would be a member of the Congressional Committee without conditions. (Exhibit R: Telegram of Dr. Shaw to Miss Burns.) 21 On January 3d, Miss Burns answered as follows: "I did not telegraph you on Friday as you asked in your telegram to me. I thought I would write instead. "I meant to tell you that I was quite willing to serve on the Congressional Committee -- though certainly not without conditions. "This morning, however, I read in the Washington Post the enclosed statement issued my Mrs. McCormick, in which she ways that the personnel of the Congressional Committee and that of the Committee of the Congressional Union will be entirely separate. I did not understand the from Mrs. McCormick. I thought negotiations were in process, but since it is now arranged I am entirely satisfied with it. I am the more satisfied regarding the wisdom of separating the two committees because I see from Mrs. McCormick's statement that you intend to work at the polls in November, 1914, against Congressional candidates who are opposed to the Woman Suffrage Amendment. I had understood that you believed in opposing members of the majority party in case that party refused its support to the Woman Suffrage Amendment. The two policies differ entirely in principle and make it impossible for one person to be attached to the two committees. "I am, as ever, with best wishes, Sincerely yours, Lucy Burns, Vice Chairman" 22 (Exhibit R-1: Letter of Mrs. Burns to Dr. Shaw.) On January 14th, Dr. Shaw wrote to the Official Board that Miss Hepburn had requested the Board to reconsider the appointment of the Congressional Committee, and had also asked that the official Board allow Miss Paul to come before it. (Exhibit S: Letter of Dr. Shaw to the Official Board) On January 13th, a statement was given to the press for publication on the 14th, by Mrs. Funck, representing the Congressional Committee. The substance of the statement was that the Congressional Committee had opened Headquarters in Washington, and that it was in no way connected with the Congressional Union. (Exhibit T: Press statement, signed Antoinette Funck, Lobby Member of the National Congressional Committee.) On January 22d, [22nd] Dr. Shaw sent out to members of the Executive Council, a vote as to admitting as auxiliaries to the Congressional Union. The Kentucky Equal Rights Association and the Woman's Political union of New York. With 23 this vote was a letter to the Executive Council, stating that the Union, though neither a local nor a state society, proposed to go into any state and organize, regardless of whether Congressional work had already been undertaken by the State Associations; also stating that the political policy of the Union was diametrically opposed to the political policy of the National Association, in that the union had said it would take the field to defeat any Democratic candidate, whether he was a friend or a foe to the Suffrage movement, provided that the Democratic Party did not pass a Constitutional Amendment through Congress. (Exhibit W: Letter of Dr. Shaw to Members of the Executive Council.) On January 23d, [23rd] a statement was given to the members by the National Press Chairman, stating that Dr. Shaw officially announced; first, that the National Association had not adopted the policy of working against the Democratic Party if Congress failed to pass a Suffrage Amendment; and 24 second, that the Congressional Union, which had announced such a policy, was not connected with the National Association. The statement further announced that the Congressional Union was an affiliated branch of the National Association until December 31st, when it asked to withdraw as an affiliated body, and to become an auxiliary, and that until the Executive Council voted to admit the Union as an auxiliary, it was not connected with the National Association, and, therefore, had no right to announce policies or to appeal for funds, as a part of the National Association. The statement concluded with the fact that the Convention of the Nation Association in Philadelphia, November, 1912, adopted a resolution, providing that its policy should be strictly non-partisan. (Exhibit V: Press statement January 23d.) On February 9th, Dr. Shaw wrote to the Executive Council, answering the letters of Mrs. Leonard, of Massachusetts and Mrs. Hepburn, of Connecticut. (This letter should be read)(Exhibit W: Letter of Dr Shaw to the Executive Council. 25 On February 12th, the Official Board met in New York. The following are the minutes of the meeting, (Read Minutes as a whole) (Exhibit X: Minutes of the Official Board, Feb. 12.) On February 19th, Mrs. Dennett wrote to Miss Paul as follows: "The vote of the Executive Council on the admission of the Congressional Union as an auxiliary member of the National Association is announced today as follows: 54 votes against admission 24 " in favor of admission 3 blank ballots 81 votes, total response. The total possible vote is lll, a two-thirds vote is necessary for admission, which would be 74 votes. from the vote as cast, it is evident that even if all the remaining members of the Council who have not yet voted should vote in favor of the admitting of the Union, there would not be the necessary two-third vote. "I am exceedingly sorry that the policy of the Union has been such as to exclude it from the National Association. The annual report of the National Association is now being prepared for the printer, and 26 therefore I will request once more in behalf of the Association that you send in your written report as Chairman of the Congressional Committee separated from your report as President of the Congressional Union." (Exhibit Y: Letter of Mrs. Dennett to Miss Paul) [*Resolution which Miss Paul arranged when presented by Sen. Robinson of Col. was meeting - Convention '1'3*] RESOLVED, That this opening meeting of the 45th Convention of the National Woman Suffrage Association, assembled in the Columbia Theatre on November 30th, 1913, Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, President, in the chair, calls upon the President of the United States in his forthcoming message to Congress to adopt the Woman Suffrage Constitutional Amendment as an Administration measure and urge Congress to take immediate and favorable action upon it; and RESOLVED, That the meeting calls upon the United States Senate to set favorably on the Woman Suffrage Constitutional Amendment, now before it; and be it [*further*] RESOLVED, That the Meeting urges the Rules Committee of the House of Representatives to report favorably on the Resolution creating a standing Committee on Woman Suffrage in the House. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.