NAWSA            Subject File            Congressional Union
                                                        Rastall, Fanny H.

COPY.
VERMONT EQUAL SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION
Manchester Center, Vermont,
September 19, 1915
My dear Mrs. McCormick:-
I want to tell you of the effort the Congressional
Union has been making here to carry out their plans in spite of our
protest.  When we learned they were at work in adjoining states and
intended to visit every member of both houses of Congress and hold a
state convention in every state, we wrote Miss Paul explaining conditions
here and urging her not to enter Vermont and divide our workers, assuring
her that Vermont was working for the Susan B. Anthony amendment and that
only.  Things quieted down until last month, when we received a call from
a Mrs. Ascough and one of our own women, who had attended meetings at
Marble House and been impressed with the wealth of the Union, and money
is her God.  They came to ask why a delegation should not wait upon our
Congressman.  Seeing determination in their minds to carry out this plan
whether we approved or not, Mrs. Wyman, State President, agreed to head 
such a delegation if our Secretary arranged for it and it was set at a
convenient time.  They retired, and later we heard from our secretary
expressing unwillingness to ask members to take part, and telling us
that in view of the absence of Congressman Green and others, the matter
would be postponed for a month.  Yesterday word came that a delegation
was to visit the Congressmen during the coming week and asking the state
president if she could arrange to fall in line.
     Meantime a Mrs. Colt came into the state, to Montpelier, 
where the lady resides who came here with Mrs. Ascough, and they 
called to their help a few otherwise inactive members of the Montpelier 
Association, recently organized and which has done no other work, and they 
called themselves a delegation and went to call upon Senator Dillingham. 
In my opinion this was an unwise step, for his well-known opposition could 
but be repeated, and that gave the keynote of states rights opposition 
for others to echo. Had Representative Dale and Senator Page been first 
called upon I feel they might have been amenable to influence. Now they 
propose to call upon them just at a time when they have received invitations
to attend our state convention, where we had hoped to secure a 
favorable expression from them. It is all very perplexing, and I wanted 
you to know about it. 
     Have you heard from other states of perplexities 
such as I have told you of as a result of the action of the Union? It 
is too bad that the National could not have devised a plan to keep these 
workers allied with it and under its control. They surely are a thorn 
in the flesh. Indeed the situation here is so perplexing that my daughter 
absolutely refuses longer to lead the work in the state and another will 
be chosen president at the state convention. 
Very truly yours, 
Fanny H. Rastall.

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