NAWSA                Subject File                           Congressional Union
                                                                              Rogers, Elizabeth S.

Towners, Putnam Co. New York

My dear Mrs. Catt, 
   I received your letter of May 20
and am very sorry that any
misunderstanding has arisen, as to
the activities of the Congressional [U????]
Of course I cannot speak for Miss 
Paul, I am not on the Executive
Committee. Had I understood that the
C.U. agreed not to organize, that is,
have its convention & start a N.Y
Branch, until after Nov 2nd, and
I know that it is not doing any 
"Anti-Democratic" work in the State.
His confining its work to merely
interviewing Congressmen both Rep. & 
Dem. & asking them to support the 
Authoring Amendment next? Mister 
[How?] asking that, will damage the 
N.Y. Referendum.  I confess I cannot 
see. The N.Y. State Ass. has always 
backed the Authoring Amendment.

her tone in the interviews is, that tho'
we expect to win in N. Y. State this fall,
& trust he (Sen. O'Gorman for instance) 
will vote for us there, we still are 
deeply interested in the National 
Amendment & need to know how he 
stands on it. The visits, tho' public, 
are always carried out most courteously
and tho' they show a steadfast
persistence, I fail to see what 
there is "heckling" or "cudgelling" or
militant" about these. The vote in 
the Senate & House last year was the 
result of these methods, and tho' 
politicians and newspapers may 
sputter awhile & try to scare us 
by saying they "inspire the Cause" &
make the news & papers into enemies,
the facts alone that the opposite 
is true- Sen. Smith & Rep. Hayden of 
Arizona, in the inside of the Union's Anti Democratic 
campaign sent telegrams advising
that endorsement of National Suffrage
be put in the Dem. State platform.

also Colorado, for the first time, did so -
and it did not turn any of the
men into "antis".
Of course politicians & newspapers don't
like the persistent public methods,
because they want to forget women
suffrage & be left alone.  In their hearts
they know perfectly well that it is
excellent work - so they start this
cabal & label it "militant" and
badgering & heckling".
But I do hate to see suffragists fall
into the trap and taking their tone
from the papers.
As for the visit to Pres. Wilson, the
Phila one was backed by hundreds of
the most important Phila women
and the Pres. was clearly in the wrong
to refuse the give them five minutes.
[?] New York, tho' I think Mrs. Belmont
& Miss Paul should have gone themselves
instead of sending 2 young paid
workers.  Still there was absolutely
nothing discourteous about it.  from
beginning to end.  I resent very much


the idea that it was an "inappropriate
time," & that because he was absorbed
in serious questions of war & peace,
women should not have asked to
see him.  [There] Women must learn to
stand up bravely & insist that there
is no question as serious, or pressing
as the enfranchisement of women.
With the country on the verge of war,
it seems to me a peculiarly fitting
time to present the urgency of
votes for American women.
To visit our President & present him
with a note, which asks for five
minutes of his 2 days given up
wholly to seeing men of all kinds,
is not an "attack," nor "heckling," nor
discourteous.
A letter from you to the Schuyler Co.
newspaper & the Press generally,
rediculing the applying of such
epithets to the visits of suffragists
to public men, would quickly
bring about a [?] point of view.

I trust you will believe that there
is no "Anti Democratic" work going
on - A deputation to Rep. Husted
of Peekskill, a Republican, was made
very successfully, & he promised
to support the Anthony Amendment.
As for Pres. Wilson, it is necessary
that, every where he goes, he should
be reminded, politely of course, of 
the justice & progress of our cause, &
the fact that women are pressing
it more than ever, now that war
may be facing us -
I believe we shall win in New York
& I believe we owe  great debt to
the Congressional Union & that
there work has helped us -
Of course, it is hardly necessary
to contradict the absurd "report"
you mention, that the C. U. desires
our defeat in New York - that is
nonsense - Very sincerely yours
Elizabeth S. Rogers

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