ENPages
Page 1
WILSON, WOODROW Princeton, New Jearsy 19 September 1899
Mrs. May Wright Sewall, Indianapolis, Indiana,
My dear Madam,
Your letter of the fifteenth instant, received yesterday, inviting me to be one of the winter's speakers before the Contemporary Club of Indianapolis has given me very great gratification; and I sincerely wish that it were possible for me to accept.
On account of my university duties, which are crowed into the early part of each week, it is impracticable for me to accept invitations to places at a considerable distance for any evening earlier than Thursday. Moreover, there is another difficulty, which I shall take the liberty of stating to you very frankly. I have of late found my time so taken up with speaking engagements away from home, to the great detriment of my literary work, that for a year of two I have felt obliged to insist upong a 'protective tariff', which shall in most cases prohibitory. I have put it at one hundred dollars and expenses; and the embarrassment is this, that , while
Page 2
I should like often to make exceptions, I cannot do so without getting into very delicate situations, from which I cannot escape without giving offence to persons whom I greatly esteem and should like to serve. I do not know what to do except to maintain the rule and depend upon those who invite me to come to their own conclusions, 'without prejudice", as to whether the tariff is prohibitive or not.
I feel confident that you will both understand and sympathize. With much regard, and sincere thanks and regrest,
Very sincerely yours, Woodrow Wilson