Mamie Shields Pyle correspondence, 1918-01

WOMANS' COMMITTEE SOUTH DAKOTA DIVISION COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE.

Sioux Falls, S. D, January 10, 1918.

Dear Madam:-

Your requisition for__ cards has been received and __ cards have been sent to you. If you need more notify State Director of Registration.

*************** 1. Date of registration:--Official date is January 21. However, registration in your county should start upon receipt of registration cards and should be completed Feb. 20.

2. All cards that have been registered in your county should be sent to the County Chairman and should be retained by her.

3. County Chairman should mail each Wednesday to Mrs. K. Zetlitz, State Director of Registration, Sioux Falls, S. D. a report of the weekly registration in her county.

4. The enclosed Registration Summary is for that purpose. These blanks may also be used by the Township Chairman for reports to the County Chairman.

5. All money collected by County Chairman from registration contributions should be retained by her and a report made to the State Director of registration of the total amount so collected.

6. All registration cards are sent without charge to all counties.

7. The Federal Government through the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense have asked for the Registration of Women. Get as complete a registration as possible.

Yours for the Cause, Dr. Helen F. Peabody, State Chairman.

Mrs. K. Zetlitz, Director of Registration.

January 10th, 1918. Mrs. Gertrude Gunderson, Vermillion, So. Dak.

My dear Mrs, Gunderson:-- In [g]oing through my files, I find the enclosed letter of Governor Norbeck's, which you had requested that I return to you, and while the date shows it was many months ago, you may still have reasons that you would like to have it, and I am returning it.

I have recently returned from the Woman's Suffrage convention, at Washington, and it was an exceedingly interesting gathering, as you have perhaps discovered from the newspaper accounts. The war service seemed to be the predominating note and so much of interest developed and was so inspiring that it made it a very interesting meeting, aside, of course, from the suffrage status.

I am wondering what is taking place in Washington, today and would be very glad to know how the vote stands on the federal amendment.

With best wishes to yourself and Mr. Gunderson, I am, Sincerely yours

January 10th, 1918/

Mrs. Paul Reuman, Deadwood, So. Dak.

My dear Mrs. Reuman:--

I was very glad to receive your letter and should have written you before this, even though I did not hear from you first, just because I was so interested in how you got home and to tell you some of my experiences.

My son did not meet me that night in Chicago, as he did not receive the telegram, hence did not know of my arrival. I went out to my Aunt's on the north side and my son came there the next day and staid to dinner and spent the evening and then again the next day I had some time with him. I left on Friday for mu daughter's hone in Tipton Iowa and staid with them until Friday evening, when I left for hime, reaching here Christmas eve.

I enjoyed reading the account of your auxiliarymeeting and think you certinly have handled the suffrage question in a very fine manner. It is by far much more valuable to link it up with the work that we are doing with others and be able to make the people realize that after all, the suffrage we are asking for will be giving us the right to do practically the same things that we are doing now.

I am on the alert to hear the first news from Washington, as to the vote to-day. My father came in with the Aberdeen American, just as I was leaving the house about 4:30 this p.m., and the heading at the top of the page said that President Wilson had come out flat-footed for the suffrage amendment. I was in such a hurry that I could not stop to read the details, but am satisfied that that is going to be a very helpful thing. Last night, I telegraphed to our five Congressmen, telling them, in behalf of the South Dakota women, for their open support of the suffrage amendment and expressing our appreciation for their support and that this was a source of great pride to us to be able to find that the final record would be all present and all voting, aye.

Mrs. Rueman-2[1918. Jan. 10]

We have been having some conferences here at our office, the last week. I have been doing some thinking along the line of the present campaign and the best plan for us to follow out, and for that reason asked Mrs. Ghrist, the vice president, to come down to Huron and go over the situation with me. She did so, the end of last week, and than Mrs. Hipple was here yesterday for the purpese of going over the press department. The plan that I have in mind, and which seemed to meet with the approval of both of these ladies, is that we do our suffrage campaign work with committees and that in every county there shall be a competent committee of three and where-ever there is already a suffrage organisation, that the president of this organization, if possible, be the chairman of this committee and that this committee will be the campaign committee to carry on the plan of work through out the county, thereby relieving the suffragets of that county from the need of maintaining an active organization, until such time as there will not be such a heavy drain, on account of war work. During the last campaign, in many localities, it was impossible to get an organization, but not a hard task to find a good hard, working committee. Then this county committee should have a chairman in every township in their county. This same campaign committee in every county would be responsible for raising the funds for their own work and in vact, every line of work, just as the organization would, but they would be relieved of the strain of attempting to have meetings, which, even in ordinary times, are much a bug-bear, and at the present time, almost impossible. Do you not think that this would remove the accusation that might be made, that the women are doing suffrage work and not giving enough time to the war work? I will not take more time to go into the details of this, because It will not be necessary with you. I have said enough to start you thinking along the line that I am and I would like to hear from you, as to this. Of course, the suffrage organizations already organized must stand as a backing to this committee. As you know, this is the way the political parties manage their campaigns; they never bother with much red tape.

I have not heard from Mrs. Boyce, but I have every reason to believe, however, that she has been on her job and is still on her job to-day in Washington. I with I had made arrangements with her to telegraph me as soon as the vote is known.

Now, I am coming down to the real business of this letter. I talked with Mrs. Ghrist and Mrs. Hipple, both, about this particular phase of work and they agreed with me that you would be the one to take up the work in the field, if you find that you possibly can, and that is the matter of finance chairman. I do not know, nor perhaps do you know for sure, whether you would make a success of this work, but the only way we can every tell, is by trying and I would like very much

Mrs. Reuman-3[1918, Jan. 10]

to have you take up an active campaign for the funds for our cause, in a wider field than just your own territory. Please write me, soon, whether you would care to take this up and on what terms, aside from your expenses. My faith is pinned to you for this particular job and I was very glad to read in your letter that you were getting your Red Cross work into shape so that some one else can go on with it.

This will be all for this time, until I hear from you again, Sincerely,