Wisconsin Women's History

{ Amelia Bloomer }

copied

Council Bluffs, Iowa

March 19, 1888

Dear Miss Anthony

I have hoped to be with you, and the other grand women who are to join you in Council next week; but as the time draws near I find my strength not equal to the fatigue of the long journey and attendance upon a week's session, so must reluctantly abide at home while the rest of you go up to our nations capitol to discuss great questions deeply affecting the interests of humanity.

It would give me great pleasure to meet face to face, and take by the hand once again the old time workers and pioneers in woman's cause; but as this may not be I will be with you in spirit, take my place among the pioneers, wish you yet many years of usefulness in the cause you have served so well. Please think of me as with you, and give me one thought for old time sake. I shall especially be with you on pioneers

day, and in thought go back over all those early years when I was a co laborer with you, and with voice and pen gave my feeble aid to the cause in its infancy and days of great trial, ere it had grown so strong as to command the respect and attention of the world, as it does to day.

It needed not the letter you sent me of our fore score years old friend, to show that The Lily did a good work. Such testimony has come to me all down through the years since it first issued to the public. I know that all over our land there are hundreds of people who gained their first knowledge of the principles which underlie the woman's movement by reading that little paper. You and Mrs Stanton, and Frances D. Gage, and many others, lent helping hands to me in that work, but be sure the little messenger of good tidings went on its way scattering seed where our voices could not reach - and

not strong or experienced, but it was such as was needed in the infancy of our cause and made an impression where the strong minds of to day would at that time have failed. I gave my best years to the work, but my seventy lectures, in addition to the care of the paper, overtaxed a constitution never strong, so that my later years have been passed in enforced inactivity.

I am glad to know that at the head of the army of recruits who have rallied to the standard set up forty years ago, Mrs. Stanton, Lucy Stone, Antoinette Brown and yourself still stand the respected and honored leaders of the [hour?] with armor on ready for whatever further effort and sacrifice may be required of you. May you live to see and enjoy the full triumph of your labors.

In running my mind's eye over the list of prominent actors in the drama first brought upon the worlds stage near forty years ago, I miss many whose words were dear to us -- many who if living would have honored seats in your council. Lucretia Mott, Ernestine Rose, Frances D.

Gage, Clarina C. Nichols, Paulina W. Davis Jane G. Swisshelm, Lydia Jane Pierson Emily Clark, Mary C. Vaughn, and others - pioneers all have finished their work upon earth and gone to their reward -[blessed?] be their memory! May we not believe their spirits are hovering over this council with benedictions of peace and love.

In your pioneer session shall [?] be remembered who gave their hearts and hands to the [?] humanity in the days when to be identified with the unpopular movement was to take up a [cross?]

I suppose you are so absorbed in the present, and in the new friends who come to your support, that you have no time for the past and the old [?] in my quiet home, unable to share [?] active work of the present, can [?] over again all the past and enjoy in [?] communings with the friends of [?] be they in the flesh or in the spirit.

Wishing great success, both in council and in convention, I am yours Very Sincerely Amelia Bloomer

and we ought to hold our National Suffrage Con. there the last week of January but alas the young & inexperienced delegates have voted us out of Washington every other year - & this of 1899 - is one of them - so we go off to Grand Rapids Mich instead of to Wash as we used to & ought to now -

I do think you could attend & speak at each of these meetings - I do want to go to Washington for all winter more than I can tell but I have no dear Mrs. Spafford there to give me free shelter in the dear old Riggs - as of yore !!

Can you not make the date of your Vassar lectures so that you can go to Wash ? And can you not come & visit me in our home & see how good it is for us to have a house all to ourselves - Sister May & I Are you coming to Geneva this winter - somehow and somewhere I must see you to talk over International [?] & England in General

I am trying to find a maid for stenographer who is sort of our folks - so we can have her in our house but where is the puzzling question -- I surely have not the patience to scratch with my pen any more - after three years with a stenographer & type writer at my elbow - so with bushels of love to Nora, Mama & Maggie & your own dear self

Susan B. Anthony

of the Christians - the Baptists & the Methodist already held - passed strong resolutions in our favor and the Congregationalists & Presbyterians meetings are to come in October & we are pledged that good resolutions will be adopted. Then in 50 out of the 57 counties - Clubs are formed in nearly every voting precinct in this city there 300 election precincts - and only 150 of them have clubs organized & hard at work making a poll of our friends or our enemies

The first poll with a majority against us - came in this morning - every one before has had a majority of 2 & 3 to 1 for us !! But what a long drawn out agony of suspense it is! It does seem that one must carry the [?]

But my dear I am awfull put to it to get my Sunday articles for the Examiner I do wish your ["Jimmy Grind"?] order would come to you & be obeyed

National-American Woman Suffrage Association.

MEMBER NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN. Honorary President, ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, 250 West 94th Street, New York. Honorary President, SUSAN B. ANTHONY, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y.

President, CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, Rev. ANNA H. SHAW, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, RACHEL FOSTER AVERY, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, ALICE STONE BLACKWELL, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, HARRIET TAYLOR UPTON, Warren, Ohio. Auditors, { LAURA CLAY, Lexington, Ky. CATHARINE WAUGH McCULLOCH, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill.

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, 2008 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY BUILDING, NEW YORK.

OFFICE OF HONORARY PRESIDENT ROCHESTER, N. Y., Jan. 16, 1901.

Mrs. Clara B. Colby, Editor Woman's Tribune, 2024 14th St., Washington, D. C.

Mrs. Stanton has sent me your letters of Dec. 30 and Jan. 4, which I have read with great interest. You say you have not heard from Miss Anthony in a long time. I have been busy, but accomplishing very little. I think of you very often in your struggle to carry your paper, and when it comes, it does not seem to me there is enough of you in it to be worth while for you to continue, but still, if you find pleasure and profit in carrying it out, you must go on; but I do hope you will engage no person or form a partnership with one, except he has cash in hand to help you to buy new type and a new outfit generally.

With the multitude of papers, and the agitation carried on through all of them, and especially not a single one that does not have an article discussing the woman question, there does not seem to me to be any room for a specifically woman's magazine, unless it could be published perfectly gratuitously. If you had money enough to sum up the results of the work and the discussions in all the papers the world over, and give it in extra form to the people, it would be doing a good thing; precisely as my getting out the Volume IV of the History of Woman's Suffrage is doing a good work for the people and for all coming time, but there will be nothing in it and money out from beginning to end.

2. So if you get the money to publish your ideal of a magazine, it would be a good thing, but I do not believe any considerable number of the friends of the cause will consider it of sufficient importance to subscribe for your journal.

These pictures you asked me to send back, which I now do. I am feeling sorry that you had not a good picture to send for my book, but the plate, which they made, showed exactly where the paint brush had been used, I do not know what became of it, but I remember I threw it away in disgust.

Mrs. Spofford has a bill before Congress, asking for an appropriation of $10,000.00 for a monument to Dorothy L. Dix. If you have a chance, speak a good word for her. Did you see Mrs. Harpers article in last Sunday's Sun? I should think the men of Congress would be ashamed to talk of disfranchising any masculine of the colored race, while they are silent with regard to the women by their side. I do not see what we can do to stir up the country. I wish you could tell the people how. Good bye,

Susan B. Anthony

National-American Woman Suffrage Association.

MEMBER NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN. Honorary President, ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, 250 West 94th Street, New York. Honorary President, SUSAN B. ANTHONY, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y.

President, CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, Rev. ANNA H. SHAW, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, RACHEL FOSTER AVERY, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, ALICE STONE BLACKWELL, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, HARRIET TAYLOR UPTON, Warren, Ohio. Auditors, { LAURA CLAY, Lexington, Ky. CATHARINE WAUGH McCULLOCH, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill.

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, 2008 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY BUILDING, NEW YORK.

OFFICE OF HONORARY PRESIDENT 17 Madison St., ROCHESTER, N. Y., April 2nd, 1901.

Mrs. Clara B. Colby, 2420 Fourteenth St., N. W., Washington, D. C.

My Dear Friend: --

Your pencil note of March 19th is before me. I do not see any chance for your speaking here in Rochester. I wish I could do something to help you to lecture, but this would be directly out of your way if you think of going to Minneapolis. If you are going are you on the program? If you have not written Mrs. Avery that you are going you probably are not, so write her at once. Of course I have nothing to do with the programe [program] now and must leave you and all the rest to fight your own battles

Poor Grace Greenwood has had to leave her beautiful home on the hill, and now she has lost her brother.

I am feeling better as the sun is shining warmer and warmer. I think I shall go to Minneapolis but I cannot tell what will be the turn of things between this and that.

Mrs. Harper is at work on the book here but will go to New York the last of the month.

Affectionately yours,

Susan B. Anthony

National - American Woman Suffrage Association. Member National Council of Women.

Honorary President, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 250 West 94th Street, New York Honorary President, Susan B. Anthony, 17 Madison Street, Rochester, N. Y. President, Carrie Chapman Catt, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York. Vice-President-at-Large, Rev. Anna H. Shaw, 1830 Diamond Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Corresponding Secretary, Rachel Foster Avery, Philadelphia, Pa. Recording Secretary, Alice Stone Blackwell, 3 Park Street, Boston, Mass Treasurer, Harriet Taylor Upton, Warren, Ohio. Auditors, Laura Clay, Lexington, Ky. Catharine Waugh McCullouch, The Rookery, Chicago, Ill.

National Headquarters, 2008 American Tract Society Building, New York.

Office of Honorary President Rochester, N.Y. April 14, 1900

Dear Mrs. Colby

If Mrs Stanton sends you a copy of her letter to me - relative to what the papers say about her name standg at the head of Mrs Blak's new society Dont publish it. You know that the papers have said Mrs Stanton heads one branch of the suffragists and Miss Anthony the other

I am afraid Mrs Stanton will send it to you for the Tribune - and I dont want it published - and shall feel very badly if it gets into print

Of course they will say it ! but you know it is not so but Mrs Stanton in her good nature does every thing Mrs Blake asks her too ! She may not send it to you but I fear she will - she has written me a long letter asserting her old time friendship - and that nothing can make a [?] in it &c &c -

Woman Suffrage State Headquarters 563-564-565 Parrott Building San Francisco

Vote for the Woman Suffrage Amendment November 3 Telephone, South 273

State Central Committee Miss Mary G. Hay, Chairman Mrs. Ellen C. Sargent Mrs. Nellie Holbrook Blinn Mrs. Mary A. Swift Mrs. Mary S. Sperry Miss Susan B. Anthony

Joint Campaign Committee Officers: Mrs. Ellen C. Sargent, Chairman Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper, Vice-Chairman Mrs. Ida A. Harper, Cor. Secretary Miss Harriet Cooper, Rec. Secretary Mrs. Mary S. Sperry, Treasurer Mrs. Mary A. Swift & Mrs. Sarah Knox Goodrich, Auditors

Sept. 19 1896 My Dear Mrs Stanton

Haven't Miss Hay and Mrs Sweet come out in fiery colors? Think of these envelopes glaring the Post Office in the face as they stamp, stamp piles & piles of them at each end of their route?

We now have the prestige of all of the political parties inviting all of us to speak on their platform side by side of their regular stump orators which is something we never had before in any of the Eleven suffrage amendment campaigns

Then the state annual meeting