Wisconsin Women's History

3.

and the philosophy of life ahead of my years and the times. But on this on subject of womens political equality with man I am behind the age I fear.

I think it must be due to the excess of romance and sentiment in my nature. I would rather be loved and respected by one man and know that I made his life perfectly happy than to be admired and applauded by one thousand.

It seems to met that the art of being a successful wife and home maker, is too vast and engrossing to permit a woman to enter into any public work which calls her out into the world away from her home.

Perhaps my own early experiences as a money maker and burden bearer, make me especially appreciative of a

4

home and a protector now, and render any phase of financial and business responsibilities especially obnoxious.

At the same time I know there are hundreds of women with out homes, and with out protectors, who may possibly be bettered by this sufferage movement, and so I have never avowed myself its opponent. I am sure you could convince me by your brilliant arguments in ten minutes how wrong my positions is! Yes five minutes after you convinced me, if I saw a woman on a lecture platform I should feel a disagreeable chill down my spine, and should wish her at home with a nice husband to entertain.

Yours sincerely Ella Wheeler Wilcox

{ Solid }

Senate Chamber. Columbia, S.C. Dec 18 1892

My dear Madam:

I mail you a newspaper giving an account of my woman's rights amendment & its fate in the Senate. I had a splendid audience the Senate galleries being crowded with perhaps two hundred of the most refined and cultivated women of the city. I spoke against the prejudices of centuries and was surprised that a vote of fourteen senators should be cast in favor of my proposition which was to submit the question of woman's suffrage to a popular vote. The question is now fairly before the public and with such a start the cause is bound to succeed. If you mention the matter in your paper send me a copy to Abbeville S.C. as our legislature will adjourn next Saturday & I will be at home after that date. I am editor of the Abbeville Medium - am married - have nine children and a grandson. My daughters run my business when I am absent from

Vomero Villa Zampini Naples (Italy) { Salazar}

2 March 1893

My dear Madam I was very glad indeed to receive your most kind letter at the 13th February and the interesting papers. The one with my letter did not arrive with the others Sine I wrote last I accepted to speak at the World's Congress of [Prominent?] Women and have been engaged to give a public address about "Woman in New Italy"

North Brookfield, Mass. March 10 - 89.

Dear Mrs. Colby

I have just returned to my work in Worcester county, having made a brief visit to Lucy Stone for consultation. While there, I read two of your letters to Mrs. Stone. I had a letter from her, two weeks ago, in which she said you would like to have some facts about my work in Nebraska. I did so little it seemed hardly worth while to say anything in any history about it. As near as I can remember, I held fifteen meetings in the states mostly on the line of railroad from Lincoln to Kerney Junction. In some places I gave two lectures - Lincoln, Beatrice and Fairmont were among the last named. I presume Mrs. Stone has written you that it is expected that I shall go to Nebraska, about the 15th of May, as the agent of the American

Radical Club, 9 St. Marks Pl., New York. Vera Sassulitsch Aid Committee.

Sub-Committee on Subscriptions: Mrs. Marguerite Moore, 258 W. 15th Str. Mrs. Hugh O. Pentecost, Newark, N.J. Miss Alice Donlevy, 23 E. 14th Str. Mrs. James Redpath, Hotel Gladstone, N.Y. Miss Leubscher, 4 Warren Str. Mr. T.B. Wakeman, 93 Nassau Str. Mr. Augustus A. Levey, 20 Nassau Str. Henry F. Reed, Treasurer, 135 Waverly Pl. Moses Oppenheimer, Secr., 9 St. Marks Pl.

(All communications should be addressed to the Secretary, c.o. Radical Club, 9 St. Marks Pl, N.Y.

An appeal that should leave no freedom-loving heart untouched, reaches us from across the sea. Vera Sassulitsh, the Russian heroine of liberty, is seriously ill and destitute in her exile. Her physicians advise her a sojourn on the seashore in a sunny climate, but the unselfish and indefatiguable worker for the cause of the Russian people is too poor to bear the expense, and her friends in Europe are equally poor. We now ask generous Americans to come to the rescue, by subscribing, according to their means, on behalf of the noblest of Russian soldiers of Liberty.

Dec. 27. 1890

Editor Womans Tribune, Washington D.C.

It may be gratifying to many of your readers to learn that there is yet hope of Vera Sassultish recovery from her illness, according to a letter that arrived in this City a few days ago from P. Axelrod in Zurich, another Russian exile and a personal friend and political co operator of Vera Sassulitsh.

After thanking the liberal-minded Americans for the active interest shown on behalf of Vera Mr. Axelrod continues as follows: "Regarding the importance of V. Sassulitsh for our movement let me say that it goes far beyond her heroic and epoch making act. V. Sassulitsh is one of the noblest characters in our movement, and I dare say, in the revolutionary movement of all civilized countries. Her whole being is filled with the struggle for liberty in Russia as well as with her Labor movement in general, and only reluctantly and from a sense of duty does she look out for her much impaired state of health. The friends of our movement must try all the more, therefore, to cure her from her illness and to restore her health. It is the merit of our American friends to have contributed materially to that end."

Our Committee has forwarded the first installment of our collection, amounting to $60, and has now again about $25 on hand with expectation of raising some more so as to give to the brave Russian woman the means whereby she may visit at ease and free from care. Money is also being raised by other committees.

Yours very respectfully Moses Oppenheimer Secy. V. P.A.C.

#34 Campbell Park, Chicago Ill Jan 24/94 Private

Dear Mrs Colby: Yours was received after I had written [Marella?] to find out for me in regard to the book - which is a business matter between my publisher & myself. Have just ascertained that no copy was sent, in July, as I had supposed, to the "Woman Journal."

Of course I had hoped for good notices from all woman papers, as "Woman, Church and State" is a book written in woman's (and the worlds) interests, and should be the means of infinite good for woman and the world. You

doubtless have noticed quotations from the "Tribune," and your own name in the book.

Your speak of sending me the paper until it was "rejected." Do you realize how extremely unjust you have been to me for years in the past - what slight recognition myself or my work have had from the "Tribune?"

The last of 1888 or very early in 1889, I sent you a copy of the "Open Court" of this city, containing an article from my pen on the Matriarchate, in reply to an article from Prof Cape of Phila against woman.

I also sent a copy to Mrs. Stanton,

3

That article of mine in "The Open Court," was the first one that ever appeared from a woman's pen, on that important historical fact. The "Tribune" made no mention of the article, although "The Open Court" considered it a "very important one," as it wrote me, and has sent me that paper complimentarily ever since - some five years.

Mrs. Stanton - when we were on the "History" - would never agree with me - that a prior period in the world's history had been, in many ways [comperior?] to the present; but my "Open Court" article seems to work a change in her opinion

and a couple of years after its appearance, she gave (or sent) an address to the N.W. S.A. convention in Washington with the same title "The Matriarchate" which you not alone printed in full, but to this day advertise as a "Tribune" Tract.

When I was so falsely represented in 1890, you will recall your attack upon me in the halls of the Willard. I think, however, I proved to you that I had been belied.

[Sister? Nill?] when Mrs Stanton Rems, appeared in the Tribune and very great injustice was done me by omission of facts, I passed it all by "having in the years of my work in the N.W.S.A.