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

does. You say Alice asked you to prevent me if possible writing anything that would raise antagonism. Why not ask her to prevent her father doing & saying anything to raise antagonism especially not to falsify the facts of history? He made a direct & rude attack on me in Washington, then he went home & penned that insulting editorial. Then he pitches into my Reminiscences. Can Alice in justice ask silence on one side while The Woman's Journal allows their attacks in its columns. Blackwell is determined if possible to kill me.

2 they charge me ten cents? so your five counts nothing. One of John [Pinks?] tricks for robbing the people. Our Susan is having a discouraging time in Dakota. The more I see of these men, the more strongly I feel that the time has fully come for more self ascertion & defiance on our part. Their arrogance is to me intolerable When I begin to resolute I never can find language strong enough to express my sense of injustice & my exasperation. My feeling is to tone up rather than down

History is history & those who are sensitive about its facts must have something they desire to conceal. The Boston clique laughed in their sleeves when we were writing the History of woman suffrage. "They said I wonder how they will gloss over Train & Woodhull" I said we shall state the facts, & defend our position as the best we could do under the circumstances & looking back now, I think our course was preeminently wise. Our course compelled those who dissented, to establish a paper, organize & go to work.

M.C. Brown. J.W. Blake. C. P. Arnold. Law Offices of Brown, Blake & Arnold, Laramie, Wyo. Jan 25, 1890

confidential

Dear Miss Anthony,

I write to ask your aid in securing the Admission of Wyoming to the Union of States. I address you because you and all other good women of this Country who are laboring to advance the rights of women have a personal interest in securing Wyomings admission. As President of the Constitutional Convention of Wyoming I had no trouble in securing the adoption of the Woman Suffrage Provision. There were but three or four votes against it in the Convention and these were cast by new comers

and these words "New Comers" meaning thereby the later immigration to Wyoming, explains the whole situation - The old residents, who understand appreciate the advantages of Woman Suffrage, nearly all favor it, but these later arrivals from Eastern states and the old Country are quite generally against. We are about to have a large influx of population and if we are not admitted under the present Constitution there is danger that Woman Suffrage will be defeated even in Wyoming. Now what can be done? Will you permit me a suggestion my best Judgment is there should be no public efforts

Woman Suffrage New York State Constitutional Convention Campaign Comittee. Headquarters No. 17 Madison Street.

Jean Brooks Greenleaf, President 64 N. Goodman St., Rochester Martha R. Almy, Vice-Pres-at-Large, Jamestown, N.Y. Mary S. Anthony, Cor. Sec'y. 17 Madison St., Rochester Henrietta M. Banker, Treas., Elm Cliff, Ausable Forks, J.Mary Pearson & Emilie S. Van Beil, Auditors

Advisory Council: Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Susan B. Anthony. Lillie Devereux Blake. Mary Seymour Howell. Carrie Lane Chapman.

Rochester, N.Y. March 12th 1894.

Dear Elizabeth

I ran home Saturday A.M. after Schenectady & am stay'g till tomorrow - Tuesday A.M. 8.40 and then go back to Albany to fill my role - of speaking in the 24th Council meeting - in the Assembly Chamber - I see that Mrs. Blake is to precede me with her Foremothers speech - so I shall have little time to do anything but present the work to be done It is amazing that Mrs Howell should give herself the whole of Wednesday night - & crowd Mrs. Blake into my evening - but such is the planning

Well- Mrs Colby - formed your Open Court- pamphlet package and has been sending me a few at each meetg but I am glad you have ordered them sent to you for you can give them out more wisely. I hope you kept a copy of the splendid paper I read at Chickering Ball it was cheered several times - It think it was the Sun Reporter - who promised to get it printed in full - & before I knew it - I had lost track of it but Mrs. Colby says you want to improve it before she puts into a Bulletin I cut out the "drawn through a knot-hole" because it was too unlike your chaste-classic style it was the worst kind of street [?] not girl-slang! I read it to my cousins & all agreed with me that I should cut it out & so it went and I pray you not to mar the paper by retaining it.