December 12, 1912.
Dear Miss Addams,
I must [apologize] for having left your letter so long unanswered but I neglected my legitimate work for so long at the Convention and as it so happened during the following week when I had to speak three times away from the College that I have been very much overwhelmed.
I am sure that I need not assure you that I do not in the least misunderstand your change of opinion in regard to the method of voting. Of course I think that you are mistaken just as you think that I am mistaken and I should very much like to have the opportunity of talking it over some time when we have a half an hour. Of course you understood that we purposely permitted the amendment striking out voting by delegations at the request of five states and in the election of officers to be carried. It would have been very simple to have defeated it by voting by delegations and I had the required [authorization] of six associations on Tuesday morning with the request to use the voting by delegations if it seemed best. I hope I was right in thinking that it was not best. It seemed to me that the feeling or the subject was so bitter and so [widespread] that we should never have peace in the Convention until voting not by delegations was tried, and it seemed me best to allow the opposite side to think that they had defeated us. I thought that perhaps the bitterness of feeling would be more apt to die down if they thought that than if they though that those of us who believed in [page 2] voting by delegations had purposely refrained from defeating this amendment.
I suppose that Miss Shaw told you that the person who [called out] the insulting remark was Mrs. Frances Squire Potter. The women [who sat?] directly in front of her who knew her well said that she was the person. This is just like her and as soon as I heard that it was she I gave it no further thought.
In regard to Miss Shaw's salary I hope that you will agree with me that it is not at all necessary to bring it up. I was afraid that what Miss Shaw said about salary in the Convention might perhaps be understood as referring to her own salary whereas I [was sure that she was] only intent upon defending Mrs. Dennett. I do not whether [she] heard that one of the plans of the opposition was to put in somebody else in Mrs. Dennett's place and to make Mrs. Dennett a salaried officer without a seat on the Board.
On the first of May when the Susan B. Anthony Fund ceased Miss Garrett and I told Miss Shaw that we wanted to ask a few of the subscribers and a few other personal friends of hers whether they would not be willing to continue their subscriptions so that Miss Shaw's living and [traveling] expenses might be provided for. At first she was unwilling but we pointed out to her that in no better way could they help suffrage and that as a loyal servant of the cause she would have to accept our judgment in the matter. She then consented but said that she was entirely unwilling to have it made a general subscription and that we must promise to ask personal friends. From time to time since then I have been doing this and so far we have secured five of the eight subscriptions necessary for the current year and as [page 3] Treasurer of the Fund I have been able to send Miss Shaw a [check] on the first of June, July, August, September, October, November, December, and there is enough in the Treasury for January first. It seems to me that it would be nicer for Miss Shaw not to have the matter spoken of at all as we want her to be in as independent a position as possible.
It is a solid comfort to all of us to think of our splendid National Board. Our next piece of work must be to provide it with the necessary funds.
To Miss Jane Addams.
Comments