Femmes (les)

15967 — WOMAN SUFFRAGE. ALS. 4pgs. December 9 1914. Washington D.C. Four autograph letters on two sheets of ''Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage'' letterhead. The Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage was a Washington D.C.-based women's suffrage organization founded by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns in 1913. The Congressional Union an offshoot of the National American Woman Suffrage Association advocated for suffrage on a federal level but held sometimes-extreme views that were not supported by the older organization. It counted Helen Keller among its members. Four active members wrote to their compatriot Virginia Patschke of Lebanon Pennsylvania sharing news of fellow members and union goings-on. The letters<br/>are:<br/><br/>a ''My dear Miss Pataschke: We went to Mrs. Boekh to a 'spread' last evening and it only needed our 'Virginia ' to make it quite perfect and like old times but I must say that the rest of the crowd were the smokers. I was a 'puffect lady ' but passed them up much to the joy of the rest of the club of course you know the name and the aim of the club. Its high ideals etc. but I must not knock I have just called down Anne Elizabeth and Miss McCue. For they are talking of 'Coney Island" hot dogs etc. I have filled up at a Church Supper so it don 't sound so good as ordinary. Anne has been assigned the pleasure of filling the next page so I must close. Sincerely yours May E. Dabney. "<br/><br/>b "There now I'm done gone and done it! I let the bunch read me the jargon they have writ and I haven't got a go/dam idea of my own to write you and Miss McCue is telling a lot of stuff some fortuneteller told her and you know how that disturbs a genius like me. Really dear old Hikes you don't know how we did wish that you were the fifth one last night we thought & spoke of you often and all exclaimed when Mrs. Boeck opened the parcel post pkg. & saw the contents well it just took Virginia to put that up. We had determined to write you then & there a composite letter before breaking up but we were so full of guzzle that we weren 't able to see to write. I told Miss Paul of your proposition and she is leaving W. tonight until the New Year & said Miss Lucy<br/>Burns would take it up with you. Miss B. said she would write you at once but I have my doubts she'll forget it. Thanking you again for the nice things and I hope will see you soon. Cordially yours Ann Burnett Dabney". Alice Paul and Lucy Burns were the founders and leaders of the Congressional Union.<br/><br/>c "Thursday 8.00 pm around late at headquarters. Dear old Pal- Well we smoked and talked and talked and smoked and then some - beer - welsh rarebit and Base's Ale. Your package arrived all O.K. Miss Ann Dabney brought it over to Mrs. Bockh 's where we all had a good laugh over it! Well we have missed you more than you can imagine. You know you promised to come back. It doesn 't seem natural for you not to be here. At present it is raining and all are making the bluff of working but gossip and game . holds the floor. The shut meetings sort of handling fine. Mrs. Natus is back but doesn 't come around as she is busy. Miss McCue has charge of shut meetings. There is someone else. Miss Gromborur is having hospitality at Mrs. Arnur. We don 't go to Childs' to eat anymore. The bunch has scattered Beat it back From Elizabeth ''. The writer may have been Elizabeth Smith who worked on the Union's periodical The Suffragist.<br/><br/>d "Dear Miss Patschke: Received your postals; would be delighted to speak on the Capital Steps & spread the gospel to the world Mrs. Brock will move from Lebanon when we have had one meeting there. I hope you are spreading suffrage doctrine in Lebanon & killing the Anti Brock forces. I have been lobbying the last few days & find our Congressmen are an awful dumb lot. As soon as we get the vote lets run for Congress. Write again soon Anna McCue''. McCue was a working-class girl from Pennsylvania and a prominent member of the Congressional Union. ''Mrs. Brock'' was anti-suffrage activist Mrs. Horace Brock. The letters are in very good condition with deep fold lines and some tears to the upper edges. The original envelope addressed to Patschke in included. unknown books