The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 2 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty YearsHarper, Ida Husted
History
The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 2 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty Years
Harper, Ida Husted
Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906
In thinking over the points raised at our informal conference, it
seems to me that the substantial outcome is this: The committees
appointed by us respectively, if we conclude to appoint them, must
each agree upon a common name, a common constitution and a common
list of officers for the first year. A subsequent acceptance of
these by each association will thereafter constitute the two
societies one society. If you think there is a fair probability of
coming to an agreement I will proceed to appoint my committee.
As the formal overtures for union have come from the American
Association, it will be appropriate that our committee should draw
up the plan for union which appears to them the most feasible, and
forward it to Miss Foster, to be submitted to yours. Then your
committee will suggest such modifications as they may think
needful; and, if a mutually satisfactory result can be reached, the
name, constitution and list of officers will go to the executive
committee of each association for final action.
Christmas Day Miss Blackwell sent to Miss Foster a comprehensive plan
for a union of the two societies, closing as follows: "Since many
members of the National society regard Mrs. Stone as the cause of the
division, and many members of the American regard Mrs. Stanton and Miss
Anthony as the cause of it, Mrs. Stone suggested that it would greatly
promote a harmonious union, for those three ladies to agree in advance
that none of them would take the presidency of the united association."
Early in January this formal announcement and letter were sent to Miss
Foster:
The committee of the National to sit in counsel with that of the
seven appointed by Lucy Stone, of the American, shall be: May
Wright Sewall, _Chairman_, Harriette R. Shattuck, Olympia Brown,
Helen M. Gougar, Laura M. Johns, Clara B. Colby, Rachel G. Foster,
_Secretary_.[36]
I hope all will sink personalities and exalt principles, seeking
only the best good for woman's enfranchisement, and that surely
will come through the union of all the friends of woman suffrage
into one great and grand national association which shall enable
them to present a solid front to the enemy. This must be based on
the principle of a genuine democracy, which shall give to each of
its members a voice in all its deliberations, either in person or
through representatives chosen by them, and to a constitution thus
based I am sure each of my seven chosen ones will contribute her
aid. Hoping that a consolidation of all our forces will be the
result of this overture from Lucy Stone and her society, I am, very
sincerely,
SUSAN B. ANTHONY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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