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384 & visit.Your struggles and triumphs are a grand character study for all young men of either race. My son Theodore will be proud to have his slight attentions and acquaintance with you in Paris mentioned in your book.With kind regards for Mrs. Washington and yourself Cordially yours Y L, in hand of E. L. White, Booker T. Washington Papers, DLC. Signed for ECS by E. L. White. 1. In a second attempt at autobiography, Booker Washington published chapters of Up from Slavery as a serial in the Outlook from 3 November 1900 to 23 February 1901. His error about the name of ECS’s son Theodore occurred in chapter sixteen, “Europe,” in the issue dated 16 February 1901. Washington corrected his mistake before publishing the book later in the year. ECS wrote a nearly identical letter about the mistake to the editor of the Outlook, published in the next issue. See Film, 41:954. 2. Edwin McMasters Stanton (1814–1869) was secretary of war from 1862 to 1868. 3. Theodore Dwight Weld (1803–1895), a major figure in the antislavery movement , worked closely with Henry Stanton in the 1830s and educated two of the Stanton boys at his Eagleswood School in the 1850s. ••••••••• 175 • ECS to Lillie Devereux Blake Feb. 19/1901— 250 West 94th St New York— Mrs. Devereux Blake President—National Legislative League It is a good sign of the growing popularity of the woman suffrage movement that so many new organizations are being formed in New York for specific work in various directions. The pioneers in starting advocated what all these associations now propose,and labored assiduously for each, appealing in turn with popular lectures and constitutional arguments to the people, the Leg[islature,] the church, and the State, for moral and financial aid. 1 A Bazaar in the city of New York, from which we might realize $8000, would have seemed like a fairy dream twenty years ago. 2 Such a popular movement among a distinguished class of ladies and clergymen as appealed to the last constitutional convention in favor of nourp enfranchisement for women; 3 and another organization against it intensifying the agitation; while your coadjutors have annually besieged the Legislature for years, have prepared the way for the various organizations we welcome 15 february 1901 ^ 385 to-day. Your efforts to enlist one branch of our great army in exclusive Legislative work is timely and important, as but little has been done of late in that direction. Twenty years ago we had many champions in the halls of Congress; our own room and regular woman suffrage committee who presented our petitions annually and gave us reports as to the position of each of the members. To my knowledge we now have no special committee , no champion in the house, neither petitions nor reports; naught but an annual nbienialp hearing before any chance committee chosen for the occasion. 4 Hence the formation of a special Legislative League to press on the consideration of Congress the great fundamental principles of our government as applied to women,is of vital importance.Daniel Webster in one of his great speeches nearly half a century ago,said—“This is a government of the people, for the people, by the people.” 5 Abraham Lincoln, mid the exciting scenes of our Civil War, at Gettysburg while eulogizing the heroes in that great battle,re echoed the sentime[nt.] “This is a government of the people,for the people,by the people.” 6 Statistics show that women constitute a majority of the people, yet they have no part in the government, no protection under it for their most sacred rights; no voice in the laws or the law makers. It is a pertinent question, are women people? Or are all these great principles glittering generalities—having no application whatever to the majority of the people? We have at least a right to ask that only those who hold the ballot should be counted in the basis of representation. For it is clearly unjust to swell the number of Congressmen by counting those against whose highest interests they may legislate. U Elizabeth Cady Stanton Y L, in hand of E. L. White, Lillie D. Blake Papers, MoSHi. Square brackets surround letters torn away. 1. The National Legislative League opened its first annual meeting in Washington on 20 February 1901. The press mentioned that a letter from ECS was received but not whether it was read to the gathering. By 1901, Blake had...

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