In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

14 & stronger as well as true Make the speech of your life in favor of religious freedom Sincerely yours U Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Do you want any more Bibles. You can have all you want at thirty cents & sell for fifty Do you intend to go on another year, & do you wish to publish Part II from week to week.4 You might take names & addresses for the Bible & send to Bob,5 or he can [sen]d you another package. Y ALS,Clara B.Colby Papers,Archives Division,WHi.Letters in square brackets obscured by ink blots. 1. Goldwin Smith (1823–1910) was an English journalist and historian living in Canada. In “Christianity’s Millstone,” North American Review 161 (December 1895): 703–19, Smith reviewed contemporary ideas about literal readings of the Old Testament and recommended that “the time has surely come when as a supernatural revelation [the early books] should be frankly though reverently laid aside, and no more allowed to cloud the vision of free inquiry or to cast the shadow of primeval religion and law over our modern life.” (Oxford DNB.) 2. Here,at the bottom of her sheet,ECS wrote her initials,though her sentence carries over to a new sheet. 3. Omitted here is an extra quotation mark that ECS penned between this word and the next. 4. ECS refers to Colby’s chronic problems financing the Woman’s Tribune and asks if she will repeat the arrangement by which Colby published the Woman’s Bible, Part I in serial form in the Tribune prior to its publication as a book. 5. Her son, Bob Stanton. ••••••••• 8 • Remarks of SBA to the National-American Woman Suffrage Association Editorial note: This, the main debate about the Woman’s Bible took place at a public session in the afternoon of 28 January 1896. Lillie Blake tried to find a compromise during an Executive Committee meeting on 25 January 1896,proposing that criticism of the Woman’s Bible be struck from Rachel Avery’s report while “the part stating that the Association had no connection with it be allowed to remain.” SBA made strenuous objection. The two parts of Avery’s attack were equally objectionable, she said, and “[f]or the association to pass this disclaimer will be but the beginning of an inquisitorial censorship to which there will be no 28 january 1896 ^ 15 end.” Blake withdrew her motion. This report of the debate on January 28 is the most complete, and it served as the chief source for the version of SBA’s remarks in the official report of the proceedings. A peroration from the official report is appended to the source text, set off by angle brackets. (Report of the Twenty-eighth Annual Convention, 1896, pp. 29, Film, 35:304ff.) [28 January 1896] The interest of the closing afternoon centered in the report of the Resolution Committee.1 The resolutions were discussed, amended in various particulars, and finally adopted as given below. Resolution 8, referring to the Woman’s Bible, was the subject of sharp discussion.2 As soon as it was before the Convention it was moved by Mrs. Colby and seconded by Mrs. Thomas3 of Maryland that it be laid upon the table. The motion was lost. Mrs.Stetson4 moved to amend by striking out all after “religious opinions,” thus dropping off all reference to publications. She thought the Association should not take cognizance of the action of individual members. Mrs. Avery said that anything done by any member which seemed to strike at organization should be taken notice of. She had found no greater obstacle to the work of organizing than the general public misconception of the relation of this organization to the Woman’s Bible. This is the blow from which we are suffering. The organizers write that a great deal of time and strength is wasted in having to make explanations and doors are closed in the faces of the suffragists. Mrs. Colby spoke in favor of the amendment. Mrs. Hallowell5 thought it was not right to particularize in this way. Mrs. Simmons6 of South Dakota moved that the words, “with the so called Woman’s Bible,” be stricken out. This was seconded by Major Merwin.7 Mrs.Whitney8 of St.Louis thought the Woman’s Bible had done harm,but that we could educate people to understand that we were not responsible for it. This resolution commits us to a policy of negation. Mrs. Blake opposed the second amendment, agreeing with...

Share