Letter, Susan B. Anthony to Evangeline O’Connor
A letter from Susan B. Anthony to her friend and fellow women’s rights activist, Evangeline O’Connor. Anthony discusses the need for the Rochester Council of Women to convince local politicians to nominate female candidates for the school board. She wants the Council to select which women they want nominated. Anthony urges O’Connor to call a meeting to “start the ball rolling” and offers to host the meeting at her house.
[page 1]
Sept. 27, 1899
My Dear Mrs. O’Connor,
I hope you have
sent a call for a Council
meeting to the papers to night – the
time is passing rapidly – and
we ought to have committees
appointed in each one of the
10 wards to interview every
one of the 10 Republicans – and
5 Democratic delegates to
the City Conventions – right away –
Every man needs to be talked
to and made to think there
ought to be women on the school
board – Then the Council ought
to take a vote & decide which
woman – or which two women –
shall be our choice for the place
[page 2]
2
You only have full power to
call the meeting – and I do hope
you will do it – for Saturday P.M.
– it may be here – No. 17 Madison St –
or wherever you choose – only let
us start the ball rolling some form
and somewhere right away –
You see if we don’t rush things
and get both parties to nominate
women on their regular tickets – our chance
will be gone – unless we go to the
“big job” of getting a 1,000 voters to sign
a request for us to make an
independent nomination – so
do not delay another day I beg
of you – — I thought you were
to call it for the first of this week –
– looked in the Sunday papers – & have
looked in vain ever since – I
must have misunderstood you.
Very sincerely yours,
Susan B. Anthony