Abigail (Abba) Bass to Jane Addams, July 1912

743 LINCOLN PARK BOULEVARD

My dear Miss Addams --

Owing to the greatly increased field of states added to Chicago since [Senator] <Dixon's> arrival I find it imperative to have an advisory committee of representative women to help me decide questions as they come up.

I suggest with your approval -- Miss [Breckinridge] [page 2] Mrs Wells, Mrs Treadwell, Mrs. Bennett <colored>, Mrs Blake, Mrs Fairbank, Mrs James Morrisson, Mrs. G. Bass. <Also> [someone] from the Political Equality League and Illinois Equal Suffrage Headquarters.

Something must be done at once or we will not have the great mass of women with us.

There are a great many disturbing elements [page 3] that must be handled with care. There is one other thing that I want to speak about and it is also very important. Mrs Robins is out of town speaking and I am afraid that the men intend to depend on her a great deal for such work. There has been a great deal of talk about putting us both on the State Committee but as yet no action has been taken. Rationally I cannot ask the men to put me on a committee so that I can have the power to draw all of these conflicting elements together. Unless something is done it will soon be too late to get the women started.

Mrs. Blaney has been splendid in coming to headquarters and advising and helping me. She also thinks that unless I have an official position of some [page 4] kind my time is wasted.

I am now paying <out of my own money> myself a teacher to be at headquarters and take a little of the general work off my shoulders. We have no office help.

A word from you [illegible] to hasten the putting [page 5] of Mrs Robins and me on the State Committee would settle things.

Please excuse the haste etc and please be frank as I have been because I have both causes, Women and [Progressives?] at heart.

Sincerely [Yours]

Abba Bass

Saturday [page 6]

Mrs Blaney and I are going to send some money to Ohio -- and I am going to send <pay the expenses> of [someone] from Suffrage State headquarters to march in the parade.

The check and one dollar reached me safely. I have it in charge. [page 7]

These are the names of the States that are under Chicago office.

I have written to [illegible] all these states today.