Harriet Taylor Upton to Jane Addams, March 1, 1917

REEL0010_0904.jpg
REEL0010_0905.jpg

OHIO WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION

HEADQUARTERS: MASONIC BLDG., WARREN, OHIO

March 1, 1917.

Miss Jane Addams,
Hull House,
Chicago, Ill.,

Dear Miss Addams: --

I do not know how much publicity the action of the Executive Council in regard to the note presented to the government has received. I was hoping that it would not get out anywhere but today I have a letter from one of our Ohio women in which she encloses a copy of a telegram sent to her home paper so I suppose it will soon be generally known. I have not made any public statement in regard to my stand on the question because I do not want to stir up the Ohio suffragists in regard to this matter. I think every bit of talk of war adds to the flame. It seems to me that you ought to know without my telling you that I voted against the adoption of the note which was sent to the government. Miss DuPont the other representative from Ohio did the same thing. I did not consider that the note was in a certain sense against peace, I mean now the note itself but I was awfully opposed to calling the Council for the consideration of this question, for sending any kind of a note to the government and against the discussion of the question at all. I asked to have my name recorded on the minutes as voting against this resolution. I am almost inclined to believe that it [page 2] does more harm than good to make this fact known but anyway I want you to know it and of course all people in the Council knew exactly where I stood and why.

I am by tradition a Republican. I think Wilson's Mexican policy was awful but I do think he is doing everything he possibly can to keep us out of war and I think all we can do is to at least not add to the flame.

So glad you are well again. I worried a great deal about you when you were ill.

Cordially yours,

Harriet Taylor Upton [signed]