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Letter from Mrs. Stanton, President of the National Woman Suffrage Association
Basingstoke Hants England Dec 25th 1887
Dear Mrs. Colby,
A merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you, & the readers of The Tribune.
The best wishes of the season, for the success of the Journal, in its new satin dress, good clear type, & its promise of weekly ministrations.
I have just read it through, every word from beginning to end, & thoroughly enjoyed its courageous tone, its radical
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thought, its evident determination to go to the root of the evils that block woman's path to freedom.
I was specially pleased with the articles by Mrs Chandler, May Rogers & "the plan of work for suffrage clubs" all showing that women having proved their right to vote, at least to their own satisfaction, are now beginning to think in what manner that right shall be exercised
Some knowledge of the principles of political
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economy of the American system of Jurisprudence, & of the secular nature of our government are surely important subjects, on which women should inform themselves.
The brave heroes of our revolution, seeing the evils in the old world from a union of church & state, built the foundations of our Republic so securely against all ecclesiastical power as to show us, that they understood the work they had in hand.
Such fear had they of
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priestcraft & religious fanaticism in politics that at first the clergy were not allowed to vote or express any opinions on politics in their pulpits.
But at length, having no established church with its emoluments & places of power in government, it was deemed safe, for them to have some opinions & to express them at the polls as other men did, with no added power or authority because of their profession
Since then as citizens, they now have their legitimate influence in the state.
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surely there is no reason why as members of the various sects, their theological dogmas should be recognized in our laws national constitution.
As all shades of religious opinions are represented in the American people, Jews & Gentiles, Roman Catholics & Protestants Deists, Theists, & Athesists, our first duty is to see that each & all stand equal before the law; their rights of conscience & individual judgement fully protected.
