Olive Schreiner Letters Online

Letter Reference	Olive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.132
Archive	National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town
Epistolary Type	Letter
Letter Date	Sunday 1903
Address From	na
Address To
Who To	Mary Sauer nee Cloete
Other Versions

The manuscript of this letter by Olive Schreiner belongs to the Archive referenced above; its ownership of the original should be acknowledged by referencing the letter as indicated: Copyright transcription: © Olive Schreiner Letters Project. This transcription can be freely used as long as copyright is acknowledged and it is referenced using the following citation: ‘Olive Schreiner to Mary Sauer nee Cloete, 1903, NLSA Cape Town, Special Collections, Olive Schreiner Letters Project transcription’. Please also supply letter line numbers for specific quotations.

Legend
The Project is grateful to the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections. The letter has been dated by reference to its position in the archive sequence and also when the post-war women’s association referred to was set up.

1:  Sunday
2: 
3:  Dear Mary
4: 
5:  I shall leave this on Saturday afternoon getting to Cape Town Sunday
6:  morning, & shall leave again by Monday night's train for this.
7: 
8:  As to the woman's association there are two points that seem to me
9:  important. First - that in addition to the three very good objects you
10:  mention there should be a fourth - "To labour for the substitution of
11:  the principle of arbitration to that for physical force in the
12:  settlement of all international & interstatial differences," or words
13:  to that effect. We should make arbitration our great plank.
14: 
15:  (I quite agree with you that the thing should first be started quietly.)
16: 
17:  The second thing is with regard to the nature of the society.
18: 
19:  My great hope is that ^as^ the Bond developes into the new South African
20:  party it will admit women ^both^ as members, making simply no
21:  distinction of sex; it would be a great move in advance: would lead to
22:  the ultimate enfranchisement of women (for the most old fashioned men
23:  would soon find out how useful the women were) & the enfranchisement
24:  of women would immensely strengthen the Born-South African as there
25:  are three South African women at least to one Uitlander in the country.
26:  By the enfranchisement of women the South African part would gain
27:  immensely in every direction. (But we'll talk this over when I come).
28: 
29:  It's rather interesting that after the people's congress meeting two
30:  old fashioned Africanders, Doppers!! came to me, & asked whether I
31:  wasn't going to the Bond congress. I said no, I wasn't a Bond's man, &
32:  no women were admitted. They said solemnly, that it didn't matter,
33:  that I ought to go to parliament!!!! This was to me very interesting
34:  as showing how even the hardshell old Dopper can modify his view, the
35:  moment he sees a practical reason for it!!
36: 
37:  The great object is to get men & women, not merely to work side by
38:  side, but together for the in public matters. I would not like this
39:  woman's organization to prevent that in any way. I think it ought to
40:  be absolutely distinct from the National Africander Party, which
41:  should contain both men & women. This organization should be
42:  absolutely independent, representing the standpoint of women as women,
43:  but not prevent us from joining the larger party. Again, we as women
44:  may go much further & take a much firmer stand than the could ever Bond
45:  ^or any man's organization^ could ever do: we ought not to limit or bind
46:  ourselves. ^in any way.^ One of the first propositions as soon as we are
47:  organised should be that without full equalities ?fights in the great
48:  Africander party for one woman be women should work side by side with
49:  men in the Africander party.
50: 
51:  Let us meet once a year &c, but not when the Bond meets, ^as an ?annex.^
52:  There are a great number of farming details, scab acts &c, which those
53:  women who join this organization need not necessarily concern
54:  themselves ^with^ while those who entered the ^African^ Bond would concern
55:  themselves with all ^subjects.^
56: 
57:  The freedom of the Republics & the ?artbitration substitution orga of
58:  arbitration for war, is quite plank enough for us to start on. Let us
59:  concentrate on this for the present. I believe the new Africander
60:  party will be glad to admit women; if it does not, then we may take up
61:  other matters.
62: 
63:  All the propositions ^you sent^ as to membership, constitution of the
64:  party &c seem very good. I am so glad Mrs Solly is throwing herself
65:  into the matter she will be a great help.
66: 
67:  Miss Molteno & Miss Greene have not come yet. I can't understand it, I
68:  am expecting them every day. Have sent a wire to them let me know when
69:  they are coming.
70: 
71:  As to the proposa the meeting on Monday. Thinking it over it seems to
72:  me it would be best for a Dutch South-African, to move the vote of
73:  thanks to English women. You will at once see why.
74: 
75:  I would like to second either the resol your resolution re- the rebils
76:  or the resolution demanding the Independence of the Republics. Let me
77:  know which by wire at once. If you wire "first resolution" I shall
78:  know you mean I am to second resolution with regard to independence.
79:  ^of the Republics.^ If you wire "second resolution" I shall know it
80:  means I am to speak on the amnesty for the "rebels".
81: 
82:  I should prefer if it can be arranged to speak on the Independence of
83:  the Republics. I shall not be able to make a long speech, that is why
84:  I didn't want to take such an important resolution. Let me know which
85:  you decide at once dear, that I can write out a
86: 
87:  ^little paper to be read in case I should not be able to speak.
88: 
89:  Olive^
90: 
91: 

Notation
No 'little paper' of the kind Schreiner was envisaging can be traced.