The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-03-10
COLOR LINE IN w,MopAusus,s.
a Correspondent Defends the Action
uf the HnnrL of Mnnagers.

of the Board OF Managers.
Editor Of he critic: The article pub
lished in Saturdays CnIrIc regarding the
color line in tho Wimodaughsis Club,
conveys the idea that only part of the
board managing the affairs of the club
are woman sufl'rhgsts. Thsis mistake;
there is not woman ON that board who
Is not asulragist, and who has not, in one
way or another SO declared herself; but
this does not argue that the entire board
arc in favor of negro equality socially.
The admittance of negroes to the club is
the result of majority vote, which repre-
sents very small proportion of suIlra-
gists, and does not signify that all
woman suf'ragsts further North" rs Is
indirectly implied, advocate social
equality with our colored brethren and
sisters.
There are thousands Of grand women in
the North who strongly advocate equality
before the law, but, like their noble South
ern sisters, regard their homes as sacred
castles, whose holy sanctums are never
socially invaded by the colorcd race.
The principle Of social equality is not
peculiar to women who are struggling for
The franchise, but is found to exist among
men to a limited extent, many of whom
use il as an implement of warfare when
political success depends upon it. Beyond
If the majority of the Wimodaughsis
board have sinned il is scarcely fair Just
or Christian to lay their sin, directly or in
directly, at the doors of all women suffra-
gists further North"
However it Is conceded that honest
convictions for or against measure can
not, strictly speaking, be termed sin, but
freedom and liberty of thought; there
fore the majority of the board may feel
that by their action they have only given
expression to freedom in the right direc-
ton.
Let this be as It may, the abolition of
the color line in this case is very unfor-
tunatc and has virtually broken the spinal
column of Wimodaughsis, which bade
fair to become a large, prosperous, and
beneficial organization, the tattered re-
mains of which, most likely, sooner or
later. will be transferred to the National
Council building that is to be erected AZ
| Glen Echo This suggestion is mere
| reading between the lines.
The colored people of the National Cap
| ital enjoy superior advantages and, IL
| properly encouraged to form literary or.
| ganizatons for the further education of
their race, they might easily be led to
| adopt all the progressive methods of the
day as well as entire selfreliance and in
dependence, and thus become a powerful
| and important ftictorin the line of prog
ress and civilization. Such encourage
| ment would be far better forall concerned
| than forced social relations between the
| two races, which are not fully acceptable
| to the mass of either.
The crippled condition of Wimodaugh-
sis is acting as an irriiant ON the women
| of Washington, and IL will be some time
before they can be induced to cngagein am
other enterprise of the same nature; but
| If another company for a like purpose
should be incorporated it might save feel
ings and avert an explosion, If they ascer-
tain one another's sentiments on the color
question before becoming incorporated.
| Furthermore, for the sake of perfect
unity, it might be well for them to re.
member that California will not borrow
timber from the North, East or South, but
will send its ona big i,ye--or at least part
| Of ito the Worlds Columbian Fair
| The moral in the Golden States example
may be worth something. i. A. w.