Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-02-27
Can This Be Possible?
MINGLING OF WHITES AND
BLACKS IN A DISGUSTING
MANNER In CHICAGO.
Dance of the Manasseh Society. Which
is Composed of Colored Men Who
Have White Women and OF
White Men With Negro
Wives.

From the Chicago Record, January II, 1896
While learned men are discussing
the trace problem" the Mannasseh
society of Chicago at one jump solves
it.
How we'll the members of this soci-7
ETY. have done their work was appar-
ent Saturday night in Central hall, 22d
street and Wabash avenue, where the
Ladies' Court gave ball. About 300
colored men attended the ball with |
their white wives and one white man |
with his colored wife. There were also
a number of colored women in at |
tendance without husbands of any
kind. They looked with envious eyes
at their more fortunate white sisters.
In point of fact it required all the
tact and diplomatic skill of the COM
mittee to prevent a race war of anna
IONS on an occasion which was got up
for the express purpose of showing
the world how easy the trick of mix
ing white and black blood was done.
1t might have goue better with the
colored women present if, in the Ian
guage of one of their number, "the
committeeman had provided them
with white men as escorts when they
found out they could not furnish them
with that commodity for husbands"
arHE FATAL WEDDING" FOR THE
GRAND MARCH.
At this juncture Floor Manager Geo.
johnson interposed his authority and
announced: "Partners for the first
grand march," This proved to be an
inspired speech, and for a time COW
cred the troubled waters with thin
coat of oil. Mr.. johnson led the march
in person. When the orchestra of niue
pieces and trombone caught up the
familiar strains of ''The Fatal We'd
Ding the floor manager went sweep
ing down the hall, holding on to his
arm Mrs. Scott, a comely white woman
of flashing black eyes and distinguish
ed mein, who was attired as a lady OF
the time of Queen Elizabeth. They
were followed by Mr.. and Mrs. Geo.
Williams, Mrs. Williams appearing as
ia Tyrolean maid. Behind them came
a Jolly pair of bloomer girls-Gladys
Wilson and Allie Campbell. Then the
line strung out with bright-colored
costumes of every description, while
the skillful Mr.. Johnson led them
through all kinds of intricate figures
with an ease and grace which moved
one of his colored women admirers
who thought herself too good to wall
in a march with any kind of "white
trash,'' to exclaim: 'Ain't he peach.
WHO SHALL HAVE THE BLACK MAN?
In a short time the strains died up
on the air. Then the slumbering en-
bers of the race war again threatened
to burst out into a fierce flame. Th'
4 sIndian Princess' had become mixe'
4 up somehow with the "Scotch Las
j sie.n But it was only a warm discus
! sion as to who should dance with
certain colored man. The princes
turned out to be a fiaXen- -halre
Swede, while the lassie was recogniz
ed as one of the duskiest bellies c
Dearborn street. The Adonls, Wh
was the root of the trouble, stood b
grinning and was glad his sombe
l charms were equal to the task OF ere
o ating havoc in the breasts OF tW
y women at one time.
l. After this discussion had resulted
1t victory for the white woman tn
re trombone and the orchestra playe
W Saint He Daisy" in waltz time an
y, all went merry again. The riv
or amazons patched up a truce and tn
al festival of the rainbow was continue
t? in good nature and many colors uni
va a late hour. And when the band ha
a. played the last bars of "Home, Swe
ne Home" the gay throng agreed tn
ng "everybody had had good time" al
D. voted that the Manassehs were 81
e. right for true and very warm babl
he from the south side"
Ws OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY.
se Henry Banks is the president OF
lr- Manassehs, Mrs. P. Jones vice-pre
lot dent, Mrs. Fl. Banks secretary, M
i'm Streets treasurer. Mrs. G. Hou
ed Mrs. B. Jones, Mrs. B. Kersey a
d. Mrs. M. Winfield constituted the
,at ception committee.
cal Many persons, both whites a
he blacks, were present to see the eff
ca of the mingling of the races. O
black men danced with white WON
The coIored men who wore spectac
stood around watching the dane
mt. and discussing the race probe
err There was some jealousy manifest
not their remarks, but on the whole tt
1dy agreed that the society was help
nav the cause of the colored man.
less It is said that there are in Chic
to fully 800 married couples in which
ok, husband and the wife are of differ
her races. In the majority of cases
we husband is black, while the wifi
of white, although there are many CO
the where the man is white and
to woman a negress. The Manasseh
wife ciety alone numbers $50 of Il
,are couples. The Ladies' court, WI
18th. had charge of the dance Satui
It. ----------------
NnR> ann