The Portland daily press., 1900-06-15
WOMEN AND THE COLOR
LINE.
Views of the Press on the Attitude of
the General Federation.

When the Federation of women's Clubs
met in Milwaukee, the members listened
TO an eloquent address of their president,
who said that the purpose OF the club
was to improve the condition and cir
cumstances of working women in this
country. This sounded very pretty and
sweet and inspiring, but when the Fed
Grafton voted to refuse to allow a club of
colored women to enter the Federation
or to be represented officially at the con-
yention. the presidents address merely
read like nonsense. Nobody can help
the condition of the working woman
without ignoring society" distinctions
of race or creed or parentage. Any col
lege settlement worker could tell the Fed
Grafton that to exclude colored woman
from the Convention would be to destroy
all hope of the Federation's influence
with any self-respecting working woman.
Boston Advertiser.
Such an organization should have
grown too broad and liberal to be yexed
by the color line. Practically the same
question came to the front in Chicago
few years ago, when colored woman
was nominated for membership in the
Woman's Club OF that city. There was
some opposition, and the timid feared
that the social standing of the club and
its members would be injured II the
oolored applicant was admitted and that
the club would be broken up. The col
ored applicant was admitted, however,
and Chicago newspaper said last We'd
nesday: 1.-The Chicago Woman's Club
never prospered Eproportionately as well
before 1t admitted a colored woman as 1t
has prospered since that time. There
was a resignation. 1t was that Of the
widow of an evangelical minister"
The probability is that the fears of the
Federations OF Women's Clubs that
trouble will result II colored clubs are
recognized has as little basis as the fears
of the Chicago Woman's Club had. There
is much more ground for apprehension
of harm to the Federation II prejudice
is allowed to influence the decision than
if a broad and liberal view Of the subject
prevails. -Philadelphia Press.
This drawing of the color line, which
was the first act of the Milwaukee gath
ering, remains the dominant fact of the
convention. Beside this, all the tine
phrases of papers and resolutions remain,
to great extent, meaningless or mock
cry. Under threat of secession made
by the Southern delegates, the conven-
ton placed itself in hopelessly false
position. 1t lacked leaders of sufficient
courage and authority to hold IL In the
rigid path and to point out that this dis
elimination against colored delegate
stamped as insincere every act and utter
ance of great national body whose pro-
fessed purpose Is, in the words of q reso-
luton adopted at the closing session, to
''leave a message Of sympathy for all who
have wrought with sorrow-laden hearts. !"
cleveland Plain Dealer.
The question on which the convention
so seriously divided is one which a large
number of men thought was settled more
| than thirty years ago. III the women S
clubs are to fight the war over again,
there would appear to be little hope for
great progress in any Of the reforms
which the Federation has sst out TO &C
complish, until peace has been finally
declared. Chicago Tribune.
The delegates represented clubs inter
ested In various departments of reform
work. As club members they organized
| for the benefit of women, and pledged
| themselves to uplift their sex. They are
supposed to tighten women's burdens, to
stimulate her ambition, to broaden her
| field. How did they fulfil these dutiesi
Most conspicuously, they went out OF their
| way in the case of Mrs. Ruflln TO offend
and repel a people that has looked to
| the intelligent and broad minded women
| of the country for support and encourage
ment in well-doing. Schools and colleg sE
have been founded and societies have been
organized to help forward the coiored
women Of the country, az Wen - t .hs
| General Federation Of Women's Clubs
| turned their backs on this people and
rebuffed those who held out their hands
to them.--Chicago Inter-Ocean.
The Federation Of Women's Clubs, II II
expects to be power for good and en-
lightenment in this country, must rise
above color prejudice. Indeed, II the
women's club movement of America has
had its purpose correctly stated by Its
leaders, 1t Is DESTROYS of emancipatine
women from certain legal and conven'
tional restraints, which, 1t is said, are
remnants of ancient prejudice. What
spectacle does a women's organization,
asking Justice for women, present when
1t orders that womenshall be discrimi-
mated against solely on the ground OF
difference In oomplexions-De Moine
Leader