Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-05-25


with strange power, a deep and pro-
found one, for although IT was the last,
perhaps, cf the many organiza tons, the
beautiful, well organized, well system
had appealed to us as this. First, be-
cause as Americans. not as colored peo--
pie, 1t struck at the very root fbers Or
our national character; the last las. 81 t the
last which is the first. Again 1t appealed
to us because here we met on common
ground, that Of helpless Innocence, In
No prejudice coud Lass some II t mere
the hands Of its own maker, still carrying
in its sweet little face some Of the life OF
eleayen reflected back to the mother
along the line that should give to us a
pure manhood and pure womanhood,
which honors the name Of woman, that
last and best creation of Gods. whether
she be black or white. RRa
When the National Association Of Col
ored Women met for the first time in
1898, they brought the results OF the eff
forts that had been crowned In the vari-
Gus localities. 1t was decided tc let each
one let down his bucket where he was,
do the best he could and report at the
next meeting. Among. the reports that
were brought were mothers, meetings; I. es-
ment Of kindergartens. homes for orphan
children and homes for aged women of
the race. It would be impossible to go
allotted me and tell you Of the work: /
shall simply give you a. general outline,
beginning. with the work carried on by
Mrs. Booker T. Washington. Her work
washington with the farmers Of his
county. AS words Of helpful advice were
given, the thought occurred. "how can
these men accomplish these things with
without saying a word to her husband.
she went down to Tuskegon and asked
them TO give her room. They gave her
small room over store. The stairs
to climb them. She sent out word that
she would like to meet the women there
Saturday that being the time when they
all came into town. When she entered
there. BY and by a little boy came up
the stairs. She asked him to go out into
the streets and tell any woman he could
find that woman wanted to see them
or five came in. Their expression asked
"Where is it, this that she has to give
u.s." BY and by six came in. She told
them, what, they should do and what they
they number over one thousand. So
strong has been the sway of mothers
clubs throughout the state Of Alabama
that before the end Of the year they hope Iss
clubs in Virginia, with Miss Laura Titus,
who went from place to place In the vari-
Gus towns and counties organizing moth
twenty-five mothers clubs. She hopes to
have a state organizatio of mothers
clubs before the end Of another year. The
women of the south. Of the east and of
the west all have a different work to do,
ali are aiming for the same result and
must help each other. The women of the
east have the benefits that municipalities
offer them. alike for the whites and the
colored. In the west it is the same. In
the south it is altogether different. The
women of the east and west have banded
themselves together to help the women of
the south In whatever work they deem
best. At the recent convention last sum
mer they listened to the reports and the
efforts along the lines of mothers meet
ings, and while they have done much
do not a6e at the root Of
the establishment of kindergartens wher-
ever possible for the children of the race,
the fathers and mothers to be, the citi-
zens to be. tss Is M
1 Shall take you now to Washington, the
typical city Of the negro life. There we
have them from the lowest to the high
est. with all the intermediate classes In
every type Of negro life from the lowest
to the highest, and there we have had an
opportunity to find out the best work
suited to the elevation of the race. The
Colored Womens league of Washington,
or parents organization of the National
Association of Colored Women, support
ed for the past two years a day nursery,
where we take care of the children of the
women who have to go out and work all
day. We had the children Of the women
who have fallen, hoping that we may still
preserve the mother love, which we be-
lieve exists in the hearts Of every wo-
man, and can be held if that influence is
not vitiated. We have cared for there
this year twelve children. We have a
little house Of four rooms right in the
midst of an alley. The, alley is to US
what the slums are to the larger cities,
not so bad may hope to say. Our home
is located in the middle Of block of alley
houses. We placed it there for several
reasons. One, that the women that wish
help lived in this place and IL they
had had to take their children long dis
tance in the morning and go after them
in the evening, they would not be taken
care Of. & A. E%r-7S
Again we hoped to have those rooms
benefit the neighborhood. The bright
flowers in the windows and the clean mus
lin curtains have already had their eff
feet We wish to make there bed Of
flowers. On Sunday afternoons we gather
all the children for a story, a little song
and a cup Of milk and bread. So many
come we have not room to take all of
them. But the great work with the Wom-
ems league started some time ago
through the effort for kindergartens
They did in 1878 support six private kim