The colored American., 1901-11-09


for the biennial meeting in June next
approaches.
We place before our readers for
perusal, comment and discussion. the
following letter from Mrs. LeOnOra
Halsted, written for the GlObe-DemO-
crat Of St Louis, and appearing in the
issue Of October %:
To the Editor Of the GlObe-DemOcrat.
st. Louis, Mo-. October 10
A meeting OF the Missouri Fedora
ton Of Women's Clubs is TO be held
a few days hence, at which some i'm
pOrtant questions in regard to the gen.
eral Federation are to be voted upon.
One Of these IS an amendment pro-
posed by Georgia. advocating that the
general Federation shall be composed
exclusively Of clubs Of white women.
Against this Massachusetts has pro-
tested, and offers a substitute in,
vOlv1ng a reorganization Of the Fed
Grafton Ga measure that was voted
down at the last bienniaD. but whose
main point is that each State should
decide It's own rules Of membership by
which 1t should be admitted into the
Federation.
In order to clear the issue from all
NAI Il dLOOuS QUESNIOIS. tIle w ouubSudN
Club, Of st. Louis, offers another sub
stltute, and has instructed its dele
gates TO present the following:
THAT clubs containing cOIOred wO,
men should be eligible to the general
Federation in those States in which
they are eligible to membership in the
State Federation
This brings the matter suuareIy
hAfOrn 4
going to do about it? The question
has been debated with some warmth
IN most cases in all the Missouri clubs.
and now the State has to decide how
she will put herself on record at the
biennial to meet next June. The is
sue cannot now be avoided. Every
club did its best no doubt To find .
method Of evasion, but failed. for tho
situation is this: Massachusetts sent
a colOred delegate to the last biennial:
the President Of the Federation is =
Georgia woman; so Georgia saws,
This shall not be-" while Mas.
sachuSetts says, Let each State settle
the matter for ITSELF" NO" saws
Georgia, that will not do at all. Go
my way, or l will secede." and the
solid South no doubt will follow
GeOrgia's lead. But Massachusetts
will not; she declines the honor: and
If the amendment is adopted. Mas
sachusetts, followed by New ENGLAND,
Ohio and Illinois will go out. Either
way there seems no choice but ITlp,
ture, unless one side or the other sur,
renders, which is not likely. and so q
Federation composed Of 400. 900 wO-
men who have worked in harmony be
fore will SDIit into divided Nnrth oud
South.
1t Is a great pity, and it seems
strange enough that this ancient issue
should come up among women to be
fought over again, and argued about
with the old refuted arguments, as if
history were not, and its verdict writ
ten large and in blood on the face of
the times were invisible to our eyes.
But 1t is said the cOlOred people have
equal rights before the law (the burn
ings and scourgings that are a na,
tional degradation being ignored)
need we take them into our homes
and marry them to our brothers and
Eons7 Would that inevitably follow :
Are they so irresiStibly attractive that
the bringing Of a few cOlored delegates
into a business meeting that comes
together only once in two years, woul9
Immediately disrupt our homes and
T~7'"-'N 90" r700? II Is the old ;rgu-
I'rnr OF D0U~'aSS withered by Lin
coin before the waT. and one OF the
signal proofs OF its fUtil.ty lies in the
fact that since the Negroes were freed
their color has grown blazer.
However. this is but tie entering
wedge, says the Georgiars. Mix the