The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-11-02

to business meeting that comes to-
gether only once in two years, would
ediately disrupt our. homes and
pollute our race It is the old argu-.
ment of Douglas withered by Lincoln,
before the war, and one of the signal
proofs of its futility lies in the fact
that since the Negroes were freed their
color has grown blacker. .1z.
However, this is but the entering
wedge, say the Georgians. Mix the
races here and you mix them every
where. Not at all, say the Massachu-
sets folk. We. need not even admit
them to individual clubs These are
composed Of persons who move in the
same social circles. There are thou
sands in, town who are equal to any of
our own visiting lists, no doubt, but
we happen to know these and not
those We don't come in contact with
them and there is no reason why they
should join our clubs, be it the We'd
nesday or another. But when it comes
to representative meeting once in
two years, of women from all over the
country, few of whom ever heard of
one another, it is quite a different mat
ter. 70 draw the color line there, and
not only that, but for one state to
draw it in spite Of the protests of 9TH
er states, is a step distinctly backward,
a retrOgressiOn to tyranny. -. -. i. :,
With the Inconsistency SO symptO-
matte OF wrong cause, the other side,
is there brought forward. Far from
being irresistibly attractive, it is ar
gued that Negro women, especially in
the black belt, are ignorant and filthy
IN their personal habits, and that to
see them is sufficient to establish their
ineligibility. ..#," 5, ..&
why, OF course, but what has this
to 40 with the case in hand? Aren't
there millions of white folk with
whom we would not wish to come in
contact? Women who live in filthy
Ignorance would not be apt to form
clubs, nor would they wish to join a
federation, nor would they pass the
scrutiny of it's executive committee.
NO one claims that it was person of
this class that Massachusetts sent to-
Milwaukee. On the contrary, even the
most prejudiced admit that she was an
educated, refined woman. So the
props are knocked from under the very
artificial feet of this argument.
Others maintain that colored women
don't care a bit about the matter; that
1T is simply the stubborn obstinacy of
Massachusetts, that insists on break
ing up the federation even if she has
to ransack the state to find colored
delegates. Isn't it better, they plead,
That half dozen such women should
be excluded than that the good work
| OF 4O0, 900: women in harmony should
be disturbed? ii. II r. So.
10 this the only answer need be.
One man in the right and God make a
majority. But it may be added that,
while there are not half dozen per-
sons in a generation who become
presidents, the possibility that any one
| may, is an Immense incentive To be
barred from any position whatever by
| SO superficial and empty matter as
color is an injustice that sinks deeper
| and retards growth intellectually. 1t
is our fault that the Negroes are
among us. They were brought here
by force and kept here under cruel
duress. Now, when they try to climb
is 1t our part as women of Christian
nation to thrust them back, saying.
Keep away! Don't touch me! I'll
have none of YOU = I a ST..
But there are those quite willing to
declare plainly that they don't want
colored women in the federation, be-
cause they won't have it; that the
fact OF color stignatizes race as in
ferlor and they won't associate with
It,. that it is matter on which their
minds are made UP, and they will
brook no meddliag with it.
/ OF course to this declaration of
prejudice the only answer is the decla-
ration of principle. The minds OF
those on its side are made up, too, and
! they have buoyant support in the fact
that history proclaims theirs to be
the side of victory. The great lesson
not only OF our republic. but of the
French revolution has been, ssAll ca
lreers open to talent Are we women