New-York tribune., 1902-02-09
A WOMAN ON COLOR LINE.
MRS. TERRELL THINKS THE GENERAL
FEDERATION WILL TAKE \ LONG
STEP BACKWARD If 1T EXCLUDES
COIORED WOMEN.

1t viii he taking a long step backward if the
General Federation of Womens Clubs decides to
exclude colored ClIbs. said Mrs Mary thurch Ter
rell of Washington, ID, c.. honorary president of
the National Association of Colored Women, yes
terddy in abiding to the conference on the color
question held between massachusetts, and Georgia
delegates i'm this city THURSDAY and Friday
The question may bring about disruption OF
the Federation, some predict continued Mrs. Ter
rel Il am reminded by that prediction of a story
told by William Lloyd Garrison, when it was first
said that any attempt to free the slaves would de
stroy the Union Let iti he said: it cannot be de
stroyed in a better cause Better that the Fedora
ton should be disrupted than go back from its
ideals of progress.
Mrs Terrell commented the different attitude
of the National Council Women before whom
she has spoken by invitation ~ ny they over
| Wnelmed me with attention when addressed them
! in Minneapolis a year ago, she said, and seemed
delighted tnat the cJlor,d women sufficiently
progressive to interested in ciub work. some II
the warnest praise, came from southern
women. council OF Women is eager 10 nelp
10y all sistery sympathy, instead OF trying To
enul ON 10y ourselves.
1t seems strange" She added. that the Fed
GRAFTON should down to state with so small
q repr,. utdtiou Georgia Massachusetts pays
q qLtrter Ot the entire revenue ot the fe0era-
/ uo", anu cetJa.hy might Dc SuppoSeu ~ nave
MS. 4erI,. VINO was passing through the city
/ or nor from ie, turv ,Out, sd9u Gurtnei:
! There Is To fear an overw neimlng infuN
tionai association an winch our in1erest is centred
/ it is onIy some places, wnere our members
might come from worNiHs WIN "liite "omen 5
| 1T is often said that do nothing for our
selves but are constantly asking Tor assistance
trying to work out saNauOn by every
/ means IN our power espcclaiIy South. We
are establishing k1nderEarIens. uay nurseries anu
! young women associations. In -New-Orieans We
/ nave Il sanatorIum ana a training St sGhoot e Lor
! nurses, whose WORK during the last yellow IeVeT
/ epidemic valuable tnat the city government
recoshlzed II 0y STaHtlns "a appIo Iopila'oi' II 10
/ called the Phyllis w nedland SGtooA - 49,.
I was not a hospital in Newt Orleans that would re-
ceiVe a 'colorea man or woman except in the char
fty ward Iney might have ample means and
come from sood homes, but the GnaTity ward Was
all that open to them. Think OF II!
one OF the most important parts OF our work work
! sImp!e SANITATION. how to ventilate rooms,
how 10 prepare cheap hut good food, now TO sew sew
S9 n9 I'm IN general now 70 el improve 'e nome i''
our national organization has a membership of
, a hundred clubs. comprising about ten thousand
women and every club tries TO DO the WORK @ most most
women 20 into the homes TO teaGn @ nese thngs IN 45,
one room shanty, that IS 50 common IN the SCUM; SCUM
| Better housing ior the colored people Is needed
| the most squald and unhealthy places that are
| open TO them. and our people are rapidly dying on
! because they cannot set proper homes ,
| "One point that | want 10 emphasize is that the
| Is without foundation in fact. Professor Du Bois,
n5 PS o e i6a his % have pro8
| that the immortality among the Colored women
| women Of the corresponding grade or ignorance
! and poverty in Austria, Italy. Germany. Sweden
| Il visiting at George W. Cables the other
/ day, and ne said to No one has Yet written on
4 the traits of the negro answered him, 'Becauss
| most people allow traits except bad ones
| In earnest protest against some OF the more
| fragrant wrongs done To the negro, Mrs Terrell
expressed her hope that the convict lease system
! now employed in some of the southern states
| would be abolished The SuuerinEs are
! weTse than those of slavery. she said. In
slavery IT to the owners interest 10 loo, after
! the health and comfort OF the negro because he
| purchased to do the work Under the convict leas-
inS. however. the contractor merely pays so much
| money To the for the of the cOnvicts as
| laborers. and when one dies another takes his
! place. Last a was shot while trying
| 10 escape. and was found on investigation that
| he had never been convicted Of any offence but
was actually kidnapped by the contractor. Thls
is isolated case and in every way the system Is
| horror ana disgrace
| Mrs Terrell has been lecturing for two years
! before Chautauqua and the Young Mems Christian
| Associa tions in the endeavor to give more just
view Of her people, their efforts and their discour-
| aEements. She is the wife of Washington law
| yer who is a Harvard graduate and was one OF
| seven honor in class of two hundred. He
has recently been appointed justice OF the peace
| for the District Of Columbia by President RoosT- 7
| Welt. She is herself graduate or Oberiin Col
| eGe. and before her marriage spent two years IN
| Europe i'm travel and study learning French in
] Paris, German in Berlin and Italian in Florence.
| Mrs Terrelrs lectures are on The PROGRESS or
| Colored Women Harriet BeeCher stowe AMI
| The Bright Side of a Dark Question. She has
| been called the female Booker T Washington
| and was lately member of the school board OF
| the District of Columbia