The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-01
COLOR LINE DRAWN
Only Way to Save General Fe,lera-
ton From Disruption.
PREDICTION OF MRS. GRANGER
Mrs. Yates, President Of CO1Ored
- Women's Assn Cites Attitude
of Other Organizationa.

The conference Of representatives of Geor-
gia and Massachusetts club women held re-
Gently in New York upon the recommends.
ton of the executive committee of the Cen
eral Federation of Women's clubs was sec
ret session whose results have not leaked
out The purpose of the meeting was to- get
together on the color question and it is said
that compromise satisfactory to each state
was agreed upon.
Mrs. A. H. Granger, president of the
Georgia federation, who was a member OF
the joint committee, says: 1.-The color ques-
ton has been a drawback to club work il
the south from the first because women have
refl sed to take part in the work until the
question is finally settled. If the line is not
drawn strictly there will be general dis
| ruption Of the federation. We find the north
ern women who are living in the south, ano
who have learned the true situation, to be
just as eager as we for this action. In our
opinion it will be as greatly to the advantage
| of the colored clubs of the white ones.
The best colored women do not want to join
white clubs, do they want social inter
course with white women. Some Of the col
ored clubs are managed in mastery fashion,
and doing excellent work, and it will
serve rather to weaken them than strengthen
| them If utilization of white and 'colored'
clubs Is permitted"
| New York has decided to send it's dele
gates uninstructed and as matter Of court
|
| gates on either the color or reorganization
/ question, which is complicated with it. How
! ever, 1t Is known to favor reorganization.
! Mrs Josephine Sione Yates, president of
| the National Association Of Colored Women,
| after repeated requests has made a statement
of her views. She calls particular attention
to the fact that it is not official, as the or
| ganization has never acted on the question.
She says: .-.. - 80 ..... .>-.-...
e From individual statements, from vigorous
resolutions passed by several Of the state
declarations included in the national body
and from the innate sense and love OF justice
| usually deeply rooted in the heart Of lntelli
gent human beings; it is, however, safe t.
say that the consensus OF opinion is that tt
make race or the color of ones skin thu
! basis Of ones right to membership, or othe
recognition, in organizations supposed to b.
formed for the elevation Of humanity, is
principle entirely too narrow for the assumed
broadly gauged mentality Of the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries. q:
y In contradstinction to the action Of tn
federation in Milwaukee, it is gratifying t
note that such national organizations as tn
Council Of Women Women's Christian TEN
, perance Union, Congress of Mothers, Suffrag
Association, ETC., while firmly standing TO
all that is highest, best and purest in woman
, en-, irrespective of race or. color, who repre-
. sent in their personality intelligence. moral
, ity, education, refinement and culture.
: That these organizations recognize the exist
ence of such qualities in colored women, an
!. as basis of membership, is shown by tn
: frequency with which colored women hay
. programs rendered; by the invariable courtes
: with which they have been received ofhciall!
: socially and otherwise; by the fact that tn
National. Association of Colored Women ha
!: had membership in the National Congress
Mothers; by the additional fact that the assc
citation is an. affiliated member of the M
tional, Council of Women; that our delegate
|, have had the same courteous treatment frol
the officers and members Of these organize
tons that is universally extended delegate
a Or visitors by such bodies.
These and numerous other facts may
, cited to demonstrate that "draWing the cole
line in women's clubs is long step bacl
ward. ~
a Colored women ask only justice, and the
neither hope desire to win justice othe
l. wise than through merit. %t r.'=- --,
There is being much criticism OF the Gu
I. Woman, the official organ of the general fe'
Grafton, for its publication of a story tn
embodies the most repulsive argument OF tt
southern women, the threatened danger
"a miscegenation that they profess to belle
~ will Immediately follow the admission of CO
=, ored clubs to the federation. This magazi1
- shields itself behind line, published
request" but even that does not excuse
= | insult to large proportion OF the membe
! of the federation. The understood policy
: | the federation organ is to show no bias In
- | treatment of this question or any other
y controversy, and 1t has not only v1olat
= this understanding, but done 1t in a revo
4 ing way. .....-
The story, which has no excuse for exls
ence except as brief in the color controve
, sy, tells of beautiful white girl who, wi
20 the full approval of her mother, a northe
club president, who deplored race prelude
" married a man of mixed blood. The heroi
in dies of shame on the discovery that her frs
born is apparently full-blooded negro.