The Washington times., 1906-01-10
MRS. COOPER ON
CAPITAL SOCIETY
NJ Street School Principal
Brings Suit in New York.
SHE WAS TURNED DOWN
Planned to See the Sights OF the
World With Excursion
Party.
SHE WAS TURNED DOWN

Cooper. principal of the NJ Street High
School of this city. throws some interest
ing light on what a colored woman
thinks of society In general. and Wash
ington society in particular
The question whether a cOlored woman
should be excluded from European va
cation tour parties was the primary
cause of the social dissertation. Mrs,
Cooper seeks to recover $4,000 damages
from Frank c Clark. who promotes
personally conducted tours around the
world. Mrs. Cooper had been led to
book a place on one of CIarks excur-
sions through correspondence with Mrs
Beulah Ray Penny. wife of Prof. B.
Penny, of the Kansas State University
Mrs, Penny acted as sort of an agent
for Clark in the Kansas district.
Received Literature.
From Mrs. Penny she received con-
siderable literature concerning the pro-
JeCted excursion to Paris for the expo
sition for 1900 with side trips to Ober-
ammergau, and through England. SCcs
land, and other places Of interest The
trip. so the pamphlet recited was open
10 anyone ''Of good character and stand
ing in society" and the cost was TO be
$500 a person. not including the extra
S25 for the Oberammergau side show. OF
course every incidental expense was TO
be covered by the fare.
II so happened that Mrs. Cooper
wanted to go 10 London about that
time to attend an educational confer
enee. and she was anxious to take in
the exposition and Oberammergau, II
possible. After reading some more cf
the Clark literature, and peTceiivng in
il the declaration that the excursion
for which an Allan State liner had been
especially chartered, was open TO Ia
dies and gentlemen OF any nationality,
any religious belief, or adhering to any
association she sent an application for
membership 70 Mrs. Penny, who refer
red il to Clark. His office is in New
York. and he wrote to Mrs Cooper tell
ing her that I'VE should be very glad,
indeed, II you decided to go with us,
and can assure you Of delightful trip
Put Her Wise
Then Mrs. Cooper sent on yhe SEQ re-
Quired deposit to Mrs Penny to retain
her passage. Three days later she wrote
10 Mrs. Penny again. telling her so
that there would be no misunderstood
ing that she was colored. and referring
10 ObeTlin College, of which she ~ a
graduate. and many prominent persons
in this city as 10 her good character.
Mrs. Penny submitted the letter to
Clark, who replied that he was regret
fully obliged to return Mrs. Cooper's
draft, as no colored persons could be ac-
Cepted for passage
on getting her draft back Mrs. Coop
er notified Clark. through her Washing
ton attorney, that she considered the
acceptance of the draft to have COM
pleted a contract to which she would
hold him. Then she started to engage
her passage for Europe herself. Before
she left Washington she got a letter
from Mrs. Penny deplOr1ng what had
occurred. and asking if two friends
whom Mrs. Cooper had recommended as
prospective eXcursionists, were also col
OFed.
On Her Own Hook.
Mrs. Cooper went to Europe in the
wake OF the Clark party, visiting the
very places they vls:Jed, paying her
way with $500 worth of travel tickets
that she had bought from another ex-
cursion firm In New York. She saw the
exposition, Oberammergau. Holyrood
Palace, the Tower Of London and all the
other sights that the Cb,rks were tax
en- to see, but she missed the valuable
educational features in the shape Of
lectures and guides that were feature
of the excursion.
In explanation of her demand for dam
ages. based on an alleged breach OF con-
tract, Mrs. Cooper declared that ''as a
woman OF refinement and education" she
suffered considerable indgnity and NOR
IificatiOn when the fact becama known
among her friends here that she was
not to be a member of the Clark tour
and that her deposit had been returned.
Are you in good standing in Wash
ington society?" Mrs. Cooper was asked
on cross examination.
A Social Swell?
81 think am; claim 70 be" was the
answer.
You know what good society in Wash
lngton means-that it consists exclusive
ly OF the President and his Cabinet, the
Supreme Court, the Senator's, few of
the Representatives and the army and
navy. do you not?' continued Alexander
s. Bacon, who represented Clark on the
trial, "and that outside Of those few
nobody can get into it-isn't that a
fact?"
This is democratic America. and we
believe in America that a man is a
man" replied Mrs. Cooper
But We are speaking of aristocratic
Washington" interposed Mr.. Bacon.
And when we speak Of good society"
TetOrted Mrs. Cooper, we understand
Inunity and people of good character"
rs IL not a fact" Mr.. Bacon asked.
that society means something more
than good moral character and intelli-
gence and that people or the highest
society do not always have the best in
telligence?'
Well l suppose I do not know how
much this may be material to the point
4 mean a treatise on society or a def
milton of the term society. Ii is used
in very differing senses by different
people, but in my own society / feel
that my standing in the community is
q part Of my working capital as a
teacher: that. just as the Insignia of
office of the judge, for instance may be
TO him and 10 the community. so my
status in the society in which / move
represents to me a part, as | might
say, of my working capital"
Mrs. Cooper said that she numbered
many white persons among her friends
in Washington and elsewhere, although
the majority of her friends We're col
cred
Didn't YOU know" pursued the law
yer. that it might occasion you a good
deal of trouble IL there had been South
erners, for instance. on that excursion
and YOU were permitted 10 be in the
dining room of the first eabin?"
Foreign Experiences.
aXybV, unfortunately one with nv eV