The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-01
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Laurence c.. Jone;h dnuhonb rhtedb

ADDRESS TO THE IOWA FEDER-
ALTON OF COLORED WOMEN'S
CLUBS.
At Ottumwa, Iowa, Wednesday Night,
May %, 1917, by Laurence c. Jones,
B. Ph. B. Estate University of Iowa,
L. A. '07), Founder and Principal of
The Piney Woods Country Life
School, Braxton, Miss.
Ladies, Friends and Members of the
Federation of Colored Women's Clubs:
I, mere man, salute you. In all my
insuffciency and inability l am here,
hoping to show you how highly re-
gard this privilege by trying to speak
upon one of the most interesting SUBJ
ejcts in the world; so that may claim
the honor and satisfaction Of speaking
upon a grand subject, even though my
feeble treatment of it may fall far
short of what that subject deserves.
This is the day of great things.
Great inventions, great struggles,
great issues, great problems, great
and mighty undertakings. Look where
we may in the world, intellectual or
material, there is something colossal,
titanic and epoch making, so in seek
ing about for an interesting subject |
was embarrassed by the plentitude of
things worth talking about, yet the
subject that seemed most interesting
of all, the most appealing and the
most fitting was an organization-the
one which l have the honor to address
the State Federation Of Colored
Women's Clubs.
The State Federation of Colored
Wonen's Clubs! Think Of that name
lust for a moment. You older women,
close your eyes for an instant and
mentally drift back to about half a
century ago, see things, see your con-
dition in life, see your parents, your
selves and your children as you and
they were then. What do you see?
The slave women Of America. You OF
later generations recall that period OF
time as you have learned of it from
narrative and history, and what
women of your race does it bring be-
fore you? The slave women of Amer
ica. Practically speaking, there were
noothers-only the slave women-only
the slave women. Think of this for
moment, then repeat to yourself the
name of the organization of which
have lust spoken. The Federation OF
Colored Women's Clubs. Thinking
thus, I am sure you will draw the COM
parison which so sharply presents it.
self to me, and will realize better than
I can express why this organization
proved so alluring to me as a subject
stands for something which looms
great among the great things OF to-
day. Why the very fact that it exists
is a fact so wonderful that to dwell
upon it with less than half justice
would be to write a section OF Amerl-
can history including two distinct
periods and short space OF time, the
tragedy and suffering, the lights and
shadows, the war and the peace, the
trials and achievements, the power and
the glory of which can never pe tolo'
What is State Federation OF
Clubs? AS l understand it, 1t IS the
various clubs of the state organized
and united under some general head or
ruling or into one general body, moor
porated or chartered under the laws
of the state, suppose. Very we'll, a
few words of any dictionary will de-
fine that part of it; but State Fed
Grafton of Colored Women's Clubs
Colored Women's Clubs. Now we
come to the heart of the SUBJECT a
heart which no history, song or story
can ever fully portray. Do you re-
member the slave women OF whom
bade YOU think a moment ago! how
thrilling it is to know that they thelr
children and their children's children
are the members of the clubs Whlch
form the Federation as we know 1t TO-
day. And when we consider no" III
the short space of fifty years the COL
ored women have travelled all the way
from the corn and cotton fields OF slaV-
erv to membership in an organization
such as this, we cannot but wish 'l.a' l.,
our lips were able to pay her the trlD-
ute our hearts would bestow. Ihrougn
what has the colored woman traVeleo
to reach this point? Over what rougn
and rocky roads, what dark and thorhy
pathways, what burdens has she
borne. what obstacles has she sur
mounted, what struggles has she en-
dured? And yet looking back but a
little space we see the slave women
looking around US today we see tne
0z1o~oI "nn1an'S CluDS