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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1900)
A t- v 0" r5 v 3m aa??w9, VOL. XV., NO. XXIV ESTABLISHED IN 1886 PRICE FIVE CENTS Trv LINCOLN. NBBR., SATURDAY. JUNE 1G 1900. THE COURIER, Official Organ of the Nebraska State Federation of Women's dub. EKTEEEDIN THE FOSTOFTICE AT MKCOLN AS SECOND CLASS MATTEL PUBLISHED EVERY SATOBOAY BT TIE GOiRlER PRINTING AND PUBLISHING GO Office 1132 N street, Up Stain. Telephone 384. 8ARAH B. HARRIS. Editor Subscription Kates In Advance. Per annum 9100 Six months 75 Three months 50 One month 20 Single copies 05 The Courier will not be responsible for toI ontary communications unless accompanied by return postage. Communications, to receive attention, most be sUrned by tne full name of the writer, not merely as a guarantee of good faitb, bat for publication if advisable. : o c j''001 n OBSERVATIONS i.'oo'' The Federation Color Line. The first hieeting of the federation of Women's clubs was one of prepara tion and organization. The second one was an opportunity for congratu lation on the rapid growth and ef fectiveness of the club movement and of the federal demonstration of it. Discussion of ways and means to meet the expenses of the federation and the basis of taxation occupied the thoughts of the delegates to the third and fourth biennial meetings. In state conventions and in ihose city women's clubs, whose member ship qualifications are necessarily catholic, the question of the admis sion of colored women has frequently arisen, only to be tabled, ignored or shirked. In Chicago, the question has been discussed at various times quite violently, but not unequivocally and definitely settled. It harks back to the old dispute which neither the emancipation proc lamation, the fifteenth amend ment nor the Civil Rights' bill has settled. This is the situation. The blacks were enslaved. They were forcibly enfranchised by the federal govern ment in spite or the opposition of their owners who gave the best blood of the south and accepted poverty to prevent it. Hut the south was de feated and there are no more loyal hearts in the country than those on the other side of Mason and Dixon's line. Men and women of the south are just as proud of the flag now a we arc and just as jealous of Ameri can supremacy. During the civil war, President Abraham Lincoln never lost sight of the casus helium which was the pres ervation of the union, without slave ry, if possible. The economic and political value of the federation of womens' vclubs to the United States is not in the speeches that are made once in two years to four or five thousand women, delegates and visitors, but in the meeting together and surprised rec ognition of homogeneity of five or six thousand women from Georgia, Ala bama, Mississippi, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts. Illinois, Michigan, Ne braska, California, Oregon, Washing ton, and all the intermediate and adjacent states. Acquaintance, sym pathy, and knowledge are encouraged and fostered by these national meet ings. And the union is in this case also worth sacrificing other things for. The Federation is a union of white women's clubs. White women founded it and have carried it on. If a fair-sized minority of the present members of the organization object to the admission of colored women, then the women of the north, the west and even of the east should re spect their prejudices and trust to time and the evolution of a race to dispel them. The union is worth sacrificing even our enlightened prin ciples for. With the southern mem bers it is a matter of heredity, or ex perience in which we are utterly lacu ing, and or a brabminical rigidity or caste which only the Massachusetts and Philadelphia women have local examples or. Singularly enough the Massachu setts women are the most intolerant of caste. This is not historically sin gular, because the Massachusetts abolitionists would have been willing to see every other state secede leaving Massachusetts alone before they would yield to a compromise. But the Massachusetts delegates are compara tively incons:stent because they do not recognize the fixity or caste prej udice, and its controlling influence. The Boston delegates rrom a town where certain families have had the right of way for centuries were sur prised and indignant because the southern women objected to otlicially extend the hand of fellowship to a colored woman. To any one who has breathed the impalpably, frozen im mitigable social atmosphere of Bos ton the grieved remonstrances from the Boston delegates are puzzling. It is evident they thought the south ern women unamerican and insensi ble of the mission of every club wo man which as Mrs. Lowe said in her farewell speech is to "Leave a message of sympathy for all who have wrought with sorrow-laden hearts, a message or gratitude to those who have been burden-bearers ror the workers, and to all yoke fellows, everywhere con gratulations for what has been ac complished, and a greeting of g(od cheer lor to day and a prophesy of good hopj ror to morrow." From what I know of southern women these fare well expressions are genuine. The southern women are truly sympa thetic, hospitable and charitable. Their company and co-operation is worth more to us than any reasser tion of the doctrine or human rights and equality. Massachusetts Is giv en to striking heroic attitudes and proclaiming herself as a protector of the weak and champion of the down trodden. Asa state she enjoys the consciousness of virtue, culture and tolerance up to her neck. At tne Denver biennial Massachu setts threatened to withdraw from the General Federation ir the ten cent per capita tax bill passed. Not that the club women or Massachusetts be grudged the Federation ten cents a piece, but they thought the money would better be spent In Boston. When the rule was adopted the threat was not reiterated. Arraid of nobody, modestly convinced that up on Ma-sachusetts club women rests the social liberation or the colored race, and raised in an atmosphere or frigid principles, they were intoler ant at Denver and intolerant at Mil waukee. They truly need the in fluence or the Federation more than the black sisters they conspicuously and arbitrarily attempted to intro duce into the Federation. Nevertheless ir women's clubs up lift, educate, regenerate, encourage and convert, our colored sisters ought to be admitted. But until the south ern women themselves invite them the north has no business to coerce them to an obnoxious fellowship. Until it is quite ready 1 think the south can count upon the Pacific slope, the west and the middle west to vote with her. The Coup of 1900. Mr. Hall's reading or the affidavits proving Mr. Thompson's late offer to the populists to become a populist ir they would elect him to the United States senate, enraged the followers of Mr. Thompson is Lincoln who hold him and his offices dearer than re publicanism or any. principles what ever. Messrs. Bud Lindsey, Elmer Stevenson, Capt Bjllingsley, Courtney, Tom Benton and Robert Dorgan are the closest political friends and sup porters, or Mr. Thompson in Lincoln. By shouting and filibustering last Saturday night they were able to pre vent the reading or all but one or the affidavits prepared by Mr. Frank Hall. They have been printed since in several papers, so that they are now berore the state. Although the evidences or treason to the party had no effect upon Mr. Thompson's hangers-on in Lincoln, who knew beforehand that he had offered to deliver the republican party as the price or his own election, there is little doubt that it will ef fect the body of voters in the state when the days of the state election are at hand. It is all a matter of comparison. What seems a justifiable expedient to Messrs. Lindsey, Stevenson, Bill ingsley, Courtney and Tom Benton is a crime to the sturdy, loyal repub licans; men of finer grain, of worthier -traditions of unpurchasablc loyalty. In the opposition. It Is quite likely that the repub lican party in Nebraska will be beat en at the polls this year. But it is better to be beaten than to win un der the leadership of Bud Lindsey, and his friends aforementioned. It has been occasionally demon strated in the legislature that the intlucnce of the local machine on state politics has been overestimated. The noise of the machine Is so near us here in Lincolu, that honest peo ple are sometimes rrightened by the racket, but the state is one oX the largest in the union, its inhabitants are statistically literate, and demon strably keen-witted. They have-never yet elected a legislature which in its turn sent a rogue to the senate and all the chances are in favor of their never doing it. Read the country papers, note the integrity of the edi torials. It is a good tonic for the heresy of doubt or a people's wisdom arid purity. Nebraska is a large state. The cap itol and Omaha are very important places. But the state contains Ttf.&w square miles with a village every ten miles. A candidate who has earned the disapproval or the most promi nent and reputable citizens or Lin coln is not likely to suit the no less fastidious tastes or the mighty men who own the rest or the 7,S.V square miles called Nebraska. The contract sworn to in affidavits as a facsimile by fourteen members or the legislature is herewith re printed: I, I). E. Thompson, pledge the fu sion members of the Nebraska legis lature my solemn word of honor that if by their votes I am elected to the United States senate I will do as fol lows: First I will oppose the policy or imperialism and entangling alliances with any nation. SecondI will oppose any increase in the regular army. Third I will oppose the retirement or the greenbacks and, the issuing or currency by banks and will favor an increased use of silver as money. ' Fourth I will oppose government by injunction and favor an income tax. Firth ir elected I will remain out of republican caucuses. (Signed) I). E. THOMPSON. The Mockett Veil. Workmen are now laying fourteen inch pipe to the Mockett well in or der that the remarkably pure, deli cious water may flow through a larger conduit into the city. It will be remembered that Mr. I).
