Published in the Boston Globe, 1894.
Dear Mrs. Ormiston Chant,
One year ago this month the members of the women’s era club of Boston were privileged to have you addressed them as a body. The occasion was the first public meeting of the club, and beside yourself, Mrs. Lucy stone, Mrs. Cheney, Mrs. Diaz, and Mrs. Spaudling spoke.
It is safe to say that all of these noble women and find speakers no one did more than yourself in strengthening the impulse to go to work and giving fresh inspiration towards right living,
Your name and that speech has been a refreshing memory. Think, then, the shock it has occasion is to hear that through your efforts a resolution at the national conference of the Unitarian church denouncing lynching was defeated.
We feel assured, and do truly believe, that you will post the resolution from the high moral standpoint, but we also feel assured your position on the subject is a result of influences entirely one-sided, and that you will at least be interested to hear “the other side.”
We, members of the women’s era club, believe we speak for the colored women of America. We have organized, as have women everywhere, to help us in the world's work, not only by endeavoring to uplift ourselves in our race, but by giving a helping hand and an encouraging word wherever they may be called for.
As colored women, we have suffered and do suffered too much to be blind to the sufferings of others, but naturally we are more keenly alive to our own sufferings than to others, and we feel that we should be false to ourselves, to her opportunities and to our race, should we keep silence in a case like this.
In the interest of common humanity, in the interest of justice, for the good team of our country, we Santa solidly raise our voice against the horrible crimes of lynch law as practiced in the south, and we call upon Christians everywhere to do the same or be branded as sympathizers with the murderers.
We here solemnly deny that black men are foul fiends as they are pictured; we demand that until at least one crime is proved upon them, judgment be suspended. we solemnly deny that black men are foul fiends as they are pictured; we demand that until at least one crime is proved upon them, judgment be suspended.
We know positively of case after case where innocent men have died horrible death; we know positively of cases that have been “made up;” we know positively of cases where black men have been launched for white men’s crimes. We know positively of black men murdered for insignificant offense.
All that we ask for is justice, not mercy or palliation--simple justice. Surely that is not too much for loyal citizens of a free country to demand.
We do not pretend to say there are no black villains; baseness is not confined to race. We read with horror of two different colored girls who have recently been horribly assaulted by white men in the south.
We do not expect that white women shall feel as deeply as we. we know of good and high minded women made widows, of sweet and innocent children fatherless by a mob of unbridled men and boys “looking for fun.”
In their names we utter our solemn protest. For their sakes we call upon workers of humanity everywhere, if they can do nothing for us, in mercy’s name not to raise their voices against us.
Florida Ruffin Ridley,
Secretary, Women’s Era Club, Boston, May 19, 1894
Dear Mrs. Ormiston Chant,
One year ago this month the members of the women’s era club of Boston were privileged to have you addressed them as a body. The occasion was the first public meeting of the club, and beside yourself, Mrs. Lucy stone, Mrs. Cheney, Mrs. Diaz, and Mrs. Spaudling spoke.
It is safe to say that all of these noble women and find speakers no one did more than yourself in strengthening the impulse to go to work and giving fresh inspiration towards right living,
Your name and that speech has been a refreshing memory. Think, then, the shock it has occasion is to hear that through your efforts a resolution at the national conference of the Unitarian church denouncing lynching was defeated.
We feel assured, and do truly believe, that you will post the resolution from the high moral standpoint, but we also feel assured your position on the subject is a result of influences entirely one-sided, and that you will at least be interested to hear “the other side.”
We, members of the women’s era club, believe we speak for the colored women of America. We have organized, as have women everywhere, to help us in the world's work, not only by endeavoring to uplift ourselves in our race, but by giving a helping hand and an encouraging word wherever they may be called for.
As colored women, we have suffered and do suffered too much to be blind to the sufferings of others, but naturally we are more keenly alive to our own sufferings than to others, and we feel that we should be false to ourselves, to her opportunities and to our race, should we keep silence in a case like this.
In the interest of common humanity, in the interest of justice, for the good team of our country, we Santa solidly raise our voice against the horrible crimes of lynch law as practiced in the south, and we call upon Christians everywhere to do the same or be branded as sympathizers with the murderers.
We here solemnly deny that black men are foul fiends as they are pictured; we demand that until at least one crime is proved upon them, judgment be suspended. we solemnly deny that black men are foul fiends as they are pictured; we demand that until at least one crime is proved upon them, judgment be suspended.
We know positively of case after case where innocent men have died horrible death; we know positively of cases that have been “made up;” we know positively of cases where black men have been launched for white men’s crimes. We know positively of black men murdered for insignificant offense.
All that we ask for is justice, not mercy or palliation--simple justice. Surely that is not too much for loyal citizens of a free country to demand.
We do not pretend to say there are no black villains; baseness is not confined to race. We read with horror of two different colored girls who have recently been horribly assaulted by white men in the south.
We do not expect that white women shall feel as deeply as we. we know of good and high minded women made widows, of sweet and innocent children fatherless by a mob of unbridled men and boys “looking for fun.”
In their names we utter our solemn protest. For their sakes we call upon workers of humanity everywhere, if they can do nothing for us, in mercy’s name not to raise their voices against us.
Florida Ruffin Ridley,
Secretary, Women’s Era Club, Boston, May 19, 1894