The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-05

There were two qualified candidates. one
OF them white. Miss BECK. and the other color
ed. Miss PUTNAM, for the office Of head OF de-
partmcnt in Public School No. 80. Brooklyn.
The rivalry between them was een and votos
we're eagerly sought for each Of them in the
Board OF Education. 1t was supposed by
everybody. that Mr.. STEWART. the colored
member OF the Board. would vote for Miss
PUTNAM. the we'll qualified colored candidate /:
but to the amazement Of Brooklynites OF
every color. he voted for her white rival Miss
BECK. There is now a dark-complexion ed
storm raging around STEWARDS head. and he
lie flercely denounced as traitor to the colored
race. a man who would curry favor with the
posterity of JAPHET at the expense Of the on
spring OF HAM.
We take leave to commend Brother STEW
ARTS conduct In this case. 1t is honorable to
his cor science. Judgment. independence. and
manhood. He gives the best OF reasons for
his vote: he applied the justest OF tests to tho
two candidates. He says that, who Miss
PUTNAM is we'll qualified for the place. Miss
BECK Is even better qualified than she Is. and
that he voted for the better qualified candidate.
regardless OF race or color.
Surely this Is perfectly fair. 1t is proof OF his
freedom from prejudice. 1t shows that he
prefers mental to pigmental qualifications.
that no believes there is no color line for the
mind. and that superiority is to be Judged not
by the cuticie. but by the essential spirit He
would have voted for Miss PUTNAM. though
she were black as the ace Of spades. rather
than for Miss BECK. though she were white as
the snow on the top Of the highest peak Of the
Sierra Nevada. II the lady first named could
give proof that she is better qualified than the
other for the place. He didn't care cent for
chromatcs when the interests Of Public School
No. SO were at stake.
Brother STEWARDS independence in this case
is to his credit The colored people Of Brook
Ign are in the wrong whom they denounce him
on account OF 1t. 1t is poor policy for them to
encourage the growth Of color prejudice.
Not often in the holy but unclean city of
Mecca has the cholera been more destructive
than It is this year. The deaths from it. as
stated in such reports as can be procured.
range from 500 to 700 a day without taking
account of the mortality along the ways lead
ing to the city. The cases must BIO num-
bered by the thousand. We suppose that
large proportion Of tho victims must be pill
grims. for the settled population OF the place is
but little over 600 The number OF pilgrims
this year. especially from India and Persia.
has been inordinately large.
Tho ordinary sanitary laws are disregarded
in Mecca as In other cities Of the Mobamme-
dan world: anything like scientific treatment
Of the cholera is unknown: the fatalistic be-
levers regard visitation Of 1t as the decree
Of ALLAH: they are willing that it shall bring
them death. II they but die within Wow OF the
holy city or on the way thereto. as Paradise is
assured to them. The cholera was In Mecca
last year, 1t is most constant there as it is in
the delta OF the Ganges. 1t often RACES 1ercely
there without approaching any part of Europe.