Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-12-22
SOME GREET MEN THE
RACE HAS PRODUCED

1t IS an inevitable truth that all
races and nations will honor the
achievements of their country or race.
So it Is with individuals. You will
see them eulogize, praise, write his
tories. carve them in marble. write
them in poetry and sing of them in
song. Ralph Waldo Emerson once
said: Men hear gladly Of the power
Of blood or race. Everybody likes to
know that his advantages cannot be
attributed to air, soil, sea, or to local
wealth, nor to laws and traditions, as
it makes the praise more personal to
him." The cause Of the rise and fall
or variation Of races is scarcely better
understood than why one tree in the
forest will live, grow strong and wakes
old in magniticence while another
dwindles, remains long, feebly, and
then dies miserably. Each remains a
problem not yet satisfactorily explain
ed. But the African race has produced
some great men in the cycle Of time
when we look back through the long
ages of history that we admire and APP
preciate the same as any other race
would. Beginning with Caanan's an
cestors and the mighty Nimrod, who
first built up Egypt and those mighty
cities. then coming down to Carthage
there we see Hamilcar and Hannibal,
that great African general, who by his
military tactics and skillful maneuvers
defeated Julius Caesar and conquered
the then known world. So great was
his skill that Cesar and Charlemagne,
Napoleon and Washington, Grant and
Lee copied his military tactics Then
there was Toussaint lOuverture Of
Hayti, that soldier hero and statesman,
who arose from slavery, and took his
undisciplined slaves, defeated the
Englishmen, drove the French army
from the island, freed his own people
and established republic Whlcn
stands today, and recently the brill
liant military achievements by the late
General Anotine Maceo, who is today
beloved by all nations, except, perhaps
Spain. The heroic deeds Of bravery Of
Robert Smalls in the civil war, Peter
the first to shed his blood in the revolu-
tionary war to appease the British
wrath. Then Richard Bennacker, who
published the first American almanac
computing the time. We admire Ira
Aldridge, the tragedian. Then listen to
Blind Tom and Boone, the musical
wonders, receiving the applause of the
world also Miss Mamie Siseratta
Jones (Black PATTY and Flora Batson,
wonderful singers, where, at the opera
houses every night, thousands 60 to
ACAA lA1SAI. AuCA SIul 4LdWIeuCe DuIl-
bars poems are eagerly sought after
and read by scholars and educators;
Judge D. Augustus Straker whose law
book has been adopted in the Michigan
courts; Prof. Scarborough's Greek
grammar is used in Yale college Then,
again, we deem it a supreme pleasure
to recall to memory the late Hon.
Frederick Douglass, ex-senator Blanch
K. Bruce, ex-Congressman John r.
Lynch and Prof. John M. Langston,
whose names are household words in
every American home. and also ex-
Governor Pinchback Of Louisiana. And
today but few Americans are more
sought after than Prof. Booker II.
Washington of Alabama, who, by his
industrial education, has revolutionized
college training. Then, in the pugilis-
tic arena we see George Dixon, the
champion feather weight pugilist Of
the world, who can boast Of fighting
over 1000 times and was never whip
ped. Peter Jackson's name will live in
the pugilistic world. In the bicycle
world Major Taylor is known every
where as the fastest wheel rider in the
world today. Last, and better than all, |
Is Don Juan Knight, the money king !,
and financial power of Guatemala, |
Central America, worth over 80 O00, 900. /
: There are many others we could name
who are well known outside Of their
,wn country, but space forbids. Now
With the success that those whom We