The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-01
ENGLAND'S COLOR LINE
HER PROBLEM MUCH THE SAME
 AS OURS.
Theoretical Equality of Races Not Realized Practically Anywhere Under the Union
 Jack.

London Express.
 Throughout the whole British Empire, wherever the white man is confronted by the black man cn masse, the prejudice against the latter is bitter in the eX- treme.
 The theory of equality, the man and brother" doctrine. however beautiful it may appear on paper, is absolutely un- workable in the practice of everyday life. We rule our dependencies-India, South Africa the West Indies, Ceylon, Australia. the Straits Settlements-by a rigid enforcement of the superiority of the white man. And this is inevitable; and it Is as necessary as is inevitable. We should not ho.d India for a day did we not realize and act up to the we'll proved and absolutely undeniable fact that the white man. in all essentials, is immeasurably the superior of the black.
 Of course. to the ignorant. untraveled sentimentalist this is appalling; and he will indignantly deny the truth of my assertion. To many an untraveled cock ney the black man is as good as, if, Indeed. he is not better, than the white man.
 But to the initiate. to the minority. who know. as opposed to the minimizing ma
 
 of the black man is stern duty. Moth ing. surely, is more remarkable than the dislike and distrust of the black which Is invariably felt by the white when he encounters the former in the mass. There must be q reason for this.
 Carlyle and Froude-the latter to me personally-both pronounced the enamel patton of the slaves in America a very mixed blessing indeed. And certain it is that in the old days the condition of things between white and black was Infinitely happier and more desirable, safer and more natural, than it is today.
 For one Legree there were d hundred owners who treated their slaves as friends more than servants; today there Is noth- ing but hatred between the two.
 In India. of course, the line of de- markation is necessarily very rigid. We are in minority, and if we arc to keep the upper hand 1t is absolutely essential that white supremacy should be enforce ed. even at the swords point. Inevitable Distinctions. It has to be remembered that the dif- ferences between white and black go so deep and are so intimately connected with the subtlest physiological problems that any attempt to do away with them would be fraught with danger to the whole human family And they cannot be done away with; they lie too deep; they are a part of the race.
 Some years ago there was a great public meeting held in one of the West African colonies, presided over by the Governor. At this meeting an native-a k. c. M. G.-clad in the white waistcoat and swal- lowtails of Western civilization. delivered a powerful and eloquent oration. After it was all over friend of mine con graduated him on his splendid effort. He sighed. quaffed a glass of Pc mery. and then said: Yes and yet do you know l often feel that one day shall throw it all off. put on the Ioin cloth of my fathers, and rush back into the forest?"
 l can assure you that poor Grant AL lens The Rev. John Greedy" was based on solid fact and a deep Knowledge of colored human nature. However brilliant the veneer of his civilization, the black man remains forever a black man. East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet.'
 We are loud in our condemnation of | the methods employed by the Southern CTS of the United States in punishment of the offending negro. I quite acknowl- edge that burning an crring negro alive is horrible method of dealing with an evil-docr; but though VIC English do not usually resort to such extremes. yet without doIpt we treat our colored fel- owsubjects in a manner which would not be tolerated in the heart of the empire.
 The Thumb screw in Use. Within the last seven years l myself have seen the thumb-erew applied. with the full knowledge and consent of Brit ish authorities. to thleving native: and T... white officials are frequently cruel in the extreme. We in England say that the black man is in all respects the equal of the white.
 If you go to Bombay one of the dainti- est jewels in our imperial crown. you will find that not even the greatest Indian Prince Is allowed to put so much as his face within the doors of the Byculla Club or the Yacht Club
 Some time ago a distinguished colored cricketer was staying with the Governor of one of our great Indian provinces. The Governor wrote to the Secretary of a certain club and asked that this cricketer should be put up as an honorary mem Der. The reply he received ran as fol- lows:
 My Dear Lord -: have received your Excelcncy's letter. If your friend chooses to come in his turban, and take off his shoes and wait at table like his brethren. he can enter the club. Not unless"
 When Lord Reay was Governor of Bom- bay he gave a large dinner party. to which he invited a certain very high class native gentleman. This gentleman he introduced to an English lady. saying: 'Will you take Mrs. So-and-So into din- ner?" The lady at once left the room accompanied by her husband; and Anglo India has not yet forgiven Lord Reay for his innocent so!ecism.
 Prejudice Run Mad.
 Sometimes l own, this prejudice can be carried too far. Some years ago young subaltern in India left his first-class rail- way carriage for a moment, and on his return he found colored gentleman sit ting there. "D-n your cheek.' he cried in a frenzy of rage and indigna ton. "Out you go. you black brute" and so saving, he flung him bag and baggage upon the platform. Unfortunately the 'bla ok brute" happened to be one Of Her Mai esty's Judges of the Supreme Court.
 l could give many other instances of show my readers that. with certain mod ifcations, we of the British Empire en- tertain precisely the same feelings to- ward the colored man that the Southern CTS do toward their own negroes.
 It is delicate question to handle; but the fascination of the black man for the untraveled and inexperienced English woman is inex pliCable tn one who knows