The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-10-07
PRES. ROOSEVELT
In FICTION
me President Is Introduced As =
Character In the Curse CT
Caste"

New York. Oct. "A new novel. by
new author, offers a new solution
TO the perplexing and eternal color
problem.
The novel is called THE Curse OF
Caste. and is written by n. J. w
Lecato. 1t is dedicated without the
usual legend, BY permission. to
President Roosevelt. and it introduces
the president by name and quotes him
verbatim on the color problem. It Is
a clever. straightforward. convincing
piece Of fiction or autobiography as
the case may be.
The plot is entirely original It is
the story of a colored man of light
complexion. He lives through the
usual experiences of a member of the
ostraclZed race, assimilates their
characteristics and in the end turns
out to be white man. The moral is
that the characteristics supposed to
be innate to persons of color are the
superficial results of arbitrary envi-
ronments. The Interpolation of the
presidents personality in the story.
II not founded on fact, is a clever bit
of portraiture and nothing that Mr..
Roosevelt would be likely to resent.
The hero of the story enlists in Roose-
Velts rough riders in the Cuban cam
paign. He is wounded and is rescued
by his colonel in person.
This is how Mr.. Roosevelt first ap-
pears on the scene. Jack. the hero.
a boy of 10, supposed to be the lille
gitimate child of poor colored wo
man in New Haven, Mass, is being
buliled by an Irish boy.
You coward, drop that stone.'
Roosevelt Appears.
My savior was a peculiar looking
man. His form was athletic, his
movements quick and jerky, and his
face was a study. He was young.
but wore eyeglasses and a silk hat.
turned-down collar and clothes that
fitted elegantly. His features were
rough and his hands were like those
OF giant Although there was an eX-
preston of honest. earnest kindness
in his eyes. the bluntness OF his nose.
the shortness Of upper lip which was
covered with a stubby mustache, and
mis- teeth, cleaning white and bull
dog-like under it, made me tremble.
"A negro? You're mistaken. This
boy is white. There seems to be
some imposition here. I'm going 20
see this little fellow has fair play
He encourages the boys to fight it
out and forms ring.
"'All that | can promise YOU he
says to Jack, is that you shall have
a fair fight. 1t would do you no good
for me to whip him for you That
you've got to do for yourself We all
have to fight our way
Later the unknown benefactor
meets Jack Harvard and offers him
his friendship.
"My name is Theodore Roosevelt, !
he says straightforwardly."
Jack cOnfdes to him the great Sc
cret tragedy Of his life, that he loves
a white woman CT good family. Mr.
Roosevelt says, with a sheer:
The President On Love.
AS to your foolish, sentimental
love affair, pity you. Il is so stupidity
it stamps you almost as an
lmbecile. Drop it, / say. Drop it !
once and for all, as you would hot
potato. There are 40 such romances |
IN this country, no STOPPING Of lords |
and ladies to peasants nor subjects |
aspiring to the hands Of princesses. |
There are no lords or ladies. princes
or peasants, here. Every pure VIC
man is lady and every true Ameri- |
can citizen is a prince Seek a wife
from among your own class. One
ounce of respect between married
people is worth ton of maWkish SEN
The woman who cannot
look up to you is bound to look down
On YOU"
But the most striking novelty in
this novel is the plausible suggestion
that the color problem may solve it
self bV the gradual elimination of |