The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1903-10-10
THE cIYRsE OF CASTE.

THE CURSE OF CASTE. ls
cato 6edse to President Roosevelt
"Antipodal, as they may seem, the
Svo PIP. 800. 81. New York: Walker
Ellerson Publishing Co: :>7
worst foes to a republic are Democracy
and Caste. The first leads ito anarchy
the second to oAgarchy. The middle way
is best. May the American people ever
walk therein. -~.
This is a very interesting story, and
being contribution to the race. question,
and written by an author who exhibits
mastery over the accepted literary forms,
it's interest is therefore enhanced.
It is the tale of young boy developing
belonging to the prescribed class of black
folk. Early in life he begins to curse the
fate that had cast his lot with that of
the lowiy people Of color; Be In 81: far IT,, OF
steal characteristics Of the white race, he
could not understand why he should be
called a Niger" Notwithstanding the
fact that NANNY Sally" his ostensible
His attachment to his dark mother was
very pronounced, and when in the course
of time she decided to return to the more
congenial climate Of the South, because of
gle for existence at the North against the
tireless competition of New England
labor Jack Sally as he was called by
on the plantation of Colonel Custis, and
was the source of much assistance and
comfort to his hard working mother )
encounter with the Jim Grow" car, and
soon after his arrival at the place where
he took UP his permanent abode; he soon
became the victim Of petty prosecutions,
because of his race identity, which Gull
minated in his attempted assassination.
His life as farm laborer was one
dreary round of uninviting and monoton-
Gus toll, relieved occasionally by the com.
radeship of old Uncle Kiah,' a typical
ante bellum Negro, and Joe Watkins, a
white boy, with whom he hunted possums
at night. %m
Denied admission to the local public
been allowed to grow up in illiteracy and
ignorance but for the philanthropic spirit
of New England, woman, living on an
adjoining plantation who gave him pri-
menced to expand, his ambition grew
Under the Curse Of Caste" Which fell
heavily upon his sensitive spirit.
Joe Watkins, he got himself into the
tolls Of the law, and was condemned to a
public whipping for a crime OF which ne
was innocent, but was unable to establish
to the incident for which he had been
tried was sent out of the jurisdiction of
the court in order that there might be no
possibility of his exoneration. Saved,
by friend, he returns to his lowly habi-
tation, and is shortly afterward taken
sick after, rescuing a drowning woman.
The rescue of this woman instead of at
tracing to himself the friendship of his
neighbors only served to increase their
hatred and dislike of the white Niger.
While in a delirious condition, and nursed
by his benefactress, very dramatic
ing carried to the Great House" where
he is installed as one of the family
through some mysterious influence:
second time he meets Theodore Roose-
velt who once again comes into. his life
and influences him for good.
Falling in love with white girl living
on an adjoining estate, his suffering be-
comes so intense at the realization OF the
disparity between their race and stations
that he is nearly driven crazy-was on
his love to the beautiful daughter Of
inexpressible contempt.
1t is just at this climax that it becomes
known that he is in realty white man OF OF
':Mammy Sally" when a babe to, raise, in
order that his mother might be spared
the humiliation and disgrace of clan
destine marriage with a man who had
The literary power of the writer may
be seen from the following description of
a Negro bu1ylng ground:
1T marked the spot of a Negro grave
yard. Here in the bramble infested with
reptiles and the haunt of rabbits, slept
the nameless and unnonored men of toll;
the faithful sons of Africa, who for many
generations had watered these very
fields with the sweat of their brow, hear
ing with remarkable patience the subju-
eating yoke Of slavery, going to their
toll from day to day and returning like
a galley slave to his dungeon" night
after night without change and without
hope, only to fall down in the harvest
field or the long furrow and be carted out
to find rest at last under the shade OF
this old tree