The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-30
ROOSEVELT
IN FICTION
The President Is Introduced as a
Character in "The Curse
- of Caste"
The Book Is dictionary Discussion
of the Eternal Race
Problem.
New York Sun Special Service,


New York. Sept. 3O.-A new novel, by
new author, offers a new solution to
the perpeXing and eternal color problem.
The novel is called "The Curse Of
Caste" and is written by N. J. w. Lee
cato 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. 1t is a clever, straight
forward, convincing piece of fiction or
autobiography as the case may be.
The. plot is entirely original. 1t is the
story Of a colored man Of light complex
ion He lives thru the usual experiences
Of a member of the ostracized race, as
Stimulates their characteristics and in the
end turns out to be a white man. The
moral is that the characteristics supposed
to be innate to persons Of color are the
superficial results of arbitrary environ
nnents. The Interpolation Of the presi-
dents personality In the story, if not
founded on fact. Is a clever bit of por-
traftnre and nothing that Mr.. Roosevelt
would be likely to resent. The hero of
the story enlists in Roosevelt's rough rid
ers in the Cuban campaign. He Is
wounded and Is rescued by his colonel in
person. r ~ -
This is how Mr.. Roosevelt first appears
on the scene. Jack, the hero, a boy Of 10,
supposed to be the illegitimate child of a
poor colored woman In New Haven, Mass,
is being bulied by an Irish boy.
You coward, drop that stone'
Roosevelt Appears.
my savior peculiar looking
man. His form was athletic, his move
ments quick and jerky, and his face was
a study. He was young, but wore eye
glasses and a silk hat, turned down collar
and clothes that fitted elegantly. His
features were rough and his hands were
like those of giant. Altho there was
an expression 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 his teeth,
cleaning white and bulldog like under it,
made me tremble.
ga negro? You're mistaken. This boy
is white. There seems to be some imposi-
ton here. I'm going to see this little
fellow has fair play" "
He encourages the boys to fight it out
and forms ring. 0-n.
"tAll 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 tc
do for yourself. We all have to fight oul
way"
Later the unknown benefactor meets
Jack Harvard and offers him his friend
ship
my name is Theodore Roosevelt he
says straightforwardly.
Jack confides to him the great secret
tragedy Of his life, that he loves a white
woman of good family. Mr.. Roosevelt
says, with sneer:
The President on Love.
LAS to your foolish, sentimental love
affair, I pity you. 1t Is so stupidity NOR.
bid, 1t stamps you almost as an imbe-
Gle. Drop it, I say! Drop it once anC
for all, as you would hot potato. There
are no such romances in this country, ne
stopping Of lords and ladies to peasants
nor subjects aspiring to the hands Of prin
cesses. There are no lords or ladies
princes or peasants, here. Every pure
woman is lady and every true American
citizen a prince. Seek wife from among
your own class. One ounce Of respect be-
tween married people Is worth ton O.
mawkish sentimentality. The woman who
cannot look up to you is bound to lool
down on YOU
But the most striking novelty in thi
novel is the plausible suggestion that thu
color problem may solve itself by the
gradual elimination Of color.