River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-03-22

They nearly all have Q long reach, and
that counts for good deal. They gen
orally have hard head, and can take
a punch there that would drop white
man. Then most OF them are short
necked like Walcott. The hardest thing
in the world would be to rap that fell
low on the jaw, for he has no neck at all
that could ever see. When the whole
thing SINNERS down to cases, it's easy
to see that jeff has hurt himself Just q
little bit by scratching that chalk line
across his front doorstep.
Popularity is funny thing here in
this country. You're hero one minute
and then you're-well, something else.
Who had harder time than poor old
Admiral Dewey? He came back here
and the whole nation was rolling over
TO get chance to put it's nee under his
foot. Then George made a bad play
led the wrong card or something and he
got his from every hole and corner OF
the country. That's why say it's fool
ISL for the man at the top to get too
funny, for, the first thing he knows.
some lad will come along with an ak
and cut off the limb he's sitting on. and
he gets bad fall.
We're tickle over here, very tickle. I
say we because I'm an American citizen,
even II | was born in Cornwall. and I
like the country and its ways, and the
way it treated me. You get along splen-
didly here until you get a little bit
proud, and the minute you stick your
chin up in the air and try to look over
ahousetop, some fellow, without any par
ticular malice. just shoves a scantling
between your feet and when you're wab-
bling on the flint, the bystanders kick
you gently to remind you that it won't
do to get too gay.
don't know but it's good idea, for Il
keeps a man in reasonable shape and
prevents him from wearing hat that's
three sizes larger than is good for him.
But to get back to that color line BUSH
ness. Maybe I'm bit freer in my view
than would be if I'd been born in the
south instead of England, but then you
see over there there are mighty few
negroes and they're not looked on so
much with the same eye we look at
them over here, and if man is going to
be champion of the world, and popular
champion, he's got to take care what
the world thinks of him. He's got to
sacrifice some of his feelings if he's go
ing to do that popular idol business, for
he can't forget that he's public figure
in way, and he's got to do what the
public want him to do or get off the top
step.
Just as long as there are men OF good
red blood in the world there will be fight.
ers and the fellow who does all he can
to keep his end of the game up will be the
boy who's going to get the small change
that's going around. / believe in meet
ing the colored brother if he's got q
look in, for if there's any public sympa-
thy going to be spilled around, want to
get it for myself, and it makes chap feel
lot more comfortable. Mind you, m
not saying that the men who have drawn
the color line are wrong, but do think
they were hasty. The grip fighter has
on the public isn't any too strong any
way, and he wants to put sand on his
hands to hold on to what he's got.
Just about this minute Jim Jeffries has
got both hands on the title, and while
he's talking largely about handing it
over to some other fellow, don't think
he's going to do it yet awhile. It's all
right to talk about, but it's different
when the other man puts his hand up to
take it. Jeff's no different from the rest,
and he'll stick along at the top as long
as he can. Jeff's the recognized cham
pion right now, but if good husky
colored man comes along and says he
wants fight, and jeff turns him down,
there'll be plenty of people to say:
Huh Knew he couldn't trim the
man, eh, and figured it out that he'd get
away from it by saying he doesn't meet
negroes Won't wash little bit. If
he's afraid why doesn't he say 500"
That kind of talk is what's going to
hurt the fighter who pulls down the
shades when the cloud begins to roll
over the sky, and he knows it or should
know it.
Don't draw the color line, boys. While
it may save your fine feelings that you
have gathered up since you reached the
top, it's going to splash bit of mud on
the record you've got framed and hang
ing up in tho old folks parlor