Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07

the word they used-to meet this heah
Mistuh Johnsing.
1t was pointed out that maybe Johnson
himself might-just might, you know-be
the baking party.
Because, Ii was stated, Johnson. being
the champion and things. had the baking
privilege In addition to a lot of other
edges on the situation.
And 1t seemed as If all OF the folks who
We're spending their valuable time wonder
ing If the boilermaker would do that con-
senting thing-it seemed if they were
sort Of doing a heap of forehanded bark
ing up the wrong stump. as it WAR, as 1t
WAR.
The present writer in writing that stuff
didn't just happen to remember the cases
of any other champions who squatted
down on their hunkers or fell on their
marrow bones to entreat other persons to
come AMI give them battle. Therefore
it didn't seem exactly reasonable to sup
pose that this Johnson pusson. the indu-
hiiatle champion. was going to beg and
imp ore and beseech Jefries to come out
and fight with him. particularly in view
OF the fact that johnson had been COM
PEELED to follow one fellow nearly all OF
the distance around the globe in order
TO get him to stand up and fight.
Nell-Scuse us for calling attention to
ii. please-but now the prediction that
Johnson would have something 10 say.
and a lot to say, as to the meeting with
Jeffries which everybody on the g.obe
was fixing up for him, has come true.
Johnson,s way of tackling the thing is
this. as you've observed: He says that
he won't fight Jeffries in the United
Says that he wouldn't be able to get jus
tice, etc. etc. in the United States in a
fight with jeff unless he had colored
referee.
Well. you get the significance Of that,
of course.
Easiest thing on earth to get the dope
line on.
Mistuh Johnsing is bucking. It's his
buck. and he's buckng.
OF course, there won't ever be any col
ored referee to decide the heavyweight
championship of the world. Not in this
country or any other country. OF course
not. And, OF course, Johnson knows this
just as we'll as he knows that he sho' d.
love checking
But he's bucking, and this colored ref
cree gag is his subtle little method Of
going about the bucking. He doesn'r
have to come right out and gay that he:
not hunting for any Jeffries scalps HI
doesn't have to state the undeniable trutl
that If there are going to be any matche:
made. why he's the main party to bt
| talked with. and not Jeff as everybody
appears to think. He doesn't have t
nudge to the front and say that he T.
made aweary and things by all Of thi
| piffiing conversation to the effect that JET
| of the purse solely for 'consenting" t
meet the black man.
Johnson doesn't have to put it in any o.
| these ways. He just says. like that. tina
| there won't be any prize fight in the L.
| between himself and one Jeffries unless
| there'll be black referee.
Which is. of course. equivalent to hi
speaking as follows:
| Look a-here folks. when are you go
| ing to ask ME- whether I'll give Jeff
| iph u-bp OIL N,
! if at all, and the terms I'll make aDou
| the cutting up of the dough. and so on
Who is this Jeffries man? Why. he is
| fat person. living in Los Angeles. wher
| he keeps a groggery. who retired from
| the prize ring some several years ago.
! wv hen he retired he Quit-them two be
| ing what you might call sylloilobus terms
Well. he's out and I'm in. I'm the belt
wearing dinge- If there's going to b.
| fight talk between the California Whit
man and me. how does it happen tina
! everybody seems to think that I'm goin:
| to take about 50 cents for mine and lie
EN- hand Jeff a hundred thousand or ;
! hundred and fifty thousand or some sucl
edge onto the fflm7 Who said so?''
| In other words. Johnson, as he is per
fectly entitled to do. is going to dane
| the Jeffries crowd around quite lot be
| fore he let's them dream that they're go
ing to have all of the goodies and John
| son just the Feelings.
| Isn't he right? He's black. of course
| but isn't he right? He struck Austraii;
without the price of a shoeshine or ;
| shave. and he licked man he'd beer
traipsing up and down the world afte
| for several years. Now he's getting some
thing He's on top. Why should he b
asked by anybody to let the Jeffries en'
do all the debating about the money en'
| and all like that when he himself IS Oh
top? Did any other champion ever d.
| that?
| Mistuh Johnsing knows. too--never for
get that-that he's going to get might
| fine old drubbing when he gets into tn
ring with Jeffres Isn't that all the NOR
| reason why he should do whole heal
| of debating and things while he has tn
| chance?