The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1910-07-21
"A VOICE FROM THE NORTH. :
Right from tn. Shoulder.
he Editor Of The Journal.

To the Editor Of The Journal.
In view Of the fact that SO many
acts of violence have been reported
since the fight at Reno, in which the
whites seem to have been the aggres-
sors, / am moved to inquire what has
become of our Anglo-Saxon sense of
fair play and our boosted superiority
as race. Jack Johnson has demon
strated his physical superiority by de-
feating the supposedly invincible
champion of the whites.
And in the realm Of intellect, we
meet some colored people who chal-
lenge our admiration and command
our respect on account Of their
achievements. In an eastern college
recently colored girl easily defeated
all her white competitors and carried
off all the honors.
In all comparisons of this kind, 1t
must be borne in mind that the ,colored
people are heavily handicapped and
labor under great disadvantages.
Under the circumstances, it i'll be-
comes us to make invidious COM
parsons.
The opinion seems to prevail, quite
generally, that, as race, the blacks
are quite inferior to the whites in
virtue and morality. But what have we
to boast of in this regard? What
virtues do we possess that may not be
found among the colored people? What
vices have they which we have not?>
What crimes are there, from petit
larceny to lynching and burning at the
stake, that whites have not commit
ted. --
Is sin less sinful, vice less repulsive
or crime less heinous when commit
ted person with a white skin?
Has any colored person ever de-
scended to a depth of degradation or
bestiality so low that he could find no
white companions?
We have had superior advantages.
We ought to be superior race, but
we cannot demonstrate our superiority
by lynching blacks, shooting up col
ored settlements or by deprivinS
them of their rights under the law.
I can hardly repress a'sneer when I
read of the spasm of moral sentiment
that is sweeping over the country
since the battle at Reno. ''The hope
of the white race" was defeated by
black man and suddenly we behold
that prize-fighting has become shock
ingly brutal and demoralizing, and
moving pictures of the fight are de-
clared to be disgusting and immoral
exhibitions. .......
Chicago, the city of beer, boodlers
and Busse, of Bathhouse John and
Hinky Dink, where municipal corrup-
ton has gone to seed, and graft, tax
lodging and white slavery flourishes,
has suddenly been transformed and
views with disfavor the thing she once
delighted in. Then priests and politi--
clans, lawmakers and lawbreakers,
saints and sinners take up the cry,
suppress those pictures"
But suppose the white champion
had been the victor, who except the
Christians, who always oppose such
things, would have uttered note, of
protest?
Jeffries would have met with an
ovation wherever he went. Cities and:
towns everywhere would have greeted
him with acclamations Of joy. Chi
cago would have met him with brass
bands and given him the freedom Of
the city. The moving pictures would
have been exhibited everywhere and
no such thing as race riot would
have been apprehended.
In conclusion let me say that it is to
be hoped that the outcome of all this
turmoil may be the abolition of prize
fighting in every state in the union.
F. A. Towne.
Minneapolis, July Is.