The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-08-10
CAREER OF JOE CANS
WAS HIGHLY USEFUL
Clean Conduct in Ring and Unfailng Courtesy Toward
Whites Worked Immense Good in Reducing Bitter
ness Of Race Prejudice
By THOMAS S. RICE

Something more than a mere prize
fighter passed away. when Joe Cans,
former lightweight champion OF the
world, died AZ his home i'll Baltimore
this morning
His death marked the ending Of q
career which, while brief, played as i'm
portalt q part Iu the relation Of the
white and uesro races in this coantry
as OF any uc=-1 ever born on American
soil The puEiist and seIf-c0ufeszeI
fze- OF at least one crooked fght-thar
in which he laid down 20 Terry 1Ic-
Govern IL ChiczEo-wr0ugrt a Ereat
good Tuassis-ed br "a liberal cGucl-
-ion- reared IN the purlicus OF a dsE
market and trained srcm an early a-e
20 use his fists instead of his intellect,
joe Cans had a mind that was wen
balanced To an astonishing degree, and
q grasp Of the fitness OF Things truly
remarkable IN an age Of hysteria f0s-
tered by seu=a aouaI newspapers.
Lived Down Race Prejudice.
Among the negroes he was a king.
as was mis- right, among the whites
he was a pleasant. courteous fTlEel
who never presumed, and never in an
his career irri-ated those most violent
j. affected by race prejudice. He made
tt a point TO keep in the background
when he thought his color might give
ventIous UDalceraoiy fixed IN Baltimore.
the southern Cf-y in which he spent
most Of his life.
The writer remembers fifteen years
ago when Cans would fight in Baiti-
more and his personality was not yet
impressed upon the public he Vas
practically unknown negro contend
Ing with q white man The race pre5I-
dice would come 10 the front. and Cans.
the BalJimOTeaI, received Few CCmDli-
mentS OF good wishes. even though
going against the rasll-esC outsider It
was the desire 10 see the White win. no
matter who the negro might be, and
the same attitude IS observable nov IN
the ordinary contest between men OF
the same sort
Sincerely Lamented.
Gradually, but surely. the Kan con
auct of Cans in the ring. his seIf-ef-
fscement as far as the whites were con
cerued. despite triunphs that had won
him a worldwide reputation and an
independent fortune. fought down the
prejudice against his CcIo--aud he won
what was for him the greatest Of all
possible victories. He became as DODu-
lar with the CaucasiaEs as among the
negroes and there IS not man IN
sOnauy be slI cerely regretted more
than IS that o. Oe Gaus-negrO pugiI-
list.
1t might haT - been thought that Cans
attitude IN Baltimore was but q crafty
policy TO popularize himself IN the
place OF his birth, but such was not the
case In Northern and Western cities
where the color line Is bur thfn4v
drawn and he might have conducted
himself with degree Of Familiarity
and social equality that would have
been impossible and dangerous in Bal
rimOTe, he was the same EentIenanly
figure among whites He forced his
presence on no one. ana when his white
admirers and Eatterers insisted upon
taking him around to places not Usually
[reUuentgd by negroes. his bearing was
ever Of the same-mOcesJ, retiri1--,
agreeable, but not aggressive.
Cans EameneSs In the ring his nhe-
nOmenal skill as a boxer. and his
punching power, In view of his Iicht
delight, have been commented upon and