The Washington times., 1910-08-10
CAREER OF JOE CANS
WAS HIGHLY USEFUL
Clean Conduct in Ring and Unfaling Courtesy Toward
Whites Worked Immense Good in Reducing Bitter
ness Of Race Prejudice.
By THOMAS S. RICE

Something more than n mere Driz.--
fighter passed away. when Joe Cans,
former li-htUeizht champion OF the
world, died al his home ia Baltimore
This morning.
His death marked the ending Of q
career which. while brief, played as i'm
portaut q part In the relation OF the
white ana uczro races Era this country
as OF any 1e=-o ever born on American
soil TIE puE5list and s=lf-caufesseI
fZe- OF at least one crooked fgEt-tlat
.u which he laid down 70 Terry 1lc-
Govern al ChicasC-wrouEl great
good JuassisreG by liberal educa-
zion. reared in the uurlieus Of a lsE
market and trained from an early a-e
To- use his fists instead Of his intellect
Joe Cans had a mind that was wen
balanced 10 an astonishing degree. and
a grasp Of the fitness of Things truly
remarkable in an age Of hys,sria f1s-
tered by sensational newspapers
Lived Down Race Prejudice
Among the negroes lie was 81 kinE.
as was his riSht- among the whites
he was a pleasant. courteous frluel
who never presumed, and never il al
his career frritated those most violent
~ affected By race prejudice he made
it a point 10 keep in the background
when he thought his color might give
offeCse, and did not resent the con-
Venti0us uEaltera1ly fixed in Baltimore.
the Southern city in which He spent
most OF his life
The writer remembers fifteen years
ago when Cans would night i'm EaIIl-
more. and his personality was not yet
impressed upon the public he was
a practically unknown negro contend
iuE with q white man The race preiu-
dice would come 10 the front. and Cans,
the BaltimOreau, received few COmuii-
ments or good wishes. even though
going against the ranEest outsider. IL
was the desire 20 see the white win, no
matter who the negro might be, and
the same attitude IS observable now in
the ordinary contest between men OF
the same sort
Sincerely Lamented-
Gradually, but surely. the Kan con-
duct Of cans in the rms. his se,f-er-
facement as far as the whites were con-
cerned. despite trfumphs that had won
him worldwide reputation and an
independent fortune. fought down the
prejudice against his CoIoT-aud he won
what was for him the greatest Of all
possible victories He became as pCpu-
lar with the CaUCaSiaES as among the
negroes. and there Is not q man in
Baltimore today whose death would 0e--
sonaUv be sincerely regretted more
than IS that OF oe Gans-negro pugiI-
ist
1t might have been thought that Cans
attitude in Baltimore was but q crafts s.
policy TO pOpuIariZe himself In the
place OF his birth. but such was not the
case In Northern and Western cities
where the color line Is but thinIv
drawn. and he might have conducted
himself with degree Of familiarity
and social equality that would have
been impossible and dangerous IN Bal
timore, he was the same ZenrIpmauiv
figure among whites He forced his
presence On no one. and when his white
admirers and 1aCterers insisted upon
taking him around 10 places not usually
fre0uented By negroes. his bearing was
ever OF the Same-moGeSt- retiring.
a agreeable. but not aggressive
Cans Gameness In the ring. his 0he-
nOmenaI skill as a boxer. and his
punching power, in view Of his light
delight. have been commented upOu and