The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-04-03
JACK JOHNSON, GENTLEMAN.
By C. A. sTARKs.

pugilistic fame censured and ma
ligred by the white and black press
that the above caption of ]. A. ]. will
no doubt incite curiosity. Mr.. John
son, according to the newspapers, is
about to engage in another fistic af-
fair in order to prove himself supreme
when it comes down to knocks and
cuffs, governed by the famous Mar
quis of Queensbury rules of prize
fighting. The white newspapers are
at work to demonstrate Johnson's s i'm
portance in the world, and it is "tit
for tat" as to which get the choicest
space of their columns, this said per
son or the war between the allies and
Germany. Indeed noticeable decline
in the avalanche of martial news is
quite evident.
1t surely can not be that Johnson's
horizon is so brilliant and all blazing
that we are to lose sight of the Eu-
ropean debauchery. This would be
deplorable, as in the end the fight
will simply mean one black man an
initiating one white man. But the
white sport writer's insist on keeping
4 Johnson before the public and they
show a persistent inclination to be-
little and disparage this individual.
All owing, no doubt, to that hatred
which Johnson incurred at a certain
little village called Reno.
1t frequently happens that the Flo
tos and a score of other sport dope
sters run completely out of data. In
such cases Johnson is readily pounced
upon as a victim to furnish the So
called fans with reading trash. Of
course if the young man, Jess VIII
lard, styled the best white hope"
ever enters the ring with the stalwart
and heroic champion, according to all
logic of the past and present, he is
due for the usual symtematic flogging
which Mr.. Johnson metes out to all
who face him. This supremacy in his
calling and the mastery style of de-
feating his opponent under estab-
lished rules, which are fair and equal
to the principals, does not seem to
have earned for Johnson the admira-
tion and respectt of those who follow
such.
However, there are many, many who
hold Johnson as a hero. A man that
fully meets the requirements of his
profession, manly and courageous and
with that efficiency in his line that
would make a German conQueror take
notice. AS a prize fighter he is all
that we would have him. He is-more
than that, he is an American citizen,
as much as those who have taken it
upon themselves to persecute and re-
vile him. We take him as we take
other mortals with his virtues and de-
fects. We have our ideas about his
martial affiliations from race stand
point But give back to the higher
law of citizenship which allows all
American citizens to marry who they
please as long as the agreement is
mutual on the part of the principals
making contract and is carried out
according to the laws of state and
country. Jack Johnson is essentially
an American citizen and should have
this right, and in the exercise there
of should be exempt from persecu'
ton on this account by whites and
blacks alike. Whereas we do not put
our individual stamp of approval on
johnson marrying a white woman and
seemingly affronting the many beauti
full and worthy race women, who deep
down in their hearts would probably
have been eager to become Mrs. -.
....., but we still point to the
many notable cases of black men who
have married white women and the
multitude of prominent colored indi
viduals who barely miss committing
the henious crime by invariably mar
rying the extremely near white WON
en- of their race. What is so com
monty practiced by the higher ups in
every community should not be sc
highly censurable in Mr.. Johnson's ac
tion simply because his matronial fit
ness largely looms up to the coloreo
women from a standpoint of financial
healthiness of purse.
Now as to the white race, we say
that Mr.. Johnson honored the woman
he married, he elevated her, and every
WnlIe man SuOulu lOllOW JdCh oOlih
sons action when they love colorec
women (Which many Of them do) ant
marry them instead of trying to de
bauch them without assuming the vi
tai responsibilities.
To the black race we say that tho
average man so loves and respects
the women of color, himself, wheth
er she be black or near white. tina
we will have by our own loyalty ant
constancy race of women excellint
in virtues protected by our manliness
Lovely and beautiful because in
spired and nurtured by our own love
it has been said with much truth tina
we have the most beautiful womel
in the world, and of the most varie'
types. The average colored mai
knows this and so do the whites, there
fore 1t should make but little differ
ence If a few individuals are foolisl
enough to go outside of their race Il
get what the race so abundantly SUP
plies. The one point is to remembe
that we can not afford to condemn
all the good one man does for wha
we may consider his bad mistake
Following this policy we would hav
to draw a mark through such spler
did names as Moses, Lincoln an
Frederick Douglass.