Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-04-13


States like the Waco Horror, may have
another concrete example of the effect OF
the social equality" humbug in land
where nearly every one has some learning,
but too many of the people have only
enough to enable them to read newspaper.
Perhaps one reason for the absence Of
color question in the countries of South
America, where there is any great varia-
ton in the color of the inhabitants. is the
fact that there are not so many people who
can read as in the United States, but, pro-
pOrtionately, more persons who dO more
than just read, because they have more
time, let us say. One Of the thinking read
ers Of Brazil and unquestionably one of
the greatest intellects of all America, Ruy
Barbosa, in speaking Of slavery and it's con-
sequences in this country, says For three
generations we were free, prosperous and
rich at the cost of the oppression of our
fellow-men. We are today undergoing the
great expiation which never fails, which
does not pardon historic outrages and cap
ita crimes against humanity''
The fact that slavery was a crime against
humanity and not merely an economic mis-
take is, | think, something that no important
public man in the United States would adj
nit without reserve. In Brazil, it is the
essential immortality Of the institution, the
inherent injustice to it's victims, that is
most emphasized The date of the Adolf
ton Of Slavery, May 49, is duly comment
Grated national holiday, and there is
no effort to reintroduce it in any form.
Whatever penalties the nation may now be
paying for the original error of importing
and maintaining African slaves there is no
desire to postpone the day of atonement
NV +,
the old offense
"A friend OF mine, very likeable fellow
in himself, assures me that ''the only way
to handle an American 'nigger' is to knock
him the head and talk to him about it
afterward.'
African blood is, perhaps, as plentiful in
the States of Bahia and Rio de Janeiro as
in Georgia or Texas, but in a country where
great statesmen think and feel that the
humblest blacks are their fellow-men, it
would not be possible for white men to
drag man through the streets, bleeding
from head to foot from the nails and knives
thrust into him, burn him, still living, and
wear his dead teeth as charms to keep the
'nigger in his place."
Brazlians are very religious, but they
are not quite that superstitious Among
them every one finds his place naturally
1t one can afford to travel in a first class
public conveyance, no one will attempt to
make him 90 second class and pay first
class fare. Ii man wants a cup Of coffee
or glass OF milk or cane juice, which are
the most popular beverages among the Bra
zllans who. by the way. are not prohibited
from drinking whiskey if they want to- no
cafe will refuse to serve him if he is clean
and decent. They even serve Americans
and Europeans who get drunk so long as
these do not offend other people. When the
new Minister of Foreign Affairs, whose pol
icy is to be one Of approximation to the
United States, embraces the lawyer who
makes public address of godspeed and
presents the Minister with a gold pen with
which to sign his first official act, nobody
has any objection to make because the Min
lister IS white and the orator brown. The
newspapers do not even mention the color
OF the people concerned. They never do,
except sometimes, in reporting civil sta
tlstlcs accidents and crimes In such cases