Phoenix tribune., 1919-01-11
(By VIM. Pickens)

Oou NlSSeT. lnlS expression
was uttered by white man of the
postoffice in Charleston, w. Va, dur
ing the influenza epidemic And this
expression, like the ''flu," took among
the people.
This man thought that the influ-
enza germ had shown that God was
partial in favor of black people This
suspicion is not justified. Whatever
other indictments may be brought
against influenza germs, it is certainly
free frcm race and color prejudice.
That is, it attacked those who were fit
for its attack, regardless of race, color
or previous serviceableness. But it
juts happened that through some i'm.
munizing process known only to Ma
ture, the colored American seemed to
be somewhat better fortified against
this particular germ that was the
white American. That was no fault
of the germ. If this germ has eyes
(Which may be doubted), 1 dare say
it is color-blind; it seems to work
principally in the dark To speak in
germ language, it attacks those most
"fit" to be attacked. have heard an
other member of this Germ family,
whose given name is tuberculosis,
and seems to find his best chance to
live in the bodies of black people;
but have never thought that it was
color prejudice on the part of this
germ, but only opportunity. In fact, no
germ yet discovered has been proven
to be capable of STOPPING to that
vile thing called Race Prejudice. AS
a matter of fact, however, while peo-
pie suffered and died in greater pro-
portion from the influenza germ,
which fact caused this postoffice man
to calculate in a crowd: Goods mig
geri"
Presently We will discuss the phil
osophy of this ejaculation-for we be-
lieve it is nearer the truth than the
opposite statement would be. 1t is the
mission of babies and fools to make
utterances whose profound signifi-
canoe they do not themselves appre-
ciate It was not told the age of the
party who made this utterance, but
/ will venture a mere guess that he
is not one of the babies.
Before coming to that, however, I
wish to say word or two more in
defense of Mother Nature, who in fact
shows clearly that she is no respecter
of persons or of artificial considera
tons. Even the higher animals seem
to be free from mere color prejudice
oi feature prejudice in their own spe-
cies. They may manifest instructive
prejudice toward members of other
species (as cats and dogs)-but man
is the only creature who stoops to
mean and artificially created prejudice
within his own species, inspired by
such shallow considerations as color,
skull-shape, foot-shape and other SUI
perfcialities. Even the cattle or the
pigs of different colors and skull.
shapes may fraternize. Now, disease
germs are somewhat more retiring in
disposition and less prominent in the
public eye than are cattle and pigs;
but from what little I have seen Of
them and from the great deal I have
seen of the fruits of their work, l
Judge them to be as impartial as
Mother Nature herself. o course,
have heard human lecturers, prompted
by their own feelings, no doubt.
ascribing to tuberculosis Germ a pref
udice against black people. That is
SANDER. This germ perhaps finds ex-
Africans biologically or circumstan
TALLY, or in both ways, "fitter' for its
work
But what people set out to prove,
they generally prove, even if they
must turn their own rules inside out.
For example: When Negroes die
faster, it is often ascribed to their
inferiority. But when lady on the
eastern shore of Maryland heard that
influenza germs were having rela-
lively little effect on colored people,
she is reported to have said well.
that proves that they are not human
like the rest of us!"