JOHNSON ON JOHNSON

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 121, 31 August 1910, Page 2

JOHNSON ON JOHNSON

"A CULTURED MAN." The Sydney Motoring School received a 4 letter from JacK Johnson, ...i-eu "Grand Hotel, California, jjCth, June. In this Johnson, in his cuaraeiei.suc style, discusses the fight. He says, amongst other things:—■ "Each of us hits a large following, mostly mediocre boxers. Indeed, I may safely say that all the old trump cards that have disgusted the American public with commonplace exhibitions ior years are here amongst us. As you must know, llicks, old fellow, the men who went in for pugilism live to linden years ago were mere thumpers. .science to them was an unknown quanty. They went in for brute lorce, ana ilie man who succeeded in get Ling in a genuine bullock punch first geneiauy earned oil the battle. Jeiiiic-s lias now around him .a lot of the old scum ot lighters — men who are uneducated to a degree, and have only one idea, and that is the asserting of the ibrutai element. Corbett, omy a middle rater at his best; Sullivan, now fat as a pig with beer; ChoynsKi, who i regard as a 'has been,' and others, ail spar with my coming opponent diaily. Xhey have tne poor ■blacksmith almost out of ins senses telling him fairy tales. Daily they assure him that nothing like him has ever been seen on this earth before and. never will

be again. 'To me—a man of science and refinement, who finds 110 pleasure in pugilism, and who only goes in for the sport in order to keep my mind pure and simple —nothing could <be more disgusting. Unfortunately J. am backed by the -Methodists to defeat this unbeliever Jell'ries. and for the aake of our cause i must do my best. I need not tell you that in America the racial question is very rampant just now. Our country taken from us is ruled by whites, and any sign of superiority on our part is regarded as a ciime. They regard people of my color as little better than dogs. Color with them does not count, ana neither does refinement nor high breeding. Color with them is everything. .Now luncy, could you believe suoli tnings possible? Here am 1, a cuitureU man, 111 to converse on any topic —110 m astronomy right down to the ancient classics —tabooed by white individuals whom I regard, both "as regards race and education, as my inferiors. These people —these Christian^— attend church, pray regularly, and vet pick out of the New and Old Testaments only those things which afe agreeable to themselves. Worse than this, the very clergymen recognise that unless they pand.er>to. the popular taste, they might as well shut up shop. My blood boils as ,1 think of these . dcjep and solemn prayer cafriis" me. Irideeii; I would not he surprised if the fight is'-^ran§ftrred' to (anotheras' , the Methodists are very strong the opposition camp don't like it." |

|3 Johnson thcn gp.es on to discuss Australia!'. ? 'You Australians," lie writes, "are not what I should call *an altogether bSiil.ieit. You have j.our j-'taults, of course. Every young nation is bound to have a lot 04-what is 'rotters,' and in this respect I sincerely sympathise with you, for certainly you lia.ve ,jnflre than '}'btir share. If there is 'on4tnfng : . I rfdmli f fc'-ttlsdut. you Australians, it is the great .ainooirttr- of confidence;. j*4iu lA&Rfi'W' yourselves. I venture to ing my visit there were not three oiit of evei'y hundred that did not make''a point of gabbing every day about what they termed remarkable things and places in your country. If it was not the beautiful-' lhaibor, it was the immense post office; 3if(l if not the ,post office, then it was that wonderful mammoth strufjture, your railway station, or else the'" new m ( n J kets: - Jlad I not been a man of toleration, a'.rhart who,knew, I would have lbeen r; ineliijed often to tell tou all your position and show you haw you stood as regards other countries. But -k)t« it pass, jold fellow, let it pass. One thing I cannot/stand, go never refer to it, for,,it irri£a,tea 'inq, and that is yo r uy.''pe6ple-s 1 accent. Thank God I left Australia without picking .up even the slightest W'ce. Now, I' I am not speaking too can-.-didly,' tut really you must admit that'a' trip round the world iby the entire populatioA: continent .would do j a lot' of good. It would certainly "dferXoHstrate the fact that there are other places on the earth and other people which, to put it mildly, are nearly as good as yourselves." ,/0' /Sin