The brakeman, passing by, peered into the room, but only greeted Dixon and went on.
When he was gone Dixon continued: “Oriental ideas of beauty are also different from ours. The Japanese do not like the noses and eyes of the Caucasian, which happen to be the very parts of Japanese physiognomy the Caucasians like least. Now, as Von Luschan asks, ‘Which of these races is right, since both are highly artistic?’ ”
“But,” protested the senator, rather lamely, “since the white race is the super—most developed one, its standard of beauty ought to be accepted as the universal one.”
Dixon noted with satisfaction the other’s hesitation at the word “superior.” He laughed, “Ought, sir? Might as well say that all the rest of humanity ought to like the same kind of food and the same kind of music as the particular group that happens to be on top. But, sir, I am sure you wouldn’t like that. What would happen, for instance, If the Negro male in the United States accepted only the standard you said the darker races should accept. No, you wouldn’t like it…. Of course, I know, that peoples subjected to the beneficial influences of Science and Art have, according to the standard of civilized man, more refined features and are considered more beautiful than so-called savages.
“But facial beauty is only one side of the story. Venus and Apollo, as you will remember, are as famous for their beauty of bodily outline as for their facial contour, perhaps more so. And in a matter of bodily beauty certain African peoples easily excel the white man. The Zulus, a black people, are the successors of the ancient Greeks in beauty of physique. J. H. Balmer, explorer and lecturer, says:
“ ‘The Zulus are the physical superior of other races. A male Zulu has the strength, endurance and body of a prizefighter in the pink of condition. Their shoulders are broad, their chests deep, their waists slim. Their women are the strongest females propagated.’
“Incidentally, coming nearer home did you know that Dr. Sargent, physical director of Harvard University, selected an American Negro, Thomas Watson, as possessing the finest physique he had ever seen? He pronounced Watson as being superior to the Apollo Belvedere, the model of perfection in Greek statuary? Others have thought that the Greeks used Negroes as models for the body of their statues.”
He did not reply. Dixon went on, “But here in America it is not a matter of facial contour or physique. It is a question of color and texture of hair, sometimes color alone, sometimes hair alone, since there are many Negroes who possess the regular profile of the conventional Caucasian whilst there are many Caucasians who, but for color and hair might be representatives of any other human variety, except the true Mongolian. I have remarked many Swedish and Irish persons with Negroid features. Then, too, the beauty of colored women commands consideration. In all those parts of the British Empire where black and white live, those women who have what is known as a ‘touch of the tar-brush’ easily excel the average white woman in beauty and grace of expression. The white women of these countries are mostly English, and the Englishwoman, generally speaking, is not considered beautiful. And even here in America, where the blending of the various peoples and the superior economic conditions have combined to produce types perhaps of world-excelling beauty, certain types of colored women are the peers of any. The bewitching languor of form and voice, the placid depth of the soft, sparkling eye, and flawless texture of skin, combine with a disposition of artless amiability to make a charm that must move the hearts of all who venture to behold her. I must not forget to add that a large number of white people do think Negroes more beautiful than members of their own group. But I consider this question of facial beauty a wearisome one. The ultimate question has always been that of the mental and moral worth of the individual. Measured by the Greek standard of facial contour, Socrates, Herbert Spencer, Darwin, Voltaire and Steinmetz were ugly, and yet, the services they rendered to humanity are almost inestimable. Whilst ideas of beauty are purely individual, the standard of nobility of soul is universal. Character, then, should be the standard by which to judge human beings. After all, man is not like cattle which we rear for appearance’ sake. I think that any face lit up by right living and high ideals is beautiful regardless of contour.”
The senator seemed agitated. He got up and again paced the room. After a few turns he sat down and drew deep inhalations from his cigarette, blowing out the smoke very slowly. He was marshalling in his mind all the many points regarding Negro inferiority.
Suddenly, as if struck by an inspiration, he said triumphantly: “I can positively prove the Negro is inherently inferior. The Jews were slaves to the Egyptians who, according to you, were Negroes, for four hundred and thirty years, one hundred and eighty years longer than were the Negroes in America. Did they emerge in the debased condition of the Negro? No! Why? You also said that the Irish were slaves in New England, didn’t you? Well; today these former slaves dominate the United States politically. Here’s where the inferiority comes in. There are twelve millions of Negroes in the United States— a greater number than the population of Canada, greater than the combined population of Holland and Switzerland—and yet there is not a single Negro in any position of political importance in this country. A few, it is true, hold federal positions, mostly unimportant, however. If the Negro were not the inferior, would he allow himself to be thus outclassed?”
“I will first answer your question about the Jews. When they emerged from slavery they had, according to the Bible, their Jehovah to perform wondrous miracles for them, feeding them free, capturing cities, etc., hadn’t they? The Negro started with nothing and has had to fight his own battle every inch of the way.
“Again the Negro’s inferior position isn’t due to inferiority of human variety, but to inferiority in numbers.”
“To inter-racial jealousy, you mean; the surest sign of a consciousness of inferiority among any people. Race prejudice only hurts those who have a consciousness of their racial inferiority. The Negro can’t trust himself. He hates to associate with his own people.”
“With regard to this matter of unity among my people,” responded Dixon, “the first point to be considered is:—shall we have Negroes or shall we have Americans? We can’t have both. The closer certain nationalities in our population get together the further they drift from what ought to be the predominating idea— the general welfare of the State. I think that the aim of the Negro should be national, not segregated, unity; provided, of course, that the white man will permit him. Why should a certain class of citizens band themselves in a separate camp, patronizing only themselves, working only among themselves, and so on? Let us suppose that the Jews, the Irish, the Mayflower descendants, and others, form themselves into their respective camps, patronizing only themselves. Wouldn’t it make for narrowness, not to say national disharmony? None of the nationalities that come here are forced to segregate themselves— indeed, they are upbraided when they do so, as listen to the fuss that is made about the German-American. Another point:—too close a Negro unity makes for segregation. And with regard to Negroes not acting more in unity, the truth is you can never get any group of human beings to think alike, not even to act alike, even when their most vital interests are concerned. Hitler has been eating up the European nations one after the other, yet haven’t they played a lone hand instead of standing together? “Again, in California a great racket is made about the Japanese, yet isn’t it the whites who are their main support? The Gentile has complained for centuries about the Jew, yet doesn’t he go on dealing with him just the same? And there are even those Negroes who defend the Caucasian in his treatment of their people. Among my people I notice that those who preach what they call racial unity do not practice it when it affects their pocketbooks. Just as long as the Negro has the same ideals and ideas as the whites, is as easily pacified, and remains as credulous as he is, I do not think that he will be more united than at present. On the other hand, I think there are three reasons why the Negro should spend his money among his own people; first, a matter of personal pride, for the majority of the white persons whom he patronizes really despise him in their hearts; second, his is a struggling group and needs support; and third, since he is forced to work for the whites for smaller than the usual wage, he should not spend it with them at the normal rate. Moreover, you must not