when or whether it will ever end. Every Colored American who reads this book may feel assured that the end is in sight, and that his children will witness a great diminution in the slights put upon his race and color. It will be effected by personal influence based upon education and high standards of living. Not so very long ago, the Jew was about as humiliated a race of men as exist in the world. Driven out of public places because they were Jews; unable to do business with others on account of their race, they were made a byword and a laughing stock in every occupation of life, and held up to the world on the theater stage as objects of derision and caricature. 32The Jew was a “Sheeney,” a “Shylock,” an “Ol’ clo’ man,” a “Christ killer,” and given other choice epithets to bring him into disrespect and excite prejudice, even abhorrence. 32 All these epithets and others equally as cruel and vulgar, were applied to the whole race of Jews, and it did not make any difference whether he was an honest Jew, or one of education, and of high repute, he was still a “sheeney.” But a change has taken place and the Jew is no longer a “Sheeney,” unless he merits the epithet, but stands as a man among the other men and is entitled to and gains their respect. Jews, as a race, are no longer “Sheeneys,” or “Shylocks,” only those individuals of the race that are in bad repute among their own people are such. Hence we perceive that prejudice against the Jew as a race is diminishing. THE FLANNEL MOUTHED IRISHMAN Not very long ago, an Irishman was considered a “Paddy,” and to call a man “Irish” was to provoke a fight in which blood was spilled. To call an Irishman a “Flannel mouth” meant a broken head to the speaker. It was a term of reproach. The Irishman also was caricatured on the theatrical stage and held up to derision. “O, he is only an Irishman,” was an explanation for every outburst of disorder. We find that these opprobrious epithets are now limited to certain Irishmen, and not to the entire nation or race of Irish. To call an Irishman a “Mick” does not hurt his feelings as it once did, because he knows it does not apply to him as a member of the Irish race. The Italian “Dago,” and the Chinese “Chink,” were epithets applied to the entire nation or race of Italians or Chinese. But a change has come over the situation. There are
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