Evening journal., 1901-09-13
SOUTH AFRICA HAS BECOME
THE HOME OF MANY PROBLEMS

South Africa has thrown aside the
mask and presented itself in its true
coiors. It used to be a dear, lazy old
country, with little work and big pay
FOR it; but it has suddenly come for
I ward as the home of many problems.
lall crying urgently for an immediate
settlement.
or these problems perhaps one of the
biggest is the Kaffir. In the past he
has fallen through many schemes for
his betterment. and the missionaries
hearts that he has broken, to say moth
ing Of the political economists and
sociologists', are beyond numbering.
He is half a blessing and half an affic-
ton, but for the affliction no cure has
yet been found adequate.
He is a patient, simple fellow. ca
lpab.e like other wild animals.of domes-
tication and training. He can work.
and sometimes does work. Occasion
ally he learns a trade and labors at it
in lOwliness of heart, not daring to
compete with the white man; but more
commonly he is content to turn his
strength to rough labor, such as an
Intelligent ape might accomplish, and
let the higher flights be.
What he may yet do is a question OF
the future; in how far he is to be al
lowed to enter the market of trained
labor constitutes the problem in chief.
Up to the present he has shown him
scf unambitious. He finds his des-
In ,I y IL.
rule which has best suited him is a
benevolent despotism. It is a word
among the farmers that the less you
descend to your Kaffirs the more they
/ VIII hold YOU in esteem. heard a
conversation once between an old CO.
lonial and a new arrival on the stoOp
of an up-cOuntry hotel The new ar
rival, after the manner of his kind,
way laying down the law and the CO.
lonial was rebutting his inferences
with considerable energy.
Il don't agree with your native pol
icy said the new arrival. you seem
to hold them a little dearer than your
dog, a liutle higher than your horse. q"
We'll. not exactly" replied the
other; I'm not one Of your negro
philists."
'.-~4out doubt the Kafdr is glad to
be relieved of the responsibility. Of
thinking for himself. Where his duty
consists in carrying out an order he
shows himself an honest and trust
worthy servant; but where he finds a
measure of responsibility devolve upon
him he goes all to pieces. You may
TRUST Kaffir 10 take your horse to be
shod, but not to judge when the horse
requires shoeing and to choose be-
tween shoes and plates.
But this is not a state that will last.
| Up ull now the Kaffr has burned his
own smoke. There will come a day
when that smoke will incommode a
, whole white people un,ess the proper
(and only possible) precautions be
taken. And we are thus confronted
with the question as to what those
I necessary precautions are.
Already the Kaffr is chasing the
educational system and the practica
schools. Already he is pushing his re-
! markable men to the front, and they
bless their heartsl are forming unions
and societies and editing newspaper.
land agitating for votes and making
], class legislation difficult for the mer
D, that mean wei These are but fore.
! runners of a new. abnormal superb.
lcially civilized race of splendid vitality
adaptable morals. and no principles
Whatever.
We have heard a lot of blither (and
perhaps, a littlessense) about the "yel
low dangersb but what of the Blacl