Evening journal., 1901-09-13

South Africa has thrown aside the
mask and presented itself in its tru,
lcoiors. 1t used to be a dear, lazy ole
country, with little work and big pay
for il; but it has suddenly come for
ward as the home Of many problems
lall crying urgently for an immediate
settlement.
0fthese problems perhaps One of the
biggest is the Kafiir Ia the past he
has fallen through many schemes fol
his bettefment. and the missionaries
hearts that he has broken TO say moth
ing of the political economists and
sociologists'. are beyond numbering
lie is half blessing and half an afiiic-
ton. but for the affiction no cure has
yet been found adequate.
lie is a patient. simple fellow, ca
'pab.e,lik other wild animals,of domes-
'tication and training. He can work
and sometimes does work Occasion
.ally he learns a trade and labors at ii
in lowliness of heart. not dSing 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-
tiny i'm service and obedience; and the
rule which has best suited him is a
benevolent despotism 1t is word
among the farmers that the less you
descend to your Kafirs the more they
win 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.
II 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.
We'll. not exactly" replied the
other; I'm not one Of your negro
philists.'
"---.out doubt the Kaffr 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 O
measure Of responsibility devolve upon
him he goes all to pieces You may
trust a Kaffr to take your horse to be
Ishod 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 I'LL now the Kafiir has burned hi.
own smoke. There will come a day
when that smoke will, incommode
whole white people un.ees the proper
tand only possiblo) precautions b,
taken. And we are thus confronte,
with the question as to what thosl
necessary precautions are.
Already the Kaffr is chasing tn,
educational system and the practica
schools. Already he is pushing his re
markable men to the front. and they
bless their hearts! are forming union
and societies and editing newspaper
land agitating for votes and making
} lclass legislation difficult for the mel
that mean wei. These are but fore
runners of a new. abnormal, superb
cially civilized race of splendid vitality
adaptable morals. and no principle
Whatever.
We have heard a lot Of blither (anC
perhaps a little sense) about the "yel
low danger" but what of the Blac