St. Tammany farmer., 1905-11-25
DECAY OF LAW OF CUSTOM
Due to the Travelling Of the White
Race Into All Parts Of
the World.

The progressive penetration Of the
white race into regions OF the earth
which are Inhabited by colored races
may be said to have eliminated in the
recent expedition to Lhassa, which
probably marks the beginning of q sap
ping process destined ultimately to
lead to the fall Of the last citadel Of
immemorial custom and prejudice, says
the London Lancet. Under the title Of
the Decay of the Law of Custom an
interesting address was recently de-
livered at the forty-fourth annual
meeting of the Deyonshire association
by the president. Basil H. Thomson,
governor Of the Dartmoor convict pria.
on. The laws of custom which have
governed the colored races for count
less generations are, it is pointed out,
gradually breaking down, though it is
estimated that some 800,000,0OO of the
1,500, 100000 constituting the popula-
tion OF the globe are still comparative
ly unciyilized and stagnant under the
influence of these laws. The ever-in-
creasing facilities of intercommunica-
ton must make steadily for q greater
uniformity of view and conduct among
the different races of mankind and for
the white race the question is of the
first Importance as to what part the
colored races will come to play in the
affairs of the world when they shall
have assimilated the teachings of west
ern civilization.
With this is bound up the question
OF the relative mental capacity of the
white and colored peoples. 1t would
be rash to assert that any race is infe.
rior in mental endowment to, and in-
herently incapable Of reaching the
mental level of another, though plenty
of white men are to be found who, aft
er years Of residence in Africa or the
east. speak confidently of the general
mental inferiority Of the colored races.
Even In instances in which it is mani
fest that no such inferiority exists.
there is, they say, and always will be,
a profound difference between colored
and white races in the manner Of view
ing things. This is to maintain that
a mans attitude of mind is as innate
and as little liable to alteration as 10
the color of his skin.
We prefer to take the view that the
differences between white and colored
races are in the main matters of GUS
tom and tradition and as such are sub
ject to the influences of the agents Of
civilization, such as steam and elec-
tricity, which have already done SO
much toward obliterating lines of de-
marcation between nationalities and
toward establishing uniformity in
manners and customs.
That this is Mr.. Basil Thomson's
view may be seen from the following
words OF the address referred to: "In
tropical countries the line Of caste
would soon cease to be the color Of
the skin. There. as in temperate zones.
wealth would create new aristocracy
recruited from men of every shade of
color. In the great cities of Europe
and America we might find men Of
Hindu. Chinese and Arab origin con-
trolling industries with their wealth.
just as Europeans now controlled the
commerce OF India and Clina, but with
this difference. that they would wear
the dress and speak the language
which would gradually have become
common to the whole commercial
world. Just as the aristocracy.
Of every land would be composed Of
every shade Of color SO would the
masses Of men who work with their
hands, -. White men would work
cheek by jowl with black and feel no
degradation. There would be the same
feverish pursuit of wealth, but all races
would participate in it instead of IA
vored few