10 PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



to one side only, it may be stated that the difficulties in upholding 

 the attainments and jnirsuing' the ideals of the white race in face 

 of an aggressive movement on the part of the coloured races are 

 fully recognized as being well known, and not specially needing 

 elucidation. The neglected factors on the other side do need 

 a fresh and temperate statement. In what the race-problem 

 consists it is not easy to determine with exactness. Professor 

 Royce, of Harvard, in " Race Questions and Prejudices." 

 observes : — ■ 



Scientifically viewed, these problems of ours turn out to be not so 

 much problems caused by anything which is essential to the existence or 

 to the nature of the races of the men themselves. Our so-called race 

 problems are merely caused by our antipathies. 



But these antipathies must not be belittled. They are not 

 in the category of " merely." They have effects which indicate 

 that whatever may have been their origin thev have become 

 over wide areas second nature, and are so deeply-rooted that 

 their destruction or reversal is likely to be a very slow process 

 indeed, and meanwhile may involve much suffering and danger. 

 That the prejudice is in many instances artificially exaggerated 

 and unreasoning does not lessen the peril to which society is ex- 

 posed. That it is not altogether natural is evidenced by the fact 

 that whole classes of people reared under widely separated con- 

 ditions do not feel the prejudice to anything like an equal extent, 

 such as would probably have been the case had both the groups 

 been in equally close contact with the opposing race. The con- 

 sciousness of dift"erence is there, perhaps innate, but only 

 develops into activity as prejudice because of the local friction 

 between the race groups. How powerful it may become, and how 

 artificial it sometimes is, the facts reveal. An instance of this 

 may be related from personal experience. It was on the occa- 

 sion of a coach journey in the Transvaal nearly 30 years ago, 

 when a man, who was anxious for a box seat next the coloured 

 driver, resented the presence of a coloured passenger on -the 

 other side of him, though very much better dressed, and in every 

 way more presentable than the driver. What his motive was 

 makes an interesting study, but i)ride, prejudice, and some other 

 kindred qualities must surely have interfered with his logic. An 

 absence of intellectual honesty is even suggested. 



Still, it renders no real service to underestimate difficulties, 

 ;'.\' need we take refuge in discussions as to the relative purity 

 01 races. There is a broad band of racial purity on each side, 

 though it is not necessary to deny the existence of the varying 

 colour blend which lies between. 



To what must we attribute the prejudice which arises out • 

 of the race-consciousness of the white band? For want of a 

 better term it may be called a sense of superiority, but in affirm- 

 ing that it may be asked whether we are quite sure that such 

 superiority is in every instance a foregone conclusion? If such 

 is our point of view, it may be asked whether we mean inherent 

 or acquired superiority? The scientific spirit bids us ascertain 



