Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/180

 1 64 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

cannibalism, with the introduction of sanitary measures, such as vaccination, the population of Africa, which has a great natural fecundity, will rise rapidly toward the limits of subsistence. While the natives are now surrounded with an abundance of natural fruits, methods of intensive agriculture and of careful industrial work will soon become necessary in order to support the growing population. Thus far the African has made his life pos- sible by killing his neighbor ; this resource being cut off, the only alternative will be to work. No legislation, no contract-labor system, will be necessary to induce the natives to work more steadily. Moreover, it should not be believed that they are with- out economic wants. As a matter of fact, they already require large amounts of European manufactured goods, and their demands are constantly expanding ; a corroding climate and care- less habits make them far more frequent purchasers of textiles than are the thrifty Chinese. A policy that would attempt unduly to accelerate the operation of these natural causes, and would not shrink from breaking down native societies and employing force, in order to gain a quick supply of labor for the exploitation of African natural wealth, must be qualified as distinctly opposed to the purposes of civilizing activity in Africa. The general enslavement of the negro race does not offer a proper solution of the problems of African development.

It will be seen that, throughout, the foundation of a civilizing policy in Africa must be an economic one. The prevention of wasteful exploitation, and construction of roads and railways, the introduction of a metallic currency, will do away with the most inhuman abuses in African life. It will change the constitution of African society so as to prevent the exploitation of the depend- ent classes, while the establishment of universal peace will turn the energies of the people toward economic development. The negro population in Africa has thus far lived in the presence of overwhelming natural phenomena, and in a constant state of fluidity which has allowed but very little of settled civilization and of national self-consciousness to grow up. The negroes have, however, developed a strong sense of individual justice, and it is justice that they require, rather than the rarer gifts of benevolence