Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/90

70 follows:—"At the Calcutta Congress (1886) that shrewd and experienced old Parsee, Mr. Dadabhoy Naoroji, the President dwelt upon the subject both in his opening speech and during the discussion; and decided against the Congress having anything to do with Social Reform, directly or indirectly.

"But the hot-headed reformers, threw the words of the old Parsi patriot, and the sense of the Calcutta Congress to the winds. At Madras they tried their game next year and with the assistance of a few addle-pated Madrasee reformers succeeded in obtaining their wish; and after the Congress, was held within its pandals the first Social Conference. * *

Since 1887 to 1894, the Social Conference has held its sittings as the tail of the Congress."*

So much for wisdom; now let us see how fanaticism bred fanaticism. When the controversies over the Age of Consent Bill were at their height, the late Mr. Hume, "father" of the Indian National Congress declared that he would sever his connection from the Congress if he found the majority of the leading Congressmen opposed to the Bill. This unreasonable and overbearing conduct naturally excited many Congressmen and it was said that if acquiescence in hasty and mischievous measures of Social Reform was to be the price of the support of Mr. Hume to India's political demands—well, Indians could afford to do without him. Such reckless language naturally made people suspicious and as early as 1891 many people expressed a desire that the Social Conference should not be held in