M. K. Gandhi: Indian Patriot in South Africa/Appendix
resistance that he found himself engaged in writing an elaborate treatise as a rule of conduct.
He was an artist of no mean order. Some of his paintings are worth treasuring. His irrepressible humour can be traced in many cartoons he drew for a New Zealand paper.
Mr. Doke had a frail body but he had a mind of adamant. His jaws showed the determination of his Will power. He feared no man because he feared Cod. He believed in his own religion with a burning passion but he respected all the other great faiths of the world.
His special work for Indians during practically the whole of his stay in Johannesburg is well known. He was ever a seeker, ever a friend of the weak and oppressed. As soon, therefore, as he came to Johannesburg, he set about finding out the problems that engaged people's attention. He found the Indian to be one of them, and immediately sought out the leaders, learnt the position from them, studied the other side of the question and finding the Indian cause to be wholly just, allied himself to it with a rare zeal and devotion. He risked loss of popularity among his congregation. But that was no deterrent to him. When the Editor of the "Indian Opinion" was in India, Mr. Doke was the guiding hand, and never did a week pass during a period of nearly six months. but Mr. Doke sent his ably written, and well informed leading articles. He guided too, the deliberations of the British Indian Association, jointly with Mr. Kallenbach, at a most critical period of its history. When he went to America in connection with Church, a grateful community held a banquet, in Mr. Doke's honour at which Mr. Hosken presided.
In the banquet Mr. Gandhi in the course of his remarks said that he could not speak of the guest of the evening without feeling of deepest gratitude; nor could he avoid the personal element. When Mr. Doke and he were comparative strangers, he (the speaker) was picked up by Mr. Doke, as he was lying in a precarious condition in an office in Von Brandis street. When Mr. Doke asked him whether he would go to his house, he did not take many seconds before he replied in affirmative. In his house he was treated with every kindness and consideration. Mr. Gandhi's mother was dead, his widowed sister was 4,000 miles away, his wife 400 miles away. But Mrs. Doke was both mother and sister to him. How could he forget the figure (of Mr. Doke) stealing into his room at midnight to see whether his patient was awake or asleep? Speaking of Mr. Doke's Asiatic work it was not possible to refrain from speaking in praise of the work of the European Committee of which the Chairman (Mr. 1tosken) was the President. Mr. Gandhi frankly confessed that passive resistance might have broken down without the magnificent support rendered by the European Committee. Mr. Hosken never stinted himself in rendering assistmace wherever and whenever he could. He was ever obliging. Mr. Doke had made a thorough study of the question. His home was even open to distressed Asiatics. The speaker hoped that Mr. Doke would find the opportunity of seeing Lord Crewe and Lord Morley and give them the benefits of his own experience. He joined in the prayer for every success to Mr. Doke and his family.
The late Rev. Joseph Doke was born at Chudleigh, Devonshire, on the 5th November 1861. His father was the Baptist minister of Chudleigh.
The late Rev. Doke had very little schooling, owing to delicate health. At the age of 16 he lost his mother. At the age of 17 on the resignation of his father from the pastorate he became the Pastor. At the age of 20 he came to South Africa where he was in Capetown for a short time. Later he was sent by the South African Baptist Union to open up a new cause in Graff Reinett. Here he met and married Miss Biggs in 1886. Shortly after he returned to Chudleigh. From Chudleigh Mr. Doke was called to the pastorship of the City Road Baptist Church Bristol, where, with the exception of a visit to Egypt, Palestine and India, he remained until 1894.
In 1894, Mr. Doke removed with his family to New Zealand. Here he was minister of the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, for a period of 7 ½ years, returning to England in 1902.
Towards the end of 1903, Mr. Doke received a call to the Grahamstown Baptist Church and took up his work in South Africa again. After four years in Grahamstown, he came to the Rand as minister of this Church until his death. All his life, more especially since the death of his brother, Mr. Doke's ambition was for missionary work, but owing to his health and family circumstances, the way was not clear, until, just at the end of his life, it seemed open up. Together with his son, Clement, he decided to visit a lonely mission station in North Western Rhodesia close to the Congo Border, and on the 2nd July they set out on this trip, which was to take about six weeks. Mr. Doke was also entrusted by the South African Baptist Mission Society to visit a mission station near Umtali, they taking advantage of his being in Rhodesia to secure particulars which they wanted. Mr. Doke enjoyed the trip to the Ndola District immensely, and maintained good health throughout. He suffered, however, from foot soreness—the distance to be tracticised was some 350 miles and he travelled most of the way by "machil!a"—a hammock slung on a pole and carried by two natives—but despite this he was in the best of spirit and had the greatest hope for the success ot his mission. Through an interpreter, he spoke at villages, and he did a great deal of writing, and took many photographs with a view to lecturing on his return.
On the 4th August, Broken Hill was reached and on the 7th August Mr. Doke parted from his son at Bulawayo, the latter being called home by business duties. Mr. Doke then proceeded to Umtali. After a few days waiting at Bulawayo he reached the end of his train journey, on the morning of the 9th August. Here the Rev. Woodhouse met him and the greater part of the day was spent in the discussion of missionary matters. In the afternoon the party proceeded to the residence of Mr. Webber—a friend just outside the town, where owing to Mr. Doke's feeling too unwell, they remained for the night. The next morning Mr. Doke was up before sunrise, feeling very ill, and all thought of going to the mission station then was abandoned. Mr. Doke complained of severe pains in the back and had to take to his bed again. The usual remedies for fever were applied, but as there seemed to be no temperature, it was concluded that the malady was not fever, and a doctor was sent for, who at once ordered him to the Utmali Hospital, whither he was conveyed by "machilla". Here he was under the best doctors and nursing supervision possible.
On the 12th a telegram was sent to Mr. Doke's family, saying that he had a slight attack of pleurisy, but that there was nothing serious and no one was to come. On Friday evening, the 15th, a further telegram was received by Mrs. Doke saying that Mr. Doke was seriously ill with enteric. Mrs. Doke at once made preparations to leave by Saturday night's train, but on the morning of that day a telegram was received that Mr. Doke had passed away at 7 O'clock the previous evening. Owing to the great distance, the remains were not conveyed to Johannesburg, but the funeral took place at Utmali at 4 O'clock on 17th August 1913, a service being held at the Baptist Church, Johannesburg at the same time.
Beside the widow, the deceased had left three sons: Willy, Clement, and Comber and one daughter Cline. Rev. J. H. Batts conducted the memorial service in the Baptist Church of which Mr. Doke was the Pastor. The Church was crowded. Indian representatives were invited to the service also. Mr. Gandhi, who had specially arrived from Phœnix to attend the memorial services, testified to Mr. Doke's great work on behalf of the Indian Community.
Mr. Gandhi said that the Indian Community revered Mr. Doke's memory for the great work done by him for them. He was one of its truest friends. It could not be said of every man that death had no sting. But it could undoubtedly be said of Mr. Doke. A death like Mr. Doke's really called for no mourning. Mr. Doke's was a life of perfect self-surrender. He had dedicated his all to his Maker. He would now rise with a glorified and better body for service of his Maker. But it required men like Mr. Doke not to mourn. For him (the speaker) with whom probably the soul was crushed in the care for the body, he needed a friend in the flesh. He therefore mourned for a true friend and a wise counsellor. Mr. Gandhi added that he was certainly proud to have such a friend. The binding between them was the belief they shared in the doctrine preached by Jesus of non-resistance to evil. With Mr. Doke hatred was to be conquered by love, vice by the fullest exercise of virtue.
Mr. Gandhi wished that Mr. Doke's mantle would descend to his children and that he thought that Mrs. Doke had such a noble husband, whose memory was revered by so many men and so many races would sustain and comfort her.