The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-01-16
The Rindoe Cow.

Hhy Y news, IN The midst OF tho usual
Intelligence Of accident and crime, po-
lihcal complications and social events,
she telegraph informs us that our fellow
subjects in ths ,Old-World capital II tho
Mogub have been fighting about cow
The MohammedAns had boon celebrAt-
ing their Eed festival and pnrties Of
them, NJ usnal, had combined for tho
purchase Of animals for tho evenings
feast One Of the kline thus obtained,
however. was claimed by tho Hindoos
10 q dependent Of temple devoted TO
their god, and therefore itself sacred.
Moreover, they gave certain degree Of
eidenceto prove the sincerity Of their
statement by offering 10 buy back tho
cowfor the sum OF u hundred pouuds.-
probably twenty times tho value Of the
animal. Nevertheless the Mohammo-
dams refused TO part with IL and per-
sisted In dragging the COW of TO tho
slaughter-house. The Hlndoos thereon
attempted rescue, and tho result was
serious ARRAY, which was only quellod
by the appearance OF the chief European
officials and strong force OF police. A
fow years ago the same cause OF quar-
rel might have snlliced 10 raise q gen.
eral tumult, or even 10 kindle In tho
city blaze, both literally and meta
phorcally, In oil India probably no
single act could be perpotratod more
likely 10 lead at once 20 bloodshcd and
disaster than an insult by Mohamme-
dane to the sacred presence Of q temple
COW.
No animal In all the range OF zoolatry
has ever arrived at such dignitles M tho
Hlndoo COW, The monkey Ia sufficient
ly sacred, and II goes hard with tho
novice who, unconscious OF his sacrilege,
shoots tho village peacocks, In other
countries, as In the case OF the dog and
baboon, bull and ram, crocodile, hawk
and ibis OF ancient Egypt, or the eagle
and crow. snake, wolf, shark and pike
OF the modern clan-animal worship,
many birds and beasts, reptiles and
fishes, have attracted 10 themselves tho
homage OF nations, But, putting them
all together, whether In fur. feather. or
scales, they do not collectively outweigh
the stupendous sanctlty with which
Brahmanlsm has invested the cow, The
bull shares In aome degree la partners
honors, and In the more exclusively
Hindoo towns sacred cattle Of both
sexes lounge about the streets. No
place Is forbidden 10 them. and thoy are
free OF every STALL Whenever they
choose ~ feed, there they arc at liberty
20 eat; and wherever they choose 10 llo
down, that place 10 theirs. Tho sweet
meat seller may bribo the sacred beast
with lump OF sugar-stuff 20 pass on 10
tho next stall, or the graln-seller may
oxchago q chatty Of cheaper grain for
that Into which the fastdious beast has
plunged Ia black muzzlc. Yet they are
never struck and seldom reproachod.
except with qualifying phrases Of re-
spect, In which the merchant dcprcoate.
his four-logged VISITORS dlspleasure or
apologies for his refusal OF more viands
on tho score OF his own pow
erty. The COW, and not tho bull,
however, IL pre-eminently the OBJ
feet OF worship, Tho latter may
DO specially sacred as the "vchiclo" Of
this god or n particular symbol OF that,
hut tho former porvados tho whole 70.
ne,, ,, and Itself adda sanolty 10 every
do. y In the Pantheon, When Brnhma,
tho All-father. took upon himself the
bonoiicont function OF creation, no first
made gods and then the holy mon, and
tho COW and the Braliman were pro-
duood by the same net Of power. SO
BrghmaniAm and the COW are insepara-
blo aud the animal tho twin ~ II were,
OF the holy "twlco-born," takes rank
above many castos Of men. To save
the life OF a COW, 10 do II asorvioe. 10
tend II In sickness. 10 revere II nj all
times, are almost ~ advantageous In
the hereafter Us " the same acts had
been done toward Brahman. To kill
COW. 10 wound u, or 10 insult II, In
reckoncd, In tho full austcrlty Of Brah-
manisn, more hoinous offence than
similar wrongs inflicted upon tho lowest
castcs Of human beings. The moro not
OF eating "ghce'- butter
oondones many aina. while the consump-
don OF 'thc dyo products OF the COW
oleanses from all pollution. The camel
selected 10 cary the Sultan's annual gift
OF the now voil 20 Mecca IL, In memory
OF the boast which the Prophet rode,
trcntod with all the pomp and care that
would bo extended 10 Majesty itsolf,
aud the competition for tho honorable
posts OF attendance upon tho brute In
sometimes worry kcon. SO, too. In Egypt
once n year tho sacrod animals become,
by prIcstly condcpccnsion, tho objects
OF public solioltudo and recipients
OF public services. Among tho
Ulndoos every COW lives In tho eamo
sanclty percnnlally, aud onIoys uni
vorsal tenderness OF troatmont from
years end 10 years cnd. During all
tho rest Of tho twclvomonth, whom II In
not lettering along tho oeravan-route 10
the Holy City, the camel OF Islam ro-
ceived but scant respect from provoked
ridor or short-tcmperod owner. So,
too, tho furry oblquitios OF Egyptian
alteration relapsod In tho majority Of
cnsos aud for tho greater part Of the
year into their proper places IN tho ani.
NAL world But tho glory Of tho cow
OF Ilndostan, likc that OF Ia prototype
In vodio legends, Ia never In eclipse.
10 Ia always at the meridian. In tho old
primitive fancioa with which geological
mythology 80 largely concerns itsclf.
tho COW wna, beyond oil comparison,
tho most conspicuous feature. II WIS
tho sun, moon, and stars, thunder and
.lIghtnlng. rain and wind and mist,
Everything that could bo soon In nature,
aud nearly everything that could be
guessed NJ, found eymbolioal ropro-
scniaton In the same Idea OF the cow
''thc mother OF tho gods. "goddosa Of
abundance" "uhcrishor Of man. 80 10
this day wo find II In lllndoo soolntry ~
shc supreme expression OF tho kindli-
mesa Of the powers Of nature TO man,
and authentic proof Of tho goodness Of
the gods. Though oil tho herds that
othor peoples worshippod have gonc
from tho cnrth with tho crcdulitlcs upon
which they pasturod, the bull OF SILVA