Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-25

| men were burying themselves alive, drown
ing themselves in the sacred rivers, starv-
ing themselves to death and in many other
ways Offering themselves in religious self
sacrifice, Child murder was the common
practice all ever India especially the muir
der of girl babies The rites Of Jagganath
were in full force and though not as COM
monty rs is popularity supposed, yet it was
true that religious devotees did cast them
selves under the wheels of the cruel car,
and they were encouraged and applauded
for it. This has ceased out of the land.
The cruel rites of the ascetics were every
where practiced.
Men were found hanging head downward
from the limbs OF trees, lying in beds of
iron spikes torturing and decorating them
selves in II hundred ways, all in the name
of the gods, with the encouragement of
the priests and in entire harmony with the
universal faith of the Hindoo. The thug
practced his profession under the patron
age of the gods, and the thief caste was
recognized as really as any other caste.
The caste restrictions of India today are
no more what they were fifty years ago
than the relation of the English aristocracy
is the same to the commons today as it
YVES in the days of the Norman supremacy.
Fifty years ago or II little earlier the gates
of the cities and towns were closed at in
the evening and not opened again till the
next morning and the low caste people
excluded lest the shadow of some low caste
man under the slant rays of the sun should
fall upon some passing Brahman and so
defile him. Today the low caste boy, even
the son of a sweeper (the very lowest of
the low n GtnGl and tbl pf no p,roh
sit together in the same schoolroom and
engage with each other in the common
sports of the school or college,
The railway trains are crowded with
thousands of men of all castles and no
caste, and no thought is taken of it,
whereas at the time of the introduction of
the railway system into India separate
carriages had to be provided for the differ
ent castles. A hundred years ago the
Brahman was the protected and privileged
caste. He did no work, followed no occu-
patton, except to receive the gifts and
offerings of the people. He was not only a
favored man and entirely supported by the
people, but he was god and must needs
be worshiped. Even fifty years ago it was
q common thing for men of other castles to
PROSTATE themselves on the ground and
openly worship Brahman, Now Sir
Brahman has ceased both to be god and
a supported man, except in the compare
lively few cases where he is still the guru,
or household teacher, or a priest actually
serving in temple
Brahmans today have to work for their
living like other people, and are by hun
dreds and thousands performing the small
est offices in the employ of the government
and private business establishments on
salaries ranging from six dollars to twenty
five dollars month, and count themselves
happy if they can secure such positions.
Moreover they have to compete for their
bread with the boys and men of the lower
and even the lowest castles who come up
from school and college as well as they and
demand employment.-Cor New York In
dependent