The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-17
Welded IN INFANCY.
Child Marriages Are Stll the
Curse Of India
A Calcutta Omci.l Reports That They sim
Continue to Enervate the Race, and
Christian Missionaries Arc Hav.
ing But Little Eject.

cutta, who is visiting this country for
the purpose of attending the worlds
fair, lately gave some very interesting
information about the state of his ma
tive country and his countrymen, says
the New York Herald.
THE people are quite content and
satisfied under British rule" said he
"Of course, the sentimental attach
ment to the old regime has by no
means died away. There remains a
feeling of regret for the times Of past
greatness as an independent race.
"Still, the domination of a foreign
nation has been SO long an established
fact that pretty generally the exist
ing order of things is accepted and
recognized by the natives, who quietly
try to derive as much benefit as pos
sible from the grating of new civ
ilization upon the oldest the world has
ever known.
1.-THE greatest curse Of India and the
greatest drawback to the development
OF my country is, in my opinion, the
terrible child marriages that even vet
obtain in a very great measure. The
1 y
deterioration of the character of the
people caused by this fearful custom
are enormous.
81 often think can trace it's evil
effects in the languor of my country
! men, in their lack Of energy, of inter
est, of ambition, and in their passive
acceptance of whatever is as the best.
| Certainly these marriages. being made
without regard to the feelings of the
married couple, are very frequently
the source of lifelong unhappiness,
and undoubtedly lead Indirectly to
much prodigacy and to misery of many
kinds"
DR.. Chumoololl, who possesses very
decided views upon the subject, stated
| rs his opinion that hristiar:ty had
not made the satisfactory progress its
believers and teachers imagined.
Many causes contributed to this"
said he. For ages long gone the va
rious Hindoo religions were a great
power. Still the natives were so ha-
| bituated to them that in the course of
time belief in them would have become
a thing of the past through mere lack
of interest.
European interest in the subject,
however, and the Unsuitable curiosity
manifested by western races in the an
| cient philosophy of the Hindoos has
perhaps served to fan the dying embers
of these religions and to keep them
alive indefinitely.
'In any case belief dies so slowly
my countrymen are so conservative,
they change only after the lapse of
great space Of time, that am inclined
to the opinion that European civiliza-
ton will become the civilization of
the Hindoo until there remains only
fragment of the historic race of think
ers to whom the west owes every thing;
for, pardon me for reminding you, there
is very little that is original in your
philosophy
''Theosophy has also retarded the
progress of the people toward the &C
ceptance of Christian doctrines. The
subtle influence of belief in manifest
ations and interference from the spirit
ual world is very potent in causing be-
levers to take little interest in the Or
binary affairs of everyday life.
But the influence of European as
ISOLATION, wherever it has been al
lowed to have full play, has been of
the utmost benefit. The natural genius
of the Hindoo has been stimulated I'M
der the influence of keen competition,
engendered by the establishment in
their midst of European trading and
M 70 of hoc =
ed in the production and remarkable
development of native industries The
schools established by various Eu-
ropean societies have also been re-
markably successful, but l doubt if
any practical results in the way of
conversion to Christianity have been
attained.
1.-THE Hindoo has very real horror
of losing caste, and SO will hold no
communication with Christians; the
natives without caste are in a great
measure too Indifferent to trouble
themselves about a new religion, par
ticularly religion introduced by a
people whom they blame for many
hardships; for the advent of Europeans
in India has not been without its
6eaw backs"
DR.. Chumoololl was asked II he had
ever seen any of tie Jogas or adopts,
ard answered with some disdain that
he had no belief in any of the pretend
ed manifestations Il think a great
deal of good might result from the
cultivation of such moral modes of .iv-
ing and thinking as are so strictly en-
joined upon the adherents of theoso-
phy," said he, .but | must confess
have no sympathy with the Joga as
ordinarily shown.
Il have seen many curious things.
For instance, a man who swallowed
yard after ward of linen cloth, and
finally drew it back clean. smooth and /
without a mark, as though it had just
left the store.
Il have seen such as claimed, by /
virtue of long fasting asceticism, the /
complete domination of all passions
and the entire subjugation OF the
material part of their existence, to be |
able to penetrate at will into an IN /
seen world. but have never seen any |
performances or manifestations en- /
&C.,. S~-,-, of frickery - (