The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-09
EURASIANS OF INDIA.
THE POOR WHITE PROBLEM THAI
CONfRONTS THE BRITISH EMPIRE.
Hopeless Hereditary rruperism the Cor.-
mon Doom or Descendants OF European.
settled Permanently In India.

Hopeless Hereditary rruperism the COM.
mon Doom OF Descendants of European.
settled Permanently In Tndin.
India has a !" poor white question that pre-
s,nts one Of the gravest social. moral. and po-
lItical problems with which the British Gov
eminent is confronted In that remarkable
land. 1t has confronted the Government for
many years. growing In gravity as ench year
has gone by: but oil the strenuous efforts to
remedy. or cvon to p%allinte. the evil l!ave so
far entirely failed. Hopeless hereditary rau-
perism seems to be the doom OF n large propor-
ton of tho mixed and even pure descendants Of
Europeans settled permanently III India"
says the Lcadon Times. TIE Lieutenant.
Governor OF Bengal recently appointed a Com-
mission to investigate the question and it's
report is characterized MS disclosing n state
OF things disastrous in Itself and discredit-
able to the British name" Over % per cent.
or nearly ,ne.fourth OF tho Eurasinns. people
Of European fathers and native mothers. In the
metropolis Of India are officially returned as
rnupers. actually traced out as In receipt OF
charitable relief Of one kind or another" This
percentage Of pauperism is about three times
higher than that OF tho poorest country In
England during midwinter.
Tho Commission was instructed TO suggest
some remedy. but 1t regrets that 1t has no
adequate remedy to propose. II suggested
SUNG palllUtlNpS, WHICH are eiiu w nave scarce
touched even tho surface Of the OWL. and tho
latest official attempt to deal with the poor
whito 1ucstionis acknowledged but another
failure. 1t remains q problem. whose dis
tressing aspects the Government sorrowfully
acknowledges. but for which it has been un-
able to ind u solution
There are. according to the report. 247.S42
Juropeans and Eurasinns in India. Statistics
show that only one-ihird Of this number are
employed In the military ana civil establish.
mcnts Of the Government. and including even
the IN Employees OF the railroads only 81. 600 in
all Of tho number come under the head OF
Officials" Outside OF these people satisfac-
torily employed and accounted for there is an
European population of about 77.UuD aud q
Eurdsian community Of some 10000. Tho
half ARE classed with the whites. espe-
ciaily with tho poor whites. OF course they
cannot. under any circumstances. because OF
religious bars. and especially the impossible
barriers OF caste. have any Part with the ma
tive population. even the very POOREST aud
lowest caste among the ~IIinioos. What to do
with the Eurasian has always been n promi-
nent aud difficult question. Tho native
papers say. "Dcrort him: :" the white prints
say. Make him n soldier. and line Eurasian
himself says, Make mca Commissioner: give
The late. It solution of the problem offered Is
perhaps more reinarkahle and interesting for
the character Of the premises stated Than Tor
iereJ. 1t is put forward 10y Sir Theodore iiopo.
lato Public Works Minister OF India. and u din-
and mi st"to IN India and pracsfsalIy it ia Inc
suggestion to chri.t,anize The, Christian pop
%ulation. the roor whites and Eurasinns The
propos.r sal u that the ecclesiastical rstablish-
u!ent In India II utterly, unable 10 supply tho
spiritual, needs oi the .Euroreans aud kura:
small communities all over The vast peninsula
OF India. Inc Govern n"it keeps W. corpsof
"'oficinls.' lnd also make grants to the Chris.
than seets generally but the provision Is in:
and Lurn.ians not Officials. would be almost
entirely without ten" II OF clergy but for aid
a 119m nEI, INV. NJ t Io.irS so ,hrr re- to Sr c.n missl .bs
natives. anu they n,e SO stationed. in native
inhn' ito: regions. that they are ous Of touch
WHIT. Many European stations are. visited
once. twice or thrice a year by : Christian
s s,saxss's Of E" M"i.a 'o and E GHns rs ,al re-
ceive q flying vlsit, once q ,,yenr. Con-
tho poor whites and haIf-castes are without
religious training 81 any sort. and " muititudes
growing up to Adolescence in a tropical
climate wi,ho.t; In m%TH H, cases; Gny church
auato provision Tor the religious and moral
training OF the pure and mixed. descendants OF
dd i.rdSam'sx in eo ina1" rIa %lsh ' hinan q. M fe6aHn:
mednn. and Parsee communities. which are
trained from sa.IIGst saiIdhoot under 2 most
tions which exercise an immense influence, on
thsir e"p's' nn nnd r iives, and H nndisSP oss nat
s%' III, f1'' a 81 kn ,as ak; Or dl ss'n pS S1,f! e1 .ad
hut he ASSERTS it is a powerful cause. and %
he has had the very hest neahs OF learning tho
SStier. hs a" /. W accs rs ."S rs .s'i = siran n:" %uth %
The remedy Proposed is mainly to increase
t ais, p snG S Sss. anS e; q abrist If Ins S,sfs mo in ? III;
educate the poor whites. 1t /. indeed u situa-
tlon .ull OF material for moruiizing, that while
conversion OF tie natives" Of India t" christi.
anity those born into the faith and rlassed as
and With such deplorabIe result. results that
some do not hesitate to call u scandal 10 tho
The Government of India Is not engaged in
ne, 5H inI q senys1,'n T6. f lriir isnth "I tho /"
Unity Hindu. Mohammedan. pursee. and
Christian. 1t nssistst the native r~sligions with
tan estai!Ilshnent, for tic 'oGiciat'T Euro
penn population and assists various Christian
numbers OF the adherents. This grants to ma
tive religions argr,"sate an immsnse sum;
dollars yearly: The Indian peoples arc 10 es-
religions s.,o 'f fsI they . eskfSs, tn, the
that purpose gladly. 1t seems 10 cost
to the hsarss given. But. says Sir TRea.
dore Hope. this In the case in evsry branch
OF the administration. The English naGis-
trnte. doctor. soldier policeman. newspaper
s sdn,%.I Is Z more E fo sG IT. d sftiiie Of ,% ,ns i his na..f ts
edy or palliate the poor white evil by re-
ligions efforts are many and not interesting ut
this distance. Many competent critics are In
clined to believe the plan may effect some.
good. hut u real. comprehensive solution OF the
poor white" problem Is not in sight
and Ia view Of past failures, is almost despAirod
q. The situation 10 progressively serious. and
he part the "poor white" factor will play In
future is a matter Of graye concern.