The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-29
ENGLISH REFORMERS
Work Of the Social Purity Organ
iZatiOn Abroad and at Home.
India Good Field for Missionary Labors
Six Year-0ld Girl and Nine-Year-
Old Boy Acquitted of Bigamy.
Copyright. 1898. by the United Press,

Copyright, 1898. by the United Press.)
LONDON, Oct 2S.-The social purity agi-
tation at present is redolent of disagreeable
odors which are likely to pervade the air of
both houses OF Parliament Immediately
after the opening of the next session. The
society which has the morals of the empire
under its supervision promises exceptional
activity during the coming season. The
British committee on the state of vice in
India viii open the ball on Wednesday at a
convention TO be held in the Westminster
Town Hall. All the leaders of the social
purity organization will be there TO urge on
the work. Among those who Will speak are
James Stansfeld, NJ. p, Lady Somerset,
Frances Willard, editor Stead, who man.
aged the modern Babylon exposition; Rev.
Hugh Price Hughes. general reformer, and
Hall Game, the writer. The principal sub
5ects of the addresses and debate will be
the horrors of the Chakla system in the
environments in India, child marriages and
sales of infant girls in the big Indian cities.
The social purity agitators have. oppor-
timely, got hold Of notable case of infan-
tile bigamy tried in the Court of Durham
poor, Bengal. The accused girl was but
six years old, the boy nine. According TO
the Hindoo custom of child betrothal the
The nine-year-old boy, therefore. was in
dicted for bigamy in marrying her, and the
parents of both were arraigned for abet-
ting the youngsters in the offense For
three days the tiny delinquents stood in
the dock and wept for fear. Eventually the
jury, overriding the Indian penal code. de-
clared them not guilty, and the little
couple went home together without once
having the smallest conception what all
ffar trout q All n
similar cases, the social purity people mean
10 demand an amendment of the Indian
code, and TO still the clamor the government
will assent TO the appointment or a parlla-
mentary commission or inquiry
While the commission sits the Indian au-
thorities have a respite from the attacks
OF the agitators in england. who will be
Obliged to turn their attention from queS-
tons concerning India. That they are
ready for the change is shown in the coun-
ty council yesterday when 1t defeated a
proposal TO graft TO the Palace Theater
hambra and Empire Music Halls and other
places. The shareholders in the Palace
Theater, as Wen as Sir Augustus Harris,
their manager. complain with reason tnat
they thus have been deprived of privileges
without which they cannot make their
speculation pay. In the debate in the coun-
" council John Burns, labor member OF
Parliament, led the opposition to their pro-
posal. He denounced II as tending 10 en-
courage the assembling of betting men
pugilists, gamblers and other objectionable
persons Mr. Burns did not choose his
words in describing a music hall as a
cross between the saloon and something
worse His strong language was echoed
by several other disciples of social purity
and was indorsed on the vote by good
majority.
Socially things do not mend by direction
OF the social puriSts The number of d-
VERGE cases are SO numerous for the session
of the court just begun that Lord Coleridge
will appoint two justices to preside over
this division. The country is about TO be
edited by the spectacle of three divorce
courts crowded with business.
The report that the United States govern
ment will try to place a gold loan in Lon
don continues TO be circulated and believed.
In financial circles it causes keen excite
ment, which repeated denials fail to abate
The story generally accepted is that Mr..
Cleveland intends to borrow f10,000O0e
Bankers here say that after the repeal
of the Sherman act the gold can be OBJ
tanned easily in London, although the OPP
GRAFTON would cause a sharp rise of the
York associated banks now are holding a
reserve of fS.5OOO00 above the amount le-
gally required, and can make a large trans
fer OF gold TO the United States treasury
In exchange for an issue of bonds. THUS
the requirements of the treasury could be
met in a large measure out of home re-
sources, adds the Economist, land, al
though the decline of gold of Europe would
eventually be considerable, it would not as
sumo serious dimensions
Mr.. Gladstone will return to Downing
street on Wednesday. The declared hosti-
ity of the Parnellites under the Redmond
brothers TO the Ministry has quickened the
Unionist perception and the opposition to
defeat the government The Unionist whips
will send out especially urgent messages
appealing to Conservatives and Liberal
unionists to be present at the earliest pos
sible moment. Joseph Chamberlain, the Lib
eral Unionist leader, who did not expect to
return from the United States until the
end of November will hasten home to help
Mr.. Balfour and Lord Randolph Churchill
in their effort to turn Mr. Gladstone out.
The present situation would be changed
greatly i'm the Ministry's favor if Mr. As
quith, Home Secretary, and Mr.. Morley
Chief Secretary for Ireland would agree
TO soothe the disaffected Irish members by
releasing several political prisoners. Such
a course, together with assurances that the
would avert the opposition of the Parneu-
ties and inspire with new courage the
anti-Farnellites.
The governments OF the native states i'm
India threaten TO embarrass the central
government by opening their minis to the
free coinage of silver. The Mizan1 of Hy-
derabad is buying bar silver in considerable
quantities. probably with view 20 coming
IL. The cheapness of silver is tempting
other rulers TO follow his example. AL
though coins struck by them coul. not cir
culate legally ia British India - people
are so accustomed 10 regarding coined
and bar silver OF equal value that bars
could easily be utilized for payment on
the same lines with rupees.
The coal miners strike still causes much
anxiety and suffering. Lord Masham, one
OF the largest mine owners in England
said in an interview to-day that the in
terests OF the employers were all against
prolonging the conflict Prices had risen SO
during the strike that the owners now
could well afford TO pay the old wages for
the next six months. Forty-five per cent
OF the coal production OF Great Britain
had been stopped for three months and the
industry had become so disturbed that
normal prices would not prevail again be-
fore the summer of 1894. These opinions
are held by many other mine owners. ard
II is expected that the conference on next
Monday win result in an agreement
which was 10 have taken place at Coney
island was not a surprise TO sporting men
here No blame is attached in the case of
Mitchell nor to the American Club. The
sporting press comments rather severely,
however upon the treatment accorded to
several other English boxers who have
visited the United States recently. The
lightweight champion Burge is said TO have
been received very shabbily and his train
or, Blakely, has written letters of COM
plant 10 sporting editors here. After send
Ing for Burge to go 10 America 10 fight
Dempsey. says Blakely, the Coney Island
Club refused TO offer a purse or 10 pay his
EXPENSES Rlakely thinks the club did not
hoo h. ltrf.w-