The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-30
EURASIANS OF INDIA.
THE POOR WHITE PROBLEK rH4r
CoxFRoSTs IHx BRITISH EMPLRE.I
Hopeless Hereditary Psuperism the CodAs
mon Doom Of Descendants Of Europeans
Settled Psrmsusntly In Indis.


British Government Is confronted In that
remarkable land 1t has confronted the
| Government for many years, growing
in gravity as each year. has gone by;
| but all the strenuous efforts to remedy.
or even to palliate. the evil have 30 far
entirely failed. Hopeless hereditary
pauperism seems to be the doom Of
large proportion of the mixed and even
| pure descendants of Europeans settled
permanently In India" says the London
Times. The Lieutenant-Governor Of Benz
| gal recently appointed a commission to
| investigate the question, and Its -ep 1t ~
| characterized as disclosing a state OF
| things disastrous In itself and discredit.
able to the British name" Over twenty
two per cent, or nearly one-fourth OF
| the Eurasians people of European
| fathers and native mothers. In the me-
| tropolis of India are officially returned -
| paupers. actually traced out as In re-
ceipt OF charitable relief Of one kind or
| another" This percentage Of pauperism
| is about three times higher than that OF
| the poorest country in England during
| midwinter
The commission was instructed to sug.
| gest some remedy. but 1t. regrets that IL
| has no adequate remedv tc propose. IL
suggested some palliatives, which are said
| to have scarce touched even the surface
| OF the evil. and the latest official attempt
to deal with the poor white question 10
| acknowledged but another failure. 1t re-
| mains a problem. "whose distressing as
| poets the Government sorrowfufy ac-
| knowledges. but for which 1t has been
| unable to find a solution"
There are, according to the report. 2H,-
| S42 Europeans and Eurasians in India
faft cttn cknu hat mil rd
this number are employed in the military
and civil establishments of the Govern
| ment, and including even the employees
OF the railroads. only $1,000 In all OF that
number come under the head of 'offi-
Gals Outside of these people satisfac-
torily employed and accounted for. there
| is an European population Of about H.
600, and a Eurasian community OF some
$4,000. The half-breeds are classed with
the whites. especially with the poor
whites. OF course, they cannot, under
| any circumstances. because OF religious
| bars, and especially the impossible bar
| riers of caste, have any part with the
native population. even the very poorest
and lowest caste among the Hindoos.
! What to do with the Eurasian has al
| ways been prominent and difficult ques-
ton. The native papers say: "Deport
| him." the white prints say, Make him
a soldier" and the Eurasan himself says,
make me a commissioner; give me q
| pension"
The latest solution Of the problem Of
| fered is. perhaps. more remarkable ana
interesting for the character OF the
premises stated than for the nature and
| possibilities Of the remedy offered. Z Is
| put forward by Sir Theodore Hope. late
| public works minister Of India, and dis
| tingushed authority on matters OF Church
| and State in India. and practically II Is
the suggestion to Christianize the Chris
| tan population, the poor whites and
! Eurasians The proposer says that the
ecclesiastical establishment in India Is
utterly unable to supply The spiritual
| needs of the Europe ans and Eurasans,
who are now dotted In groups and small
| communities all over the vast peninsula
| of India The Government keeps corps
| of clergy TO look after the spiritual well
| fare Of ths Officials" and also makes
grants to the Christian sects generally,
but the provision Is insufficient and the
large body of Europeans and EIrasians.
not officials" would be almost entirely
without benefit OF clergy but for aid
| from England. OF course. there are mis-
sionaries a-plenty, but their work is to
! convert the natives, and they are so
stationed. in native inhabited regions.
| that they are out OF touch altogether
with their brethren among the poor
| whites.
Many European stations are visited
orce twice, or thrice year by Chris
| tan clergyman while some quite large
| groups of Europeans and Eurasians re-
ceive a flying visit once a year. Conse-
| auently, as Sir Theodore Hope shows,
| the poor whites and half-castes are with
| out religious training OF any sort. and
"multltudes of white and semi-whlte boys
and girls are growing UP to adolescence
| in a tropical climate without In many
| cases. any Church teaching whatever"
This painfully inadequate provision for
the religious and moral training OF the
pure and mixed descendants OF Europeans
| in India places them at serious disad-
vantage compared with Hindu, Moham-
medan. and Parsee communities, which
| are trained from earliest childhood under
| n most rigid system Of religious obliga-
lions and sanctions which exercise an
immense influence on their consciences
and lives. and undisputably for their
| good Sir Theodore Hope does not say
/ this is the sole, or even chief cause OF
the acknowledged dire poverty and deep
degradation OF the poor whites OF india,
but, he asserts, II Is a powerful cause.
| and as he has had the very best means
| of learning the economic, as well as the
| religious aspect of the matter, he Is ac-
cepted as strong authority. The remedy
! proposed Is mainly to increase the num-
Der and efficiency Of the clergy In India,
and attempt to Christianize and morally
| educate the poor whites It Is, indeed.
a situation full of material for moralizing,
that while such remarkable efforts are
| making for the conversion Of the natives
| of India to Christianity those born into
the faith and classed as representatives
| OF II are so utterly neglected and with
such deplorable results. results that some
| do not hesitate to call a scandal to the
| Christian name.
The Government OF India Is not engaged
| in the business of converting the heather
TO Christianity. It respects religions OF
the natives under its rule, and Views
| with impartiality Hindu. Mohammedism.
| Parsee and Christian. 1t assists the na-
tive religions with capitation grants.
lust as IL provides a Christian establish
| ment for the "official' European popula-
ton. and assists various Christian sects,
| and with Just regard to the difference
| In the number of adherents. The grants
| to native religions aggregate an immense
sum. something like eighteen or twenty
! millions of dollars yearly. The Indian
peoples are so essentially religious that
they expect the Government TO care for
the religious establishments. and accept
the taxation for that purpose gladly. It
seems to cost a great deal more to sup
ply the spiritual needs OF a European
that those of "A native, according to the
! figures given. But" says Sir Theodore
/ Hone. "this Ia the case In every branch
of the administration. The English mag
istrate. doctor, soldier. policeman. news
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