Morning journal and courier., 1894-05-23

aries say for substance. They say that
while some Glasses In India are acute, most
people cannot read or write, and that the
lowest classes are degraded; that the wo-
men have had few educational opportuni
ties. In regard to religion that there il Q
philosophical Hinduism, with some lofty |
sentiments, but which is practically what |
In the west is called PAntheism, which is |
understood by part of the Brahmans and
by few of other castles, but not by the
masses; that there is also q popular Hindu. |
ism which somewhat effects all, and IL the
religion of the masses; that popular Hin
duism consists In q belief of many gods, In
puerile and sometimes immoral mytholo-
gies, In idolatry and ceremonies which are
unmeaning to the masses as the ordinary
way of approach to the code; and In caste
With many unbrotherly and foolish re-
quirements, a. the principal thing to be
observed. About women they say that In
some respects their condition Is pitifnl;
| that the marriage ceremony ts performed
! very early and contaminated as soon as
| possible; that the resulting condition of
child. widows is very wrong, and OF young
/ mothers ID hard one, and of all widows
| one of dishonor and needless hardship;
| that by the very directions of Hindu reliR-
ious books women have been kept In ignor-
anee and hardship. 80.
| These points are illustrated by idols, and
pictures and photographs and books made
| BY Indians, by the legislation of the In
dian government, and by the, words of
| many Indians themselves. Barring what
said about the natural mistake sometimes
made of generalizing too freely, affirm
that the above general teaching Ia not Will
fication, but truth. Do not you admit 10
mucha The following are quotations from
tho Code of Manu-, the highest religious
authority among Hindus: "Women have
l no business with the text of sacred
book A Brahman is to Suspend read
ing the Veda If . woman como in sight"
"Though unobssrvant of approved usages
or enamored of another woman, or devoid
of good qualities, yet a husband must
constantly be reverenced as god by Q
yirtuous wife," s'The husband is to the
wife greater than the god) Vishnu."
LIS. Missionaries help the people OF !ndia
the people, heal the sick, do what they Can
for the physical bettering of the people
albeit all the thanks they get from some Ii
the charge that these things are done tc
bride people into becoming Christians
| and as their chief message say that God ie
our universal Father, that He is like Jesus
Christ, that the Lord Jesus Christ who
died to save them from Gin is a living Saw
ior now ready to help, and that the Holy
Spirit of God is ready to help men SCI
these things and make il sus Christ real tt
them. That is the substance of the worl
and the message of the great body of Indial
missionaries.
Z. Judging from your addresses In De
troit and elsewhere, what India most need
Is a political relief from what you do no
, like in the Indian government. Our belle
is that knowledge of Christ would be In
, dia's greatest good. Rudyard Ktpling, VIII
| ia no missionary, says. "What's the mat
ter with this country Qndis) is not in tn
least political, but an all around entangle
ment of physical, social and moral evil
and corruptione, all more or less due to tn
. unnatural treatment of women. 1t Is RICH
q here where the trouble is. and no
= In any political consideration whatever
I The foundations of their life are rotten
utterly rotten. The men talk of thei
rights and privileges! I have sesn the VIC
!. | men that bear these very men, and agat
may God forgive the men," Let you
: hearers ask q traveller like John L Stod
! dard, who is no missionary, what he think
of midas eocial and moral condition.
: 8. Now, Swami, when Americans applsu
y your foundations Of missionaries. carr
: estly say to them: s'This applause If of n
value to my country. What practices
thing are you going to do for India bette
/ than the missionaries2 Come and live
), India. Help us In our industries, educs
a ton, political life, etc. with your example
): sympathy, money and lives. Show how
" help India better than the missionaries.
+ You are not likely to get more than fe
u travellers who would like yoar help in st1
dying theosophy and jugglery and in se
u ing the country. Till others do somethip
y practical and permanent do not make til
It mistake of denouncing those who ha,
IL | done good to India i am.
II Your fellow countryman,
10 r A. HUME