Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1894-01-16
VICEROY Of INDIA.
His Position Surpassed in Gran.
deur by Few Rulers.
How the Indian Empire Is Goverued-A
Task Requiring Rare Tact and Cool
Judgment-LordL ansdowne's
Successor. l..s

1t was no easy matter for Mr.. Glad
stone to lind an acceptable successor
to the marquis of Lansdowne as viceroy
of India. Custom requires that the
governor general shall be member of
the house of lords of high rank; and it
is the practice of English premiers to
appoint one of their own party.
1t happens that the question of Irish
home rule has driven from Mr. Glad
stones support almost every peer of
the realm except those who were
created peers by him, and those who
hold Office in his government. The
earl of Elgin, upon whom the vice
royalty has been conferred, is one of
eight lords only whom the London
Times enumerated as having voted for
home rule who were under no obliga-
ton to Mr.. Gladstone.
The position was first offered to Sir
Henry Norman, soldier OF great ex-
perience, and accepted by him. But
the appointment was not well received,
and as the health of Sir Henry was
really not good he assigned that--one
true reason, no doubt-for changing
his mind and declining the office.
Little interest is felt in this country
in the government of India. Yet, says
the Youths Companion, the viceroy
rules over one-ffth of the human race,
subject to a certain control by the
home government, and occupies po-
sition surpassed in grandeur by only
four rulers, the queen of England, the
emperors of Germany and Russia and
the president of the United States.
The task of governing India is one of
great difficulty, owing to the vast ex-
tent of territory, the number of lately
independent and still mutually hostile
states which make up the empire, and
the difference of race and religion of
the people.
How are these three hundred mil
lions governed? Roughly speaking,
perial service, or in other words are
the empire. Behind them is an army
of two hundred and fifty thousand
men, of whom two-thirds are native
troops-seventy-four thousand only be-
ing English soldiers.
With this force they have held in
check the turbulent races so well that,
as a native prince said, not long ago:
ga shot has not been fred in India for
five and thirty years." 1t takes twelve
millions of armed men to keep the ma
lions of Christian Europe from flying
at each others threats. If the stand
ing army of heather India was as
large in proportion, there would be
forty soldiers where now there is one.
It would be mistake, however, to
suppose that all governing powers are
absorbed by these fifteen hundred for
eigners with the viceroy at their head.
They constitute the supreme control
ling body, but practically the admins
tratlon of India is in the hands of the
natives of the country.
The clerksbips exclusively and the
great majority of revenue and judicial
offices are held by them, while nearly
a third of the peninsula consists of
semi-independent states in which the
whole machinery of the government is
in the hands of native princes, under
the guidance of a single British resi-
| dent.
1t is the proud and truthful boast of
England, amply confirmed by native
testimony, that her Indian empire is
ruled by men absolutely free from cor
ruption, the bane of oriental rulers,
never willfully oppressive and who
rarely blunder. Their marvellous sue
cess is shown by the prosperity of the
country which they govern.
During the last decade the popula-
ton has increased greatly, and the
wealth and commerce of the country
still more. Railroads, canals, schools
and other Accomplishments of western
civilization have been introduced on a
large scale.
Upon the new viceroy it will rest, as
much as it can upon any enc man, to
carry on this grand civilizing work, to
maintain this paG Britannica by which
the sum of human happiness within a
generations life has been so largely
increased.
The Superstitious Turk.