The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-13
HINDOO CYNEC'S VIEWS.
Said Western Women Are Savages in
the Abuse of Power.

NEW 4OIh OOulI Hal.
Many women, and especially the mothers
of the far West, are guessing as to wheth-
er hey shall accept Bramacharian Bob
habhikshu, a white-robed and turbaned
Hindoo visitor TO the recent Woman's con-
gress in San Francisco, as a popular or
unpopular representative. Although one Of
the most enlightened and intellectually SUI
perior citizens of the Orient who has ever
visited this country, his alleged remarks
on the character of Western women nave
raised an unlimited amount of discussion
and society gossip among the residents Of
the Pacific coast.
Bodhabhikshu is the supremely daring
man who declared in effect that the women
of the Western United States are savages.
This brutal conclusion followed on a beau
tifully worded description of woman as the
fine flower of civilization, and 1t was on
account of this all the more cruel. If there
is one thing on which the Western woman
prides herself it is that she is civilized.
She showed at least one quality when she
treated Bodhabhikshu mercifully. She did
not abuse her power in his case.
Bodhabhikshu is a picturesque character,
yet a fine type of the Oriental mystic of
which we hear much and see little. If his
audience was one of ~dressmakers and mill
liners, his costume alone would make an
interesting and entertaining study for them
for an hour. While making a speech he
is just as capable of holding an enlightened
audience.
ROBBED in white. with a white turban, the
dark-skinned Hindoo presented a striking
picture when he arose to address the mem
bers at the fourth annual meeting of the
bIlI1 = III tRC IAI2 OAaNt ooA - -
pure white silk was draped so as to set off
the long, 1.-THE lines of his figure to the ad-
miration of his audience. AS a messenger
from the cradle of Eastern civilization he
amazed his hearers with his fluent use of
the English Language and his logical argu-
ments. However, it is to one of his log
ical conclusions that his hearers take eX-
ception, and, if properly quoted, the dusky
representative will probably make a proper
explanation.
He began his speech by expressing great
satisfaction for the privilege of addressing
such a representative body of Western
women. Then he touched another sympa-
thetic chord in the hearts of his audience
by his patriotic reference to the mothers
of his own land. His remarks were ended
with the following tribute to the woman in
general: she is the heavenly flower stolen
from Paradise to adorn the house; as a
sister she is the ministering angel; as a
wife she is the crowned queen; as a mother
she is the goddess, noble and exalted, but
when she abuses this great power she is tie
most dangerous creature on earth" 1t IS
to this last remark that nearly his whole
audience took somewhat indignant excep-
ton.
The Bramacharian's conversation in pri-
vate is ingenious, absolutely self-reliant
and swift. He has a very lofty conception
Of life. which is at entire variance from
the ideas of the Western hemisphere, and
with his careful study and training in
science. in philosophy and our methods, he
is capable of meeting an argument on any
basis with the result that he will usually
convince his listeners that he speaks where
If he knows.