The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-29
FOR THE INDIA FAMIsHING.
Sea tie, March IS. 1897.

Seattle, March Is. 1897
To the Editor: A day among the
business men. soliciting funds for the
relief OF the famine-stricken OF In
dfa, suggests that the people Of
our city need more Information on
the condition of the people OF that unfor-
tuEate land Of darkness and caste. A
good many Business men with kindly
hearts were DESTROYS Of helping relieve the
suffering. Some wiling TO help in every
worthy work knew little OF the prevailing
distress. A few said we have poor enough
in our own land. Others, let England look
after her own interests. A few had In
dorsed the ideas OF a writer in tho POST
Intenigencer that Il was wrong 10 send
money or food 10 India when We had so
many poor In Seattle.
a little light on this great question OF
suffering In india will help solve the ques-
ton as 10 whether anything should be
done India Is nearly half as large as the
United States, and has as great a popuia-
ton as the British Isles. Norway. Sweden.
Prussia, Jutland Holland. Belgium. Ger
many, France, Spain, Portugal. ta4y.
Switzerland, Austria, Roumania, Sersia-
Greece and Turkey IN Europe combined
In fact as large a population as all h.u-
rope, except Russia England Is dong
very much in the way Of giving employ
ment, approprLating large sums OF money
and providing for the distribution OF food,
but great as England Is, and willing as
she Is, outside help is needed
TX is true we have poor in our own clty,
and some of the good people give good
deal of time aud money TO relieve the
needy but We have no muitttudes standing
on our streets and highways holding out
their skinny fingers and pleading Tor food
We have no groups of people gathering In
our yards and pleading for food, and some
OF them dying because charity has come
too late. Some OF the missionaries In india
are familiar with these things. We have
no city in our land like Bombay. with de-
serted appearance: because famine. follow
ed by the plague. has either carried OH or
driven OF the inhabitants. We nave no
city like Carsa where 10000 people have al
ready died OF starvation. There Is no city
In our land from which correspondent
could write as one did from Raipur. IN the
central provinces, and say Il round IL De-
sleged with laborers In the last stage Oh
destbutton. Many OF the people were mere
skeletons, their stomachs quite sunken ana
their skins hanging in large folds. while
others again had swollen stomachz-
Sign of extreme privation." None OF our
home missionaries can say as do the mis-
sionaries of India that their houses are
besieged by Christian natives. 10 whom
they have preached and learned 10 rever-
ence them, now piteously pleading Tor just
one meal TO relieve their agony, .
Whatever suffering we have in this Iand
We have abundance OF means TO relieve,
and still leave corn cribs full OF corn not
worth 10 cents a bushel. But some say In
dia is too far away. II is not too far away
to be reached by the sympathy OF gem
erous heart or the charity or humanity
loving person. 1t is not so Tar away put
we have reached the land with many
American missionaries, and not so far but
We can send some help to our missionar-
les TO help them feed the starving ana give
these poor a proof of the love which
-hrfst's followers bear to them. cent
dav viii savefrom starvation. and bush
81 Of corn at 10 cents. will give snihcieif' OF
,,,,r4shnent for thirty days. Though your
cootrfbutfon may he small. send IL in this
week through the Post-lntellisencer. OF TO
the writer.
W. NJ. HOWE. Chairman Minister'S
Meeting Committee.