The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-07-07
RELIGION MAKES
THEM STARVE
Starving Natives Of India. With Millions Of
Cattle az Hand Dare NOT
Eat Beef

| HOiV oiO grass laHus anu IOuuef IN
in other parts of India, but the poor an.
imals are too weak to be driven to them,
even II there we're cattle buyers to take
them away; so they die like flies, sue
cumbing to starvation far more quickly
than their owners. The thought has
never occurred to the 80, ,O0O, 900 Indian
peasantry now suffering from hunger
that the cattle would have been food
resource to tide them over the months
of crop failure. They have plenty of
cattle. Among all the animals of India
thevarious breeds of horned and bumped
cattle hold the first place. They are the
draft animals in the little field of the
poorest peasant. All the transportation
of the inland roads depends upon them.
The household that has not its COW is in
the direst poverty.
Suppose the natives, when the signs
point unmistakably to season Of crop
failure, had cured under their hot sun
many thousand tons of beef by sun
drying, as ierked beef is prepared in
South America, undesirable suffering
and thousands of lives would have been
saved; but the very idea OF making
such provision as this against the horrors
of 100, 100000 people of India, who base
their religious beliefs upon the Vedas.
They would never dream of such a pro.
tanation OF the teachings Of Brahminism.
They would rather swallow dirt and
gnaw roots than eat beef, and yet they
are not strict vegetarivns, for all eat but
ter and milk, and also fish and mutton
when they can procure them.
'The Hindus and those who share
with them their religious beliefs are just
what history tells us their fathers we're,
three and twenty centuries ago. The
highest law that concerns the Hindu is
to eat correctly, and beef is one OF the
prescribed foods; so with this food
resource in every farmyard, priced |
highly, as it is by most Of the world, the
Hindu dies Of hunger rather than par.
take OF IL. These facts are perhaps as
an illustration as can be
given of the profound influence which
religious injunction and custom have
upon the habits, tastes and prejudices,
and consequently upon the commerce of
whole nations.
Beef Unholy Food.
"The value Of East Indian cattle for
ood has been amply demonstrated. The
81 ,000, 900 Mohammedans living in India
nave no qualms or scruples about beef
,ating. Some years ago we read almost
laily for a time, Of bloodshed between
he Mohammedans and the Hindus, Of
Northwest India. Beef was the cause of
he incipient warfare. The Hindu
leighbors OF the Moslems decided that
heir feelings had been outraged too
ong by the repugnant spectacle OF cattle
and beef eating. They re-
olved to put an end TO them, but the
undertaking. was too large for the COM
small number OF zealots who
ngaged in it.
"In this vast region, 80 densely peo-
led that the specter OF famine is not
lr away even in years of plenty, no
leats are imported except for European
II there is a partial fail |
re Of rice, wheat, maize, barley or the
idigenous grains on which the laborer !
YES, starvation begins at once; and so
lille India sells 10 the world every year
'om $3.50 600, 900 10 S350,00o,000 worth I
( products, and buys about three .
,urths as much as she sells, her pur- 4
nases are almost wholly textiles, ma
ninery, railroad material and coal, even 1
hen hunger stalks abroad; and the =,
lain reason why the great evils Of fam
le is not ayerted or mitigated by food 2
nports is because the religious tenants
most Of the people confine them 10
10 few cereals they raise as the main &
ay OF life. In one respect, however,
,ligious prejudice is blessing to the I
,untry. Ii is 10 the lasting shame Of n
,me modern nations that they destroy
lOusands OF barbarous or semi civilized A
zen and women by selling them poison
the form Of the purest quantities of D
coholic liquors; but they find no mar
st for their fiery gin and 40 rod among
le hundreds of millions Of East lndi' 2
ne because Islam throughout the world
a vast tetotal society, and among the
indus TO touch liquor is a sign of the
west caste. Thus certain religions
hich we do not include among the n
ghest forms have happily reared an G.
surmountable barrier against one Of .
.e worst evils OF Western civil zation.
Tonight and Tomorrow Night.
nd each day ana night during this b
eek you can get at any druggists
emp's Balsam for the Throat and .
uags. acknowledged bO be the most