Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-25
Other Lands than Ours.

WdTSdW recalls experiences WIFI LIZ
Polish troops in the Russian army dur
| ing the Russo-Turkish war of 1871.
Soon after the passage of the Danube
assertions became so numerous from
the Polish regiments that it began to
look as If they We're preconcerted, there
being number of Poles in the Turk
ish army, some on the staff, but they
were soon stopped. The scouting corps
of the Turkish army to which the FOL
ish ceserters gave themselves up was
composed of CirCassians. who invarla-
bly, murdered them and brought III
their heads and rifles as evidence OF
having killed an enemy. Eventually
this became known in the RUSSIAN
army, with the result that the Poles
became as anti-Turkish as the nus
slams themselves. Inasmuch as 1T may
be assumed that in the present war
the Japanese will treat humanely all
| Russian prisoners, the experience or
the Turkish war is not likely to be re-
peated, and fortunately for the
Japanese, since the loyalty of all the
soldiers wearing the cars uniform
| cannot be assumed.
For the first time in twenty years
| the British Indian government has
granted a remission of taxation, and q
large one. At the same time the reVe-
nue. has increased in the five years OF
Lord Curzon's reign by more than Il
per cent. and the yearly budgets have
| shown SURPRISES averaging $15,O00,OOO.
To increase revenue and at the same
time to decrease taxation is great
achievement. But this is not ALL Gold
and silver are flowing into India from
otner lands at the rate of $46.0OO,00O
| year, and deposits in savings banks, of
which nine-tenths are made and owned
| by Indians, have increased by more
than $50 per cent. since 1870. The rail-
| road system is being extended at the
rate of nearly 1000 miles a year and is
now paid for and yielding a handsome
profit. Such items make a gratifying
and suspicious showing. They indi-
cate that the Indian empire is being
we'll governed. But there is something
more. The empire is being more and
more governed not only for the Indians.
but also by the Indians themselves.
The Indian civil service includes 26,90S
places, with salaries of from $500 to
$4,000 a year. OF these no fewer than
16, 2S3 are filled by native Indians and
only 5,205 by Europeans, the other
5,420 being filled by "Eurasians." The
showing on the whole is a vindication
of the imperial rule.
1t is urged that members of Parlia-
ment should receive a salary, in order
that persons of small means may serve
in that body. The agitation for a sal
aried House of Commons is of long
standing. but the movement has made
little progress. The National Demo-
cratic league has issued a manifesto
addressed ITO the Democracy" favor
ing the payment of members of Parlia-
ment and their election expenses out of
the public funds. The manifesto sets
forth that, in view of the impending
dissolution of Parliament and the
probable accession to power of a lib
eral ministry" the time is opportune
for democratic reforms. 1t is urged
that the proposal to pay members is
not an untried innovation, but re-
turn to an old constitutional custom;
that there can be no genuine peoples
parliament until this practice has
been re-established. 1t is declared that
electioneering expenses at present are
alone sufficient to deter a poor man
''-~l becoming a candidate, and that
Parliamentary representation is
monopoly Of the wealthy. 1t is. there
fore demanded that the first budget in
the expected new Parliament shall con-
tain provision for Parliamentary sal
aries. The democratic electorate is
called upon to exact a distinct pledge
from every candidate to support meas
ures securing the reform" The indi-
cations are that the proposition will be
coldly received by the electors. and that
it will hardly rise to the dignity of an
issue. The financial burden of Great
Britain is sufficiently heavy to dis
courage new obligations, to say nothing
of the slight appeal the proposals will
make to conservative voters.
1t is reported from South Africa that
brigandage has broken out in the
Transvaal.a and that band of maraud-
ers, about 200 strong, has been operat-
ing in the mountainous Lydenburg dis
trict in the north. 1t is said to be
composed of men recruited among the
riff-raff of Pretoria and johannesburg,
Of whom seven were captured about
the middle of last month. the remain
der breaking up into small parties that
not known what Importance is to be
attached to the presence of this
organization. the authorities being very
reticent on the subject; but it is hoped
that the examination of the prisoners
taken may give some clew to the mat
ter. The capture of the seven men
gave rise to the widest rumors and the
British government has been urged not
to make any further reductions in the
garrisOns in South Africa for the pres
ent. Efforts will be made in the mean
time to find employment for the many
who have been left stranded by the
ending of the war and the slackness of
work. while the habitual Migrants and
undesirables, of whom there are a
great number, will be deported.
The convention recently signed in
Rome on behalf of France and Italy is