The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-01
Government Of India as Despotic as that Of
Russia---Promjses to Natives ignored JUS
tice Not to Be Found in the Courts.

the colony over confessedly because Of
the outrageous conduct of the COM
pany's officials No one now defends
the rule of the East India company,
Quilted by the house Of lords in spite
of his crimes, out of consideration for
his public service in extending English
authority. - = -. ID, l
Is English rule in India just, as we
find it today7 Fortunately England
permits free speech in England, altho
she has sometimes restricted it in her
colonies, and there has not been a
public question under consideration in
England for a century which has not
brought out independent opinion. It
is the glory of ENGLAND that she was an
early champion of freedom of speech,
and it is the glory Of Englishmen that
they criticize their own government
when they think it wrong. During the
American revolution Burke Numbered
his defense of the rights of the colo
men that they could not destroy Amer.
lean liberty without asserting the prin-
ciples which, if carried out, would de-
stroy English liberty as WE'LL ....,S
= + !. !. 2'ses'@s~}$ S%s&tt:
Africa the British had no more severe
critics than were to be found among
her own people and in her own parlia-
ment. And so today British rule in
India is as forcibly arraigned by Eng
lishmen as by the Indians themselves.
While Mr.. Naoroji, an Indian, goes to
England and secures from meeting of
radical club the adoption Of a reso-
luton reciting. that as "Britain has
India g wealth for building up and
maintaining her British Indian empire
and for drawing directly vast wealth
to herself;' that as "she is continuing
to drain about &30,0o0,000 Of India 8
wealth every year. INCREASINGLY in a
variety Of ways and that as "she
has thereby reduced the bulk Of the
Indian population to extreme poverty,
restitution and degradation; it is there
tice and humanity to pay from her
own exchequer the costs of all famines
ishment.'' Ana further, Vthat It is
most humiliating and discreditable to
the British name that other countries
should be appealed to or have to come
to Britain's help for relief Of Britain 3
British rule of about $50 years.
While, I repeat, Mr.. Naoroji was Sc
curing the unani nous adoption Of the
above resolution in England, Sir Henry
Cotton, now member Of parliament,
but for thirty-fve years a member of
the Indian civil service, was preparing
his book, Jew India, in which be cour-
ageously points out the injustice from
which India now suffers: Neither he
pendence. Both believe that English
sovereignty should continue, but Mr.,
Cotton shows the wrongs now inflicted
upon India and the necessity for re-
form.
Not only does he charge that the
promises Of the queen have been. ig-
nored, and the Indians excluded from
r. service for which they are fitted, but
he charges that the antagonism. be-
growing and that there is among civil.
ian magistrates "an undoubted tend
ency to inflict severe sentences when
natl of India are concerned, and
7 to impose light and sometimes made.
=. quate punishment upon offenders of
e their own race and that in trials 81 in
M lh Engshme sas,, are tried BY Eff
failure Of justice not falling short Of
judicial scandal' If justice cannot
be found in the courts, where shall she
be soughtg
After the Indian mutiny the queen in
a proclamation promise that natives
should be freely and impartially ad
mitted to Offices, "the duties Of which
they might be qualified by their edu
cation, ability and integrity to dis
CHARGE Lord Lytton, a viceroy Of
: India, in confidential document
:. which got into print, speaking of the
, pledges of the sovereign and the parlia
| ment of England, said: "We al
| know that these claims and expecta
: tions never can or will be fulfilled. W.
l have had to choose between prohibit
7 ing them (the natives of India) ant
, cheating them, and we have chosen tn,
: least straightforward course,' ant
f again: ''Since I am writing conf
:. dentially, I do not hesitate to say tina
both the governments Of England ant
: Of India appea" to me, up to- the pres
), ent moment, unable to answer salts
4 factorily the charge Of having take1
), every means in their power Of breakin,
t to the heart the words Of promise the,
g., had uttered to the ear
J. The government Of India is as arbi
trary and despotic as the government
! Of Russia ever was, and in two respect
l it is worse. First, it is administers,
-