Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-23
Wee Wives Of Inhuman
Monsters Excite
Much Pity
Los Angeles Woman Who Knows Of
Condition Quotes Facts, Figures,
and Deals Out Flagellation
to crueIty's Defenders

De superior 10 lllG ClllHtlls All lows ca y
alterable and we may make ours better.
That economical considerations here
in our own country are very bad, and
in some of the eastern factories and
mines most horrible we freely acknowl-
edge, and bow our heads in shame ana
sorrow that it is so; but we are in our
commercial age, which is always heart
less and brutal, looking upon men and
women as part of it's machinery and re-
fusing even to hear the cries and means
of the children.
1t is the great shameless man of greed
which must be satisfied at any cost, but
it is not so because the mass of the
American people wish it; and like Afri-
can slavery, which once disgraced our
country, it will be wiped away. Even
now it's death knell is being sounded
over our country, for good men ana
women in our legislative halls and in
the club rooms are declaring their in
dignation.
We cannot yet boast of "a civilization
which most satisfactorily covers the
grounds of our social, moral ana relig-
ious needs"
In regard to white slavery" men
toned in Elizabeth Jeffers' letter, we
can only say with her, that it is an
"unspeakabe horror" is worldwide and
seems beyond our grasp, though through
great effort much good is being accom-
plished by the splendid men and women
banded together for that work, but so
long as there is money in it" to the
syndicate which reaches from here 20
the old world and back again, to which
our courts will testify, so long will this
terrible condition be with us. First,
they are wage slaves" then white
clio, tl,,t
grown women, not helpless little girls.
There are young women in this city,
working now at Sc per week, paying out
of that for lunch and 10 cents per day
car fare, and working through the usual
time before the holidays up to 10 and II
o'clock at night. 1t is with a sad and
rebellious heart that we acknowledge
the truth and danger of all these condi-
lions here at home, but it is really not
the point at issue. We are answering
that which Bahia Bharati gave, which
was an evasion of the question-but,
God speed Edwin Markham in his inves-
legations of eastern factories and mines,
AS to the cleVerness shown by Bahia
Bharati in knowing ''ahead of time the
effect his lecture would have upon the
Zenana missions, or his positive knowl-
edge that the missionaries are in India
because of the Charms and temptations
of a comfortable living in the ORIENT
made possible by the contributions Of
Christians at home'-we make no CON-
ment, leaving the answer for those who
know. We only know that our investi-
gator started for India somewhat preju-
diced against the missions and returned
with the feeling that the self-sacrifcing
hard working servants of the home
missions were perhaps little understood
Christ or krlshna
the effort to confuse our Christian re-
ligion with the eastern philosophy-the
plan of salvation of our Christ is for al
his children, whether men, women OF
servants. While Krishna is somewhat
particular as to caste" as "sudras and
women are forbidden to be taught the
law or religious obserVances." Tho
Vedas are not even to be heard by the
service class - women or degraded
Brahmins. Such expressions as my
heavenly Father" or those whose feet
are misleading to many minds, for the
reason that they do not realize that the
mind of the speaker is upon the Ori-
entail master, Krishna, and not Oh
Christ.
I'm that lecture praised the Ameri-
can woman highly, and such admira-
ton and appreciation had never been
accorded her by any foreigner, per-
hsps not even by her own men" This
is a very large claim for one in the
country so short a time, but with many
thanks we will let it pass and take ur
one of those myths" born of the
vests profound ignorance of the
east.
Women Are Not Slaves
Baba Bharad says There is nc
marriage of girls at or Z or s, OF
even 10 years of age" Let us see. In
the Indian Mirror of September II
1901, appeared the following taker
from Tit-Bits: "A recent government
census of India contains a remarkable
statement in reference to youthful
marriages. There are in that country
6,016,759 girls between 5 and years
OF age, who have been or are wives
over 100000 of them are widows. What
a revelation! What a narrowing tale!
Ii ought to curdle every mans blood
that has an eye to see and a heart
TO feel. Babies of years of age
condemned to lifelong widowhood!
What monster we are that we still
perpetuate such an evil in our midst
and close our eyes when oetogenarians
come into the marriage market"
This is an extract from an address
to the social conference Of 1901 by Dr.
Bully Chunder Sen. Mr.. Malabar
gives the number of females in British
India, married in 1881 up to years
1885,, 900. The census for 1891, under
years Of age. 258,76O from to {
years, 2,2O1, 4O4; from 10 to IA, 6,016759
Sir w. w. Hunter says; I'm Bengal
out of every 1000 girls between and
tpeyears Of age, 271 are married; girls
tbetween the ages Of 5 and 10 years
y 20 I'm 100 are wives or widows at al
age when II they were in Europe they
would be i'm the nursery or infant
school"
A Revolving Incident
Our investigator says: while al
Lucknow, sitting on hotel veranda
we drew native into conversation
He was merchant and spoke English
With him was a little girl draped in
her saree completely save her eyes
She attracted our attention and one