The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-01
ENGLAND'S CRUELTY TO lNDIAI
DESCRIBED BY WILLIAMS JENNINGS BRYAN
Paucity Of Schools Due to Deliberate Misappro-
priation Of Taxes --How intelligent Indians
Are Excluded from Higher Civil Service.

it with two frelghts added. The stor- j
central points until the new crop is safe
would bring some relief, but it has not
been attempted. + =, ~ ,}
Not only are the people being i'm
poverished, but the land is being worn
out Manure which ought to be used
to renew the fields is consumed as fuel,
and no sight is more common in India
than that of women and children
gathering manure from the roads with
their hands. This, when mixed with
straw and sun dried, is used in the
place of wood, and from the amount Of
it carried in baskets, it must be one. Of
There are now large tracts of useless
land that might be brought under cul-
tivation if the irrigation system We're
extended. Proof Of this is to be found
in the fact that the government ; Of
India has already approved Of extern
sions which, when made, will protect
100000 acres, and irrigate 100000
acres. the estimated cost Of these ex-
tensions is about $45,000,000, and the
plans are to be carried out Gas funds
can be provided" Ten per cent of the
would complete the system within five
years, but instead Of military expenses
being reduced, the army appropriation
was increased more than $10,000,O00
between 1904 and 1906 :, -"
Of the total amount raised from taxa
tion each year about 40 per cent is
raised from land, and the rate is so
heavy that the people cannot save
enough when the crops are good to feed
More than 10 per cent Of the total tax
is collected on salt, which, now pays
about fve-eighths Of a cent a pound
This is not only heavy rate, when
compared with the original cost of salt,
but it is especially burdensome to the
poor. The salt tax has been as high
as l cent pound, and when at that
rate materially reduced the amount of
salt consumed by the people. -
The poverty of the people Of India Is
distressing in the extreme; millions
time, and one would think that their
very appearance would plead success
fully in their behalf.
i.. + + + =.
The economic wrong done to the peo-
pie of India explains the political
wrong done to them. = For more than
twenty years an Indian national con-
gress has been pleading for modified
form Of representative government,
not for severing Of the tie that binds
creased voice in their local affairs. But
this request cannot be granted. Why's
Because local government, composed
Of natives selected by the people
would protest against so large an army,
reduce the taxes and put the Indians
at lower salaries. into places now held
by Europeans. ''se'
It is the fear of what an. Indian
local government would do that pre-.
reasons, both insufficient, are given
One Of these is that the Indian people
are not intelligent enough and that
they must be- protected from them
selves by denying them voice in theil
own affairs: The other Is that the In
dians are SO divided into tribes ~anG
religious sects that they cannot ac'
.harmoniously together The first ar
gunent will not impress any unpreju
diced" traveller who has come into con
tact with the educated classes. Their,
men in India. not to speak Of thos'
who, like our own ancestors few cen
turtles ago, have practical sense AM
good Judgment without book-learning
to guide public opinion. While th
percentage of literacy is deplorabl,
small, the total number of educate,
men is really. considerable, and Their
are at this time $1,000 students abov
the secondary schools and studying TO
the B.A. degree. There is not a dis
trict of any considerable size that ha
not some Intelligent men in it, an
these could be relied upon to direct tn
government until larger number ar
qualified to assist. It is true tina
native princes have often seemed in
different to the welfare of their SUI
jects-princes who have lived in grea
luxury while the people have bee
neglected, but today some Of the nativ
states vie with those controlled b
European officials in education an
material advancement. And is not til
very fact that the people are left unde
the government Of native princes in tn
native states conclusive proof that i
all the states the government could b
administered without the aid of s
large a number of Europeans7 1~.
i. The second argument is equally. VI
sound. To say that the Indians woul
necessarily fight among themselves ]
to ignore the, progress Of the worlt
There was time when Europe was tn
scene of bloody religious wars, and on
; country is indebted to the persecutio
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