Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1906-12-30
THE CURSE OF INDIA
CASTE, WHICH Fixes THE STATUS
OF EVERY t4lNooo.

No Mae Can Rise From the Glass.
However UucIean, In which He
Was Born-Neisher wealth Nor sac
cess Affects the Caste Of Any One.
In the fixed scale OF descent IN India
some classes are merely inferior. while
some are ''unclean" or 'untouchable,"
but from whatsoever class man be
born IN he has no escape bot death.
Children born IN an "uncleanr caste
remain "unclean;" children born In an
inferior caste, remain as their fathers
were. Nothing that they can do can
In the slightest degree change their
situation. They were born 'unclean"
their ancestors were "unclean;" their
descendants will pc 'unclean" TIL the
end OF the chapter
TO give few Illustrations from
| many, a weaver Is laSS "unclean" than
carpenter. carpenter Is above a
house cleaner. house cleaner Is above
a street cleaner aud a street cleaner IS
above parlah or no caste man. Every
trade or occupation has its exact place,
arbitrarily fixed, In the scale Of degra.
dalton.
Above all the men that labor with
their hands IN whatsoever way are
! the tradesmen and shopkeepers, also
! with subdivisions into cIasses: above
the tradesnien Is the useless and now
almost idle warrior class above the
warriors Is the Brahman or priestly
! class, and 5ssith these grand divisions
the structure OF the system Is com
plete,
Wealth or material situation or sue
cess has nothing 10 DO with the caste OF
any man. You may hire FOR your cook
or valet a Brahman Of the purest strain
serene. who Tor weeks before Won en-
gagged him may have been on the verge
OF starvation The meager beggar TO
whom you toss aims In the road may
he OF very high caste The well fed
groom. resplendent IA gorgeous livery.
flashing by on a carriage TINT covers
the beggar with dust. Is very likely Of
caste mile below the beggar Time
no more than effort can break down
these walls Of division One Of the
wealthlest and most distinguished fam
| lilies In Calcutta, the famous Tagore
family. lost caste about two centuries
ago. Members OF this family have re.
celved honor from the government,
have conferred great benefits upon city
aud country aud have been noted Tor
their numerous charities and benefac.
lions. one exerted himself all his life
to further native education. Another
helped TO endOw Calcutta university.
1 All are enormously rich. and all bear
envlahle regulations for goodness. hon
esty aud philanthropy. But the wall OF
caste has never fallen for them. They
are stlll hated aud avoided hy their
countrymen exactly as they were at
the beginning Of lksir exclusion. IL che
I streets Of Calcutta IL many a ragged
artisan that would not sic on the same
bench with a Tagore or touch the end
Of bis robe
Pain. suffering. penury. even death
itself. Il nothing 10 the Hludoo com
parcd with the loss Of caste Many a
7 HlndOo that Ia the old days would
! yield nothing 10 the most nendish tor
lures quickly surrendered bis secrets
when threatened with something that
wouA contamlnate him-a piece %
cowskin. perhaps. og a glass Of water
that had been touched by pariah In.
! suppose. thousands 81 Gases persons
that have h0pelessiy iost their ceste
have abAndoned their honiea and wan
derci mlscrabiy aioag the roads until
dcsth overlook them Thousands %
others have thrown themselves into The
Gangrs % deliberately starved
Thfee RFahman girls who had beeu
degraded by q Mtsssulman weut before
. Judge % demand seareance and
when she Judge declined o. Interfere
Killed themselves 10 The coeFtreom-
AZ toWn called Rq Hal q Widow
lost caste ~ falling n iose vita q
man heneath her. AZ Icss % cesfe ~
uae mrulhsr 90 tie family dcRwaes
the othera also. her eldest sNn iziu,e.
dlaieiv swallowed pels1a ant ded
and hls remsiuing brefhrva Cd the
couutry.
A husbana SAWS q vife's deEsn3s
tea A wife rres dova the steps vita
q huslanA fog mege tAaa i1se years
q IigahEisa fsmily - SanfpNr kas
l,eea eclcasts t.ecause eae rsee.ber feii
IN leFe win rns iaaEhtsr q . leee
naker -Chtrles Edward sirsFfa IN
Ccsne'.cttan MsEtnne