Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-09
THE EMPIRE OF INDIA
Word MORLEY'S REFORM SCHEME
By Frederic j. Haskin

by about five to one, and their natreu
for the Mohammedans, who held then
in governmental bondage for so many
centuries, is intense.
If there were no separate representa-
tlon, the Hindus would have all the
elective offices. For a time they might
be lenient to the Moslems, but any day
might bring an explosion. Mohamme-
dams eat beef and therefore kill cows.
Cows are sacred to the Hindus, but
they usually wink at the Moslem pro-
family. But let a Moslem kill a COW
in sight of a Hindu community on
Hindu religious festival and there will
be trouble. The Hindus find pig, an
unclean animal to the Moslem, they
kill the animal and throw 1t into the
mosque-thereby deflling the Moham-
medan place of prayer. The next morn
ing the police find bodies of dead peo-
Pile all about the streets, the newspa-
pers are full of "riot" headlines and
there is a schlsm among the educated
Indians who are fighting for their ma
tive land, for Swadeshi and Swaraj.
These quarrels cannot be kept out of
high places until human nature in its
Indian form Is remolded and shaped
anew.
The grant of separate representation
will also bring about constant pickering
and strife. Some of the extreme Hindut
go so far as to say that this provision
nullihes the whole scheme so far as
practical good is concerned. They de-
clare 1t is but another manifestation of
the old policy of "perfidious Albion" In
seeking to divide and rule"
OF equal Importance with the legisla-
tive councils and their expanded rights
are the executive councils to be Gre
ated in the provinces. A Hindu has
been already given a portfolio In the
viceroy's cabinet. In the provincial
executive councils, which correspond
exactly with western cabinets having
each member at the head of sepa-
rate administrative department, native
members Will share with the English
honors and responsibilities OF office.
This will effect a reform of far-reach-
ing Importance. 1t will put natives at
the head of executive departments
where they may be reached without
any trouble by the native population.
The administrator win understand the
COMPLAINT OF the petitioner, which no
European can hope to do in nine cases
out of ten, and much needless friction
between the government and the people
will be removed. This provision was
bitterly contested by Lord Curzon In
the house of lords, and Is regarded as
full Of danger by most conservative
Britons. The Liberals favor II as
matter of right rather than of grace,
and the Indians insist upon 1t as being
the only method of making the other
reforms effective.
A detailed exposition of the reform
scheme fills two volumes the size OF
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, so
that 1t is a waste of time to attempt
to follow the workings of the scheme as
il differs In the various provinces. In
the main It is merely plan to give the
Indians a voice in making their laws,
share in the administration of gov
eminent a lesson In parliamentary
rule. At the same time the essence of
power is carefully reserved to the
British government at home.
Englishmen in office in india, those
who have studied the needs OF the
country and the aspirations of the peo-
pie, believe that the reform scheme VIII
bring about internal peace and pros
perity. The viceroy. the Earl OF Minto,
and Sir Herbert Risley have been the
"men on the spot" who have formu-
lated the scheme after taking stock OF
the opinion of all shades of men In
India, native and European. Lord Nor
ley, in London, has given the scheme
the stamp of his broad minded liberal
views and has insisted upon the essen
tial representative principle.
other Englishmen in India, the COM
mercial class, are divided in opinion,
but many of them believe that the re-
form scheme will send the country to
the demnition bow~wows. They are op--
posed to giving the native Indian any
rights whatever, they cry out against
education, they oppose any Indian
gaining prominence in affairs and are
generally to be classed as radical Indo-
phobes. Their attitude is something
like that of the widest anti-negro agi-
tators of the United States.
The Indians receive the reform
scheme only as an installment. 1t is
good, they say, as far as 1t goes. but
II stops short. The more progressive
leaders say they will decline to quarrel
with the restrictions imposed so long
as the scheme recognizes the long-de-
MED right of representation as right.
In this particular the Morley bill Is
epochal. The Indians believe that 1t is
the first installment OF a series of con-
stitutional reforms which will be
granted, in part, by England and
wrested, in part. from England. and
which will In the end bring about the
day of self government In India-the
long prayed for Swaraj.
Whatever the reason that impelled
the British government to grant the
reforms. they came at a time when
India believes the unrest" brought
them forth. That fact gives India the
key to the future. There will be no
end to the unrest In India until the
Morley reform scheme has been ampll-
fed and carried to its logical conclusion
the government of India by the In
dians.
Copyright. 1909 by Frederic ]. Haskin)
Tomorrow-The Empire OF India. WIS.,
piratiOns of India.