Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-08

taxes light. That condition is the re-
suit of a permanent settlement made IN
1898 by Lord CORVALLIS, then governor
general of India. He fixed rate of tax
alton by which the government got 99
per cent of the net produce OF the
farms. This meant terrible oppression
at the time, but fortunately for Bengal
he made the settlement permanent.
Now that the value of farm products
has increased greatly and the tax re-
mains fixed in terms of money at nine-'
tenths of the cash value of the produce
in 1898, the Bengal farmers have to pay
q comparatively small tax. Therefore
Bengal is the most prosperous Indian
province, more of it's sons have been
educated, and 1t is more widely per-
meated by the unrest"
Another cause of complaint is the
charge that the government has de-
liberately created friction between Hin
dus and Mosems. On every hand in
India one hears the statement that the
English would have to leave India to-
morrow if the Hindus and Mohamme-
dams ceased fighting each other and
presented a united front. The principle
of divide and rule" has been invoked
more than once, no doubt, in the admin
istration of India by the English, but 1t
is folly to charge the British govern
ment with responsibility for the age
long strife between these religions.
The contemptuous treatement of ln-
dians by English residents in india
Is cited as another cause of discomfort.
Not only in matters of government, but
in every other aspect of life, the Eng
lishman proclaims his superiority with
every act. He will not associate with
the pure blooded Englishman who had
the misfortune to be born in India,
ha mill nf or TINT "A n
tralian or a Canadian is quite his equal,
The Indians resent this attitude on the
part of the English, although the
orthodox Hindu would rather cut his
own throat than to accept an invita-
tion to dine with an unclean Christian.
In this matter there is much to be said
on both sides. The Brahman proclaims
his superiority over all other men,
treats the low caste native with In
dignity, and then, with native incon-
slstency, demands that the Englishman
shall treat all men as equal.
1t is, after all, matter of education.
The English have taught the Indians
their language. And with the Ian
guage came the stories of the great re-
forms and revolutions of the western
world-the names of Hampden, Burke,
Russell, Grey and Gladstone, as well
as those of Washington, Mazzini and
Garibaldi. Every Bengal student
knows the history OF parliamentary
reform in England as we'll as he knows
the events of the week in Calcutta.
He knows that England could not keep
Canada and Australia for a fortnight
If it did not grant those colonies tho
right of self-government He knows
the story of the revolution In America.
He has been educated and he cannot
be turned back.
Nearly a hundred years ago there
was great division of opinion in India
as, to education. 1t was agreed that
the government should encourage edu-
cation, but the Orientalists predicted
revolution and trouble If the Indians
were taught English and western
science and advocated a system OF
education which would include only ORR
entail learning. The other party, called
Anglicists, took the opposite view. 1t
had for its leader no less a person than
Lord Macaulay, then the legal member
OF the governor generals cabinet.
Macaulay ended the dispute by writ
ing a famous minute which decided
the government in behalf of English
education. After paying a wonderfully
eloquent tdibute to the English lam
guage, he said:
"The question now before us is SIM
ply whether, when 1t is in our power
to teach this language, we shall teach
languages in which, by universal con-
fession there are no books on any
subject which deserves to be compared
to our own: whether when we can
teach European science, we shall teach
systems which, by universal confession,
wherever we can patronize sound philo-
sophy and true history, we shall count
enance, at the public expense, medical
doctrines which would disgrace an Eng
lish farrier, astronomy which would
move laughter in girls at an English
boarding school, history abounding In
kings thirty feet high and reigns thirty
thousand years long. and geography
made of seas OF treacle and seas of
butter"
English education was established
and the inevitable result is appearing.
The people desire for themselves that
liberty of which the English boast.
Nobody knew more of history than
Lord Macaulay. In the present unrest
in India history is repeating itself
that is all.
Copyright. 1909 by Frederic j. Haskin)
TOmorrow-The Empire of India: V-Lord
Morley's Reform Scheme.
in, hn Gtptng-