The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-10

are demanding autonomy are not all together sentimental distractions. There are certain rreforms in Govern the English will not give them. and which may be hoped for only after In- dia has become seif-governing sec tion of the Empire. First of these is a decree of divorce
 of the executive from the Judicial power Abuses arising from the ir- vestment in one man or the power 70
 interpret the law and administer its
 Judgments would be likely to arise Tn any country. Where tlss holder of that joint power is an Englishman. conf-
 dent of his racial and intellectual su- periority, placed over a people Of ex-
 treme sensitiveness. the opportunity
 for trouble Is multiplied. The tnteg- Srity of the judge does not alter the
 case--the total lack of sympathy be- tween him and the people brings about
 Misunderstanding and Q train Of con sequent evils.
 The second most imporoant reform demanded by the Indians. and not hoped for until self-government is granted. is tarin reform. The Indian
 tariffs are now levied for revenue pur- poses only, and in such fashion as not to initiate against the interests of the English manufacturers. The Indians demand the institution of . protective tarif.
 They wish to encourage the growing and manufacture of cotton in India by imposing high duty on cotton goods from England, The refusal or tne British Government to consent to such a tariff was . large factor in bringing on the 'swadesiif'' boycott. Indians organized themselves into unions and mutually pledged themselves not to buy or wear s'belati," or foreign-made goods. Boys in the streets stripped Ignorant coolies of their. loin cloths because they were "belatf." Such boys were sent to prison for six or eight months. but that could not end the ooy- colt. Women were brought into the unions, and in India as in all the rest of the world, the women are the shop pers. They joined the "swadeshf' unions ell over the country and refused to purchase Engiish-made goods.
 The result has been Q revival in na- tive industries. but the leaders admit that the boycott is but poor supsu- tute for a protective tariff. Given the right to impose tartn duties against Iln nRland as we'll as against the rest os fine world. the Indians believe they can establish . great manufacturing community, relieve the crowded agrf- cultural districts, and make e new prosperity for the people.
 Then they would give their own renresenta tive assemblies entire con- troI of the finances of the country. The control of financial legislation oy tne House of Commons in England, and the story of how that power was wresteo sro,,, inc Grown and the Lords. is the measure of the liberty of the English people. For violating that right Charles I lost his head. The Amen. .,an Constitution sought to give entire control over the revenue to the lower and more representative branch or Congress. In India the people hope for that power because Of the impo- sition upon the Indian tax payers or Imperial expenditures m which the in-s ldians have no interest, ana m the pcu- efits of winch they do not share. The ssif-governing British colonies pay nractically nothing toward maintaining fine imperial army and navy. Oniy during the recent war scare have Cam ala and Australia and the other "free nations. come forward, with prorered of battleships The English home goy- ernment cannot demand contrioutiohs from it's self governing colonies
 India, on the other hano. pays not onlv for the troops which maintain order within the country, which IS nroner charge, but they also pay v.st amount of money for purely am- nertal purposes. Two-thirds or tne armv expenditure in India is used Tn the maintenance and protection or s.seientific frontier" This means tnat India is paying for English extension of dominion over the crest or the him, alayas and for Ensiands perehn%. ms Saar of the Russian advance. The "scientific frontier is in theory one rnsrLea bv nature, but 1t has been ad- vsnced further and further into the heart of Asia as opportunity has oI-
 Furthermore, India mas had to pay the cost of three disastrous expeoi- lions aimed at the conquest Of the un- conouerable Afghans. Indian money and Indian blood has been spiiIeo n these vain wars. despite India's peace suI attitude, India also paid for the toolish war with Thibet, an attempt to establish a British Resident in Lhassa ana pave the way for British annexa- tIon of the western dependencies or the Chinese Empire.
 shortly after the Civil War in Amer
 lea. England launched a punitive war against Abyssinia, far away Tn the heart of Africa. It cost an immense
 rum of money, and part of the cost was charged to India under the plea
 that the necessity of the war had
 arisen chiefly from the effect which the immunity of the King Of Abyssinla would have on the Eastern mind. and' therefore, on the interests Of the ih- dian Empire!"
 The Indians object to paying enor-
 nous taxes to support armies which are not employed In India's behalf: If isn't India which seeks to extend the Indian frontier over the mountains it ia England. The Indian native troons proved their bravery and loy- altv in South Africa in the war against the Boers, they proved their oevotion to the Empire on the march to Peking In 1900. and there is not the slightest doubt today of the loyalty or the Se- noys. But the taxpayers are not pre-
 pared to be so loyal. .v
 Another thing which would follow close upon the heels of autonomy, say
 tha native leaders. would be the estab- iisbment of a system of free schools for urinary education. attendance to he made compulsory in as many dis tr,cts as possible. The native state o, Raroda. under the rule of the en- urhtened Gaekwar. has free educa- tior with compulsory attendance. Brit- ish India ought not to lag behind @ native state, say the leaders Of the re- form movement. More important. perhaps. than all these things is the question of irFiga-
 tion. The Government now spends good,v amount of money on irrigation, Sut it is always a minor consideration. Tha military establishment gets what it asks for, and the balance Is divided