Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-27

and its furnishings trouble him little
or not at all. He is now unable to buy
the food to- which he has been accus-
toned, simple as his wants are. Like
wise. he can no longer make his jour
neys, depending on his friends Tor
food ( and lodging because. forsooth,
his friends cannot afford to entertain
him. To the nomadic Indian this is
grievous thing.
Even religious observances are affect
ed, most serious matter. The gray
ity of the situation from the Indians
standpoint may be illus . ted by re-
ferring to the cost of Urinary cotton
cloth which at one time got beyond
the means OF the masses. The Mo-
hammedan religion requires that the
dead shall be buried in unused shrouds
This is one Of the cardinal rules. the
observance of which. to the members
Of this religion. of whom there are
nearly 100000 in India. is all I'M
portant.
With the price of cotton cloth BE-
yond his reach, the lower class OF Mo-
hammedan was compelled to bury his
dead in ordinary clothing which mar
been worn. To the living this seems
to be the limit of sacrilege. and they
are terrified of the hereafter. II TINS
aupear like q trivial matter to the
wetsern mind, one has only to recall
that one of the causes of the Great
Mutiny in India in 1858 was that In
dian soldiers were compelled to bite
an the end of paper cartridges which
had been dipped in the fat OF cows anu
pigs The COW is sacred amman III
the Hindu religion and may not De
eaten, while the pig is anathema 10
the Mohammedan. ;,
The high cost Of living. and al
other Il oubles. which may have iaitef'
on the Indian, are attributed by MIN
to the government. This is due to Inc
Maternal system which the government
has for generations exercised in lndia.
The government has come to De the
aI,-powerful thing from which come
all things, both good and bad Liter
ally speaking. if there has been raw
orable monsoon and the crops nave
been good. the government has al
ways received the credit for 1t from
the masses, who do not question out
that Delhi makes the weather. Since
ment is now condemned for poor crops
or high prices. Thus the government
il being censurcd fox all present con-
ditions throughout the country
The present "Rowlatt gui@'!cns'
which are causing so mary heart
hurnings, were passed after the war
to take the place of those under which
the country lad been governed curing
the conflict They give the govern
Irment powers almost as wide as those
which would obtain under martial law
II had been planned TO discontinue
such measures six months after hos
tiIities ceased. but when the time ar
rived the government felt that the mo-
wont was not ripe for the change. Ac-
cordinp,v another measure of similar
nprnort was passed and still remains
in effect. This is resented bitterly by
the population.
So far as the political agitation is
concerned. those who know lndia Wen
state that much depends on the work
ing Of the new Montasu Bill whlch
gives the natives more say IN the
affairs Of government and when De-
comes effective next year. 1t is saiu
! IN he accountable to large portion OF
the educated, thinking people OF IN
dia, although it has some strenuous OPP
: moments among the extremists VINO
claim that it does not go far. enough.
should the measure fail to work OUT
az has been anticipated by the gov
eminent the consequences may be Sc
r,ous. hut it is said to be recognized
nv moderate opinion as true step IN
the direction of self-governmeAt TOT
India.