11
Till ILLUSTISATKI) REK.
otioi!T is "lira.:
ranee, but with distinct reverence. Aji s
matter of fact, the Salvation army docs pa
ratio tho streets of Constantinople, and no
b' dy obJ-cti.
It la a striking fart, say the Moham
medan apologists, that, though the Turks
and Kurds do massacre and pi r cute
Christians for reasons not connected with
religion, thy never insult the Christian
faith or commit sacrilege in Christian
churches. The Mohammedan, like all
Easterns, has a wonderful tolerance for
people who do not think as h think. II a
standard of right and wrong U a person j1
one, nd he Btarla out with the Idea that
what may be wrong fur him niy be light
for outsider. He admits frankly that he
ha no standard by which to judge the
ChriMlans.
Westerns are prone (o siy, In consider
ing Extern institutions, "lhat Is not We.it
ern, therefore it mutt lie wrong." The con
Verse would be a criticism fmj.o all ! to
any Eastern mind. A Mohammedan wi uld
never ;ay: "Thiit Is not Eas em. therefore
It mu-t he wrong." The Koran rum
ma t da thnt the "ahl kltib" who have never
embraced l-l.im must b. judged und treated
on their own merit, if they have to be
Judged at all. They are to bo kindly
treat d and cherished.
"We admire many of your missionar
ies,'' says the Mohammedan. "Of course.
We think them mistaken, but. we wc that
they are good men who follow their lights.
Many Mohmnmedon help tlicm In their
educational work by gifts of money, lani
and bulli liifis."
"Before you are judged at all by Mo
hammedans, much less condemned, many
things will I here lie to Le inquired of,"
Buys a Europcnn who has spent utmost u
lifetime among Mohammedans. "First, are
ou mi eastern? 'If you are not,' siys the
eiisterii, 'I have no stsndard at all by
Which to measure you. If you (ire, then of
What class or caste of eastern ure ou? If
you ure not of my pellicular community,
equally aro you wltlioiit my orbit, if you
are, and you have .ginned, my condemna
tion extends to the exclusion of you from
"bread and water." That rule our religion,
which la greater than cither of us, his
made. Hut t will buy with you, sell with
you and talk with you.' Generous and
Cheerful, Indeed, is this tolerance among a
people, who still will die of thirst rather
tli an drink water from the hands of an out
alder." Religion, says the true follower of the
X'rophet, la woven throughout the entire
fabric of Mohammedan civilization. It la
not a mere decoration, it is part of the
piece, and every man's daily conduct Is
guided and regulated by the ceremonial
duties as well an by the prim I pies of his
fulth. Nobody la ashamed of practicing;
his religion. In Mohammedan countries it
Is a common sight to see people praying at
the cornera of atreets or by the wayside.
They spread their mats and pray because
It Is the hour of prayer, and they dure not
neglect It. even though It catches them uu
awarea upon a public road. They do not
expect to gain a reputation for sanctity by
such conduct. Just as certainly they would
not accord It to others who did the same.
And they expect Christians who dwell
among them to be aa devout and attached
to their religion as they are themselves. If
the Christian is lax, the Mohammedan has
no respect for him.
Similarly, they are rigid In their fusts.
Kveu the children cannot Iki tempted to
break "hunger-Btrlcken Rumuxan," or any
Other of the numerous fasts of Islam.
An Anglo-Indian woman, who has spent
years studying the Mohammedan tempera
ment, tells a striking atory on this head.
Which
(Copyright. 1803, by Sarah Conistock.)
HiCH bachelor would you rather
AI be the bachelor man or the
V I bii'-helor maid? Muvbn vou would
rather not be a bachelor at all.
In that case vou are barred
out of the discussion. If you, monsieur,
have just been scanning trays of diamond
solitaires or dining and drinking your fare
well to single blessedness, you won't be
Interested In the economics of the single
man. You have other economics to look
after. If you, mademoiselle, are counting
your effects after the linen shower or ex
changing cut-glass ruse bowls, you don't
care how much It costs your fancy free
later to remain fancy free.
It Is for the bachelors of both genders
to decide which gets the more comfort
and enjoyment out of life for the same
amount of money?
Ail bachelors are young nowadays, so
they want all there Is coming to them in
the way of a good time. Old bachelors and
Spinsters are of the past. The modern
bachelor wants to be young, whether it
te on $15 a week or on $500.
"Can a man live In a city like New York,
Chicago or Philadelphia on 150 a week?"
a very young bachelor was asked.
"He might exlat-he couldn't live." waa
tha scornful reply.
It was not for several weeks that his
Questioner learned he was a $15-a-week
clerk, and that his landlady was several
week's board to the bud, and that she Is
now holding a. dress suit, a watch con
which iliuKtratua tha Mohamraodan spirit:
"I remember a dear, small boy, the son
of our night watchman. His small s ul
loved mangoes, and one day, as he fol
lowed me about the garden, 1 offered him
one.
" 'No,' be aaid, wistfully; 'I may Dot
take it.'
" 'But why?'
" 'Does the Miss Sahib not know It Is
my fast? The giant of darkness strives to
overcome the mn, and not even water must
pans my lips for s many hours!'
"The duty, in the rase of this young
ster, was aelf-impnsed, for he was only
6 years of age, and so not yet within tho
pale of orthodox Moslem rigidity."
This story, rays the Mohammedan, ex
plains the fighting strength of Moham
medanism, the absolute subordination of Its
devotees. Men trained as this boy waa
training himself will kill for the faith Just
as readily as will they die for the faith, but
there is nothing petty about them. They
can appreciate and tolerate other fal.hs so
long as the adherents of those faiths do
not insult Mohammedanism. Half the out
breaks at places like Beyroo are causod
if Mohammedans may be believed, by
Christians committing, either intentionally
or accidentally, what a Mohammedan
deems to be sacrilege.
Kor a Moslem the world is divided by
tradition Into two parts "Dar al-Islam
(the abode of Islam) anil "liar aJ-harb"
(the abode of war). That would seem to
imply that the Moslem's hand Is against
all unbelievers; but Mohammedan canon
law, if the beat Egyptian lawyers are to
be believed, degrees that "jihad"- (holy
war) must never ho mailc. unprovoked upon
"Dar al-harb."
Kveryone knows that the whole system
of Mohammedan civilization bears hardly
on Christians who live under it. It has
been said that personal lights "exist only
for Mohammedans in Islam." Christians
cannot give evidence in Mohammedan law
courts, they may not bear arms and they
have to pay a capitation tax. "The Koran
makes these decrees," nays the Mohamme
dan. In defense "and we cannot go back
of it."
"These are religious dogmas," says a
l.'nlted States vice consul in Turkey, in
one of his official reports, "which will
never alter unless the whole fabric of their
religion passes away and another insti
tution is planted In Its stead. I have
opened the subject before the doctors of
the law, and they assert: 'These are reli
gious dogmas based on religious principles
and If his majesty, the sultan, wishes to
order anything contrary, the Mohammedan
population collectively will not obey him.
And they might have added, 'that such a
step might bring on an insurrection.' "
What "the faith" prescribes must be
obeyed. Outside of tlyt, the Moham
medans claim they are remarkably tolerant
especially In the Turkish dominions. Copts
and MaronitiB, Druses and Greek Chris
tians are ail allowed the free exercise of
their different religions and no Moham
medan would dream of molesting them or
Insulting them while they were assembled
to worship their God In their own way.
His mental attitude toward "infidels'" Is
curious. If a "jihad" (holy war) were pro
claimed, he would be ready enough to slay
them, but if, In his path of massacre he
came upon a Christian at prayer he would
hold his hand until his destined victim
hud finished the act of worship. His in
stinctive reverence for any kind nf reli
gious manifestation would check hs lust
for blood.
It is usually assumed by western states
men and western newspapers that tho sul
Bachelor Would You Rather Be?
taining the girl's picture, and three favor
ite pipes.
"1 can rent a dress suit If It comes to
the worst, the town Is over-run with pub
lic clocks, and I'm very comfortable with
out the girl's picture, but I've got to have
those pipes," he confided In a heart to
heart.
He has not solved the problem of living
on $15. But there are plenty who have and
who pay their bills.
"They are the best pay In the world,
these young people on small incomes," tbe
trades people say. "They pay aa they go
along and they never reckon their income
without subtracting the bills. It's the rich
that have to be dunned."
But the $15 man sweeps all the luxuries
of life off the board if ho determines to pay
his way. He has to eat. This Is one of the
needs that goes with being a man. Rating
is a secondary consideration with the girl
who economize. What she must have is
a chiffon parasol. .
The man says:
"I won't wear a rented dress suit. I
never did such a thing while the old man
paid the bills. Even if I did, I couldn't
keep up. I can't be invited all the time
when I can't invite. I've (jot to cut it out."
The girl says:
"I can take that old silk parasol and
clean It tip with gasoline and ruffle It my
self with chiffon; and there's that white
neck ribbon that I can clean and press and
use for the handle's trimming. Organdies
are cheap, and I can snake my own. There's
tan of Turkey la an autocrat who can rule
as he wishes, whose fiat means the
slaughter or the sparing of Christian vil
lages and Christian peoples within his do
main. Nothing Is further from the fact,
saya the Mohammedan.
In theory, the sultan may be despotic,
though even that is doubtful in the light
Of Moslem civil and religious law. In prac
tice, he Is even more hampered by ecclesi
astical bureaucracy than the czar of Rus
sia Is. And public oplnon is a more power
ful force in Turkey and other Mohamme
dan countries tlian it is in tbe weatern
civilisations. The sultan dare not move a
step without the sanction of his myriad
coreligionists and his fellow rulers of the
Mohammedan world. He may be the ca
liph of Islam, the theoretical head of the
faith, but he only holds that position while
be pleases Islam.
The Momammedan conception of an ac
ceptable ruler Is very different from that
of tho westerns. The "articles of belief
composed by the Bhelkh Najm Ad Din
Abu Hafs Vmar Ibn Mohammed ibn Ah
mad an-Nasnfll, a famous Mohammedan
theologian, say that the Moslems must
have a leader "who shall occupy himself
with the enforcing of their decisions."
"It is not a condition," says the gentle
man with the long name, "that he should
be protected by God from sin, nor that
he should be the most excellent f the
people of his time, but it is a condition
that he should have administrative ability,
should be a good governor and be able to
carry out decrees and to guard tbe re
strictive ordinances of Islam and to pro
tect the wronged against him who wrongs
him. And he is not to be deposed from the
leadership on account of immorality or
tyranny."
The "restrictive ordinances" nre those
which deny civil rights to the Christian.
If the sultan does not enforce them, he
is liable to be deposed.
The Sultan Abdul Humid Is in constant
correspondence with the ameer of Af
ghanistan, the shah of 1'orsl.t, the sultan
of Wadai, and other great Mohammedan
rulers. Their opinions influence his dealings
with Christian nations at crises like the
present. But', beyond and above these tem
poral princes, lie Is forced to consider two
Spiritual monarchs tho shelkh-ul-Islarn
and the mysterious head of the great se
cret order of the Senusaiyah.
The shelkh-ul-lBlam, who lives in Cairo,
Is practically the supreme religious au
thority of the orthodox Mohammedans. In
effect, he is the pope of the Mohammedan
world, holding somewhat the same position
toward the sultan as that which the popes
of Rome held toward Christian monarchs
in the middle ages.
If the sultan were to extend real reforms.
In the western sense of tho word, to the
Christian people under his rule; if he were
to give them personal rights, remove their
civil disabilities, and make them equal
with Mohammedans before the law, he
would violate the cardinal principles upon
which the Mohammedan civilization is
based. The sheikh-ul-Islam probably would
feel obliged to release his subjects from
their allegiance In the name of religion.
"The fulth" Is far stronger than either
Bultan or sheikh, and neither can afford
to play with It. If they combined to im
prove the status of the sultan's non-Mo-hummedan
subjeeta they would probably
bcth fa'.l. The Sonussiyah, which standa
for orthodox Mohammedanism, stands for
orthodox Mohammedanism of tho old
fashioned puritannieal type, would attend
to that.
Mohammedans do not admit the superi
ority of western civilization, even when
no reason why I can't spend Sunday at the
Aiken's country home."
The man slapa himself sympathetically on
the shoulder and says:
"Of course, you can't pay less than 73
cents a day for your meals, old chap."
The girl, when she has footed what the
yards of chiffon will come to and reflected
on how much dressier the organdie will bo
with velvet ribbon trimming, says:
"I can just as well do without breakfast
for awhile. A great many up-to-date think
ers are protesting against the breakfast
habit, anyway."
A man is willing to do with something
very modest In the way of a room. He is
never in It much. Even when he cannot
afford to go at a swift pace he contrives to
And some way to pass his time away from
home. So he can house himself within
some sort of four walls for $1.50. or take
a hall bedroom In a comfortable house for
$2 a week.
He probably will get an Inartistic wall
paper at that price and the chair Is likely
to be black walnut upholstered In peacock
blue plush, but the man doesn't care. He
can cut out the $1 a wek extra that the
gas costs, too, for he doean't need a fire to
dress and go to bed by, and the rest of the
time he's asleep.
But when it comes to the question of
table the Inner Man sits up and takes no
tice. A pi table makes the actual living
that Is, mere board and lodging come to at
least half of his income; yet $15 men are
found at Pi tables. The $5 table la apt to
be furnished with poor cuts of meat, with
they have lived under It. They prefer thelf
own system and think It Is the better one.
Here Is the rationale of Moslem civiliza
tion, aa it was expounded to an Anglo
Indian woman by an aged Hindoo fqllower
of the prophet. The old man had known
some of the glories of the last mogul liefore
the English had riveted their hold upon
India. The woman tried to convince him
that those old days of bloodshed and brig
anrtage were bad days when compared with
the present era of peace and liberty under
British rule.
"Nowadays," she said, "you can reap
that which you have sown. You can gather
your wheat Into your garners. You do
not fear that your wife will be stolen front
you, or your children slain while you worn
In your fields. Your homes and occupa
tions are secure now."
"Yes," he replied, "there is sll that."
"And what Is there not? What Is lost
which you regret?"
"There is no longer a chance for a man,"
said the old Mohammedan, heaving a re
gretful sigh. "In olden days, before the
Christians came to rule over us, the beggar
by the wayside might become grand vizier
If the king did but smile upon him."
"And equally," she replied, "his head
might b cut off If he failed to laugh ut tho
king's last Joke.'
"We liked to take that chance," said the
Mohammedan.
There Is the secret of the hold which tha
Moslem political system has upon Its nd
herents. It is an enormous gamble. The
career is open to the lucky and the talented
as it Is under no other social organisation.
Americans are fond of dwelling upon tho
rise of poor hoys to positions of affluence
and dignity In the American common
wealth by sheer force of native merit.
There are a thousand stories In Moham
medan lands which parallel the progress of
Lincoln "from log cabin to White House."
But the possibilities of advancement in a
Mohammedan civilization Immeasurably
surpass those In America or any other
western country. Here the truckman may
become a millionaire, but there the base
born slave may become an emperor wield
ing sway over millions of subjects.
The spirit of "The Thousand and One
Nights" dominates the Mohammedan world
today. As If by the rubbing of Aladdin's
lamp a man's fortune may be changed In
the twinkling of an eye.
Take the case of Rubah, "the Black Na
poleon of the Soudan." He Ftarted life nsa
slave of Zebehr ra,ha, the great Central
African warrior. He Imbibed the spirit of
Mohammedan fanaticism so thoroughly
that when his master died be was able t
take his place and wield absolute sover
eignty over millions of warlike tribesmen.
Nobody thought of saying. "Why should
this slave rule over us?" He was the
strongest man in fight, and he naturally
ruled in a democracy of physical force,
until eventually his power was broken by
the French In West Africa.
A Mohammedan feels that what Rabah
and a dozen men like him have done, he
may do. There Is the chance. In the con
ditions under which he lives ho may al
ways have the luck to fight his way to thi
top, if he is not summarily extinguished
before he gets there. It Is "up to him."
He likes the gamble, and would not ex
change it for the stolid security of Chris
tian government. There may be a million
chances to one that he will never be any
thing except a peasant, subject to the
rapacity of the sultan and the vail and the
mutaseriff and the tax collector; but he en
dorses the social system under which he
has one chance in a million of becoming a
sultan.
cheap fruit and vegetables. The Sunday
chicken sneaks, in disguise, into tho latter
end of the week. The Inner Man protests.
Restaurants are better.
It la at the cheap, business man's restau
rant that the genuine economist Bolves his
problem best. He eats meat three times a
day. He allows himself dessert at dinner,
but not a lunch. He drinks coffee twice.
Breakfast costs 25 cents, lunch 15 and din
ner 35.
The $15 girl, on the other hand, pays more
for her room and less for her board. She
Is at home more of the time, she says. As
a matter of fact, she is not thinking so
much of her own comfort, for she Is too
self-denying in the matter of that, as she
Is thinking of the appearance her home will
make. There wlil lie callers. If possible,
she secures a room in some house where
the privilege of the parlor Is Included, or
she clubs with three other girls and lakes
a $40 apartment In a pleasant location. Her
share in this apartment will cost $;.!iu a
week, and It has to be furnished In the be
ginning, which will make it Impossible, un
less somebody can rummage at home for
old bits of furniture that tiusy hands can
re-cover. Occasionally savings will add to
the furnishings from time to time.
"You may as well have a decently com
fortable room board costs to little," rhe
saya
"Can you be satisfied with a $5 table?"
one of these economists was asked.
"Five dollars?" she exclaimed. "Two and
(Continued on Page Fifteen.)
