The Omaha Sunday Bee.
half tc::e sectioii
Pagss 1 to 8
THE OMAHA DEB
Ccst VCSt
VOL. XXXV-NO. 51.
OMAIIA, SUNDAY MORNING,, JUNfc 10, 1906..
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
AROUND THE WORLD WITH WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
Hindu India a Sink of Idolatry in Which the People Are Submerged Beneath a Multiplicity of Gods and the Weight of the Vicious System of Caste Prejudice
SUEZ, Aprl 8. (Special Correspondence of The Bee.) Before
beginning the trip through the interior, a paragraph must be
given to Indian travel. There are no Pullman sleepers in thla
country, and the tourist must carry his bedding with him.
Night trains hare compartment containing broad seats which can
be used as couches and hanging shelves upon which one may lie. The
traveler carries his own blanket, pillow, sheet, towels, soap, etc., and
occasionally has to rely on these at hotels aa well as on the trains. The
cars are entered from the side, and one must take his chance of
awaking at the right station, for there is no official to give him
warning.
In India it is customary for foreigners to take an Indian serv
ant with them, who acts as Interpreter and looks after the baggage
and looking after baggage is no easy task In this part of the British
empire. After we bad made one short trip without assistance we
were glad to yield to the custom, and Goolab, a Calcutta Musselman,
proved himself an invaluable aid in dealing with the baggage coolies
whose language we could not understand and whose charges varied
from the legal rate as the mintmum to three or four times that If
the tourist shows himself a novice at the business.
One Time When Guide Books Are Right
The hotels of India are declared by the guide book to be bad,
and one does not feel like disputing these authorities after having
made the trip. I do not mean to aay that there is no difference be
tween them, for in several places we found comfortable rooms and
in some places palatable fond. Everywhere we were so interested
n wJtatt tti saw that we could endure almoat'any kind of accommo
dations, but at one place the fare was so unsatisfactory that we were
reduced to eggs and toast. Goolab, overhearing some mutterlngs of
discontent, took It upon himself to report in the hope of securing
some Improvement, and the clerk asked me for particulars. I told
him that I had not intended to make any complaint, but that as he
was good enough to inquire I would say that we did not like the
cooking, that the crackers were sometimes mouse-eaten and that we
found a worm in the cabbage. He thought that the mice were inex
cusable, but, as if the question disposed of the matter, asked, "The
worm was dead, wasn't it?" I was compelled to admit that it was.
Leaving Calcutta we sought the ancient city of Benares, which
bears the distinction of being the center of Hinduism. In fact, it
has been the religious capital of India for 2,000 years or more.
At Saranath, just outside Benares, stands the first Buddhist
pagoda, said to have been erected nearly 500 years before the begin
ning of the Christian era to commemorate a spot in the deer park
where Buddha taught his disciples. Recent excavations near there
have brought to light one of the Asoka pillars which, though unfor
tunately broken, still bears testimony to the skill of the sculptor as
well aa to the zeal of the great Buddhist king. But these ruins are
all there is left of Buddhism in this vicinity, where Buddha lived
and taught, and where his doctrines were once triumphant, for Hin
duism has virtually rooted out Buddhism, adopting, It is said, the
device of making him one of the Incarnations of their own god.
Benares a Sink of Idolatry
At Benares one sees idolatry in its grossest and most repulsive
forms, and It Is therefore as interesting today to the student of the
world's religion as to the devoted Hindu who travels hundreds of
miles over dusty roads to bathe in the Gongeaj whoe watere be
considers sacred. Benares is built upon the north bank of the Ganges,
and It la estimated that each year it is visited by 1,000,000 pilgrims.
When more than 300 miles from the city we saw the caravan of one
of the maharaja (maharaja ia the title borne by .the native
princes) on ' Its way to the river. There were five . elephants, a
dozen camels and twenty or thirty bull carta besides numerous
pack animals and horses. The trip could not be made in much less
than two months, and all this for the sake of a bath in the waters
of the sacred river!
The bank of the Ganges is lined for a long distance with
bathing ghats (as the steps leading to the river are called), and at
one point theer is a burning ghat where the bodies of the dead are
cremated. Cremation Is universal among the Hindus, sandal wood
being used where the relatives can afford It Taking a boat, as is
customary, we rowed up and down the river In the early morning,
and such a sight! Down the steps aa far as the eye could reach
came the bathers, men, women and children, and 'up the steps
went a stream of those who had finished their ablutions. Most
of them carried upon their heads water pots of shining brass and
some carried bundles of wearing apparel. The bathing is done
leisurely, as if according to a ritual with frequent dippings; water
is poured out to the sun and prayera are said. The lame, the halt
and the blind are there, some picking their way with painful step,
others assisted by friends. Here, , a leper Bought healing in the
stream; near him a man with emaciated form mixed his medicine
. with the holy water, and not far off a fakir with matted hair
prayed beneath his big umbrella. On one of the piers a young man
waa cultivating psychic power by standing on oue leg while he told
' his beads with his face toward the sun.
Dressing and undressing la a simple matter with the mass of the
people. Men and women emerging from the water throw a clean
robe around themselves and then unloosing theVet garment wring
BURNING C1T ON THE GANGES AT BENARES.
It oui and are ready to return. Those who bring water pots fill
them from the stream out of which they have so recently come and
carry them away, aa if some divinity protected the water from pol
lution. Aa the river contains countless dead and receives the filth
of the city as well as the flowers cast into it by worshipers, it
requires a strong faith to believe it free from lurking disease and
aeeda of pestilence.
1 When we reached the burning ghat we found one body on the
funeral pyre and another soaking in the water aa a preparation for
burning. So highly is the Ganges revered that aged people are
brought there that they may die, if possible, in the water. While
we were watching a third body was prepared for the burning, and it
was ao limp that death could not have occurred long before. While
the flames were consuming those three corpses we saw coming down
the steps a man carrying the body of a child, apparently about i
years old, wrapped in a piece of thin cotton cloth. (The children of
the poor arc burled in the stream because ofthe. cost of wood.) The
man bore hia lifeless burden to a little barge and made the corpse
fast to a heavy stone slab. The boatman then pushed out from the
chore and when the middle of the stream was reached the man In
charge of the body dropped It overboard, and the burial was over.
Ganges a Never Forgotten Sight
No one has seen India until he baa seen the Ganges; no one
has seen the Ganges until he haa seen it at Benares, and no one
who has aeen the Ganges at Benares will ever forget it.
In the suburbs of the city stands the Durga temple, better
known as the Monkey temple, because it is the home of a large
family of monkeys which are regarded aa sacred. Photographs of the
temple present rather an attractive appearance, but the original ia
anything but beautiful, and the monkeys and general filth of the
place deprive 4t of all appearance of a place of worship.
The Golden temple, however, ia the one most visited by tourists,
and it would be difficult to picture a less Inviting place. The build
ings are old and greasy and the narrow streets are filled with
Images and thronged with beggars. One finds his interest in mis
sionary work quickened if he wanders through these streets and sees
the offering of incense to the elephant god and the monkey god,
and to images innumerable. The air la heavy with perfume and
the odor of decaying flowers and one Jostles against the sacred bulls
aa he threads bis way through the crowd. We have not seen in
any other land such evidences of superstition, such effort to ward
off evil spirits and to conciliate idols. The educated Hindus, and
there are many learned men among the Hindus, regard these idols
as only visible representations of an invisible God, but the masses
seem to look no further than the ugly images before which they
bow.
It was a relief to find near this dark pool of idolatry an
institution of learning, recently founded, which promisee to be a
purifying spring. I refer to the Central Hindu college of which
.Mrs. Annie Besant, the well known theosophlst, is the head. Al
though the school Is but seven years old it already Includes a
valuable group of buildings and has some 500 students. Among
the professors are several Englishmen who serve without compensa
tion, finding sufficient reward in the consciousness of service.
Tradition of Underground River
Next to Benares, Allahabad ia the most Important Hindu center.
The city la on Che Ganges, at ita junction with the Jumna, one-of
its longest branches. There ia an old tradition that another river,
flowing underground, empties into- the Ganges at this point, and the
place is referred to as the junction of the three rivers. The great
Mogul Akbar built a splendid fort where the Ganges' and the Jumna
meet, and probably on this account Allahabad is the capital of the
united provinces of Agra and Oudh. Within the walls of the fort
there Is another of the Asoka pillars, a very well preserved one,
forty-nine feet high and bearing numerous inscriptions, among which
are the famous edicts of Asoka, issued in 240 B. C. against the
taking of life. Within the fort in a subterranean room is another
object of interest, the Akhshal Bar or undecaying banyan tree. As
this tree is described by a Chinese pilgrim of the seventh century,
it is either of remarkable antiquity or has been renewed from time
to time. '
The religious lmp&rtance of Allahabad is largely due to a fair
which Is held there every year and which on every twelfth year
becomes a national event. It is called the Mela and last January
brought to the city a crowd estimated at from 1,500,000 to
3,000,000. This every 'twelfth-year fair brings together not 'only the
devout Hindus, who come as a matter of religious duty, and innu
merable traders who at such tjmes find a market for their wares,
but it draws large numbers of fakirs (prdhounced'fahkeers, with
the accent upon the last syllable) or holy men. They wear beards
and long hair and no clothing except the breech clout. They put
eshes and even manure upon their heads, and their hair and
whiskers are matted and discolored. These men are supposed to
have raised themselves to a high spiritual state by asceticism and
self-punishment. They undergo all sorts of hardships, such as
hanging over a fire, holding up the arm until It withers and sitting
upon a bed of spikes. We saw many fakirs at Benares and AlUha
bad and some elsewhere (for they are scattered over the whole
country), and at the latter place one accommodated us by taking
hia seat upon the spikes.
At the recent Mela 500 of these fakirs marched In a pro
cession, naked, even the breech cloth having been abandoned for
the occasion, and so great was the reverence for them that their
followers struggled to obtain the sand made sacred by their tread,
number of people meeting their death In the crowd. These faklra
are supposed to have reached a state of slnlessness, but one of
them seized a child along the line of march and dashed out lta
brains in the presence of its mother, claiming to 'be advised that
the gods desired a human sacrifice. He waa arrested by the
' British officials and Is now awaiting trial on the charge of murder.
The papers recently reported another Instance in which a fakir
was the cause of murder. He was consulted by a woman who had
k lost several children and was anxious to protect her prospective
child from a like fate. The fakir told her that she could insure her
child's life if she would herself bathe in human blood, and she
and her husband enticed a 7-year old boy into their home and killed
him to secure the blood necessary for the bath. The fakirs are not
only a danger to the community in some cases and a source
of demoralization at all times, but they are a heavy drain upon
the producing wealth of the country. Adding nothing to the ma
terial. Intellectual or moral development of the country, they live
upon the fears and credulity of the people.
The Hindu religion claims something more than 200,000,000
of human beings within ita membership; It teaches the transmigra
tion of the soul, or reincarnation as it Is generally called. The
Hindu mind takes kindly to the metaphysical, and the Hindu priests
have evolved an intricate system of philosophy in support of their
religious beliefs. Reincarnation is set forth aa a theory necessary
to bring God's plans into accord with man's conception of Justice.
If a man is born blind or born into unfavorable surroundings It is
explained on tfae theory that he is being punished for sins committed
during a former existence; if he is born into a favorable environment
he is being rewarded for virtue previously devoped.
Gods and the Caste System
It is not quite certain whether the Hindus have many gods or
many forms of one god, for the ancient Vedas speak of each of
several gods as if they were supreme. The most popular god la a
sort of trinity, Bramah, the creator; Vlschnu, the preserver, and
Siva, the destroyer, being united in one. Sometimes the trinity is
spoken of as representing creation, destruction and renovation, In '
which Krishna appears as the principal god. Out fit this aystem
lave sprung a multitude of gods until the masses bow down "to
stocks and stones."
The most pernicious product of the Hindu religion ia the cast
system. Infant marriage ia terrible, but that will succumb to
education; the seclusion of the women la benumbing, but It will
give way before the spread of European and American Influence,
and with It will go the practical servitude of widows, as the practice
of suttee (the burning of widows) haa practically gone. Bu "
caste system, resting upon vanity and pride and egotism, ,
difficult to eradicate. Nowhere in the world ia caste so, lnexor&
in lta demanrf.s or ao degrading in Its Influence. The lice 'a,wrtHi
the human being and the beast of the field ia scarcely ff'riMtfc
tlnctiy drawn than me line Between tne various castes. .
J-
Edward Rosewater Describes Canonization of a New Saint at Rome
Scene at St. Peters When His Holiness Beatified the Venerable Julie Billiart, a French Woman of Exceeding Piety, Whose Good Wcrks Are Still Remembered of Men
T 7 Ti
K
OME, May 22. (Editorial Correspondence.) Owing to the
strained relations subsisting between the Vatican and
Quirtnal members of the International Congress bad been
politely advised that no audience with the pope would be
granted them until after the adjournment of the congress. Inas
much aa the pope did net officiate at Bt. Peters on Easter Sunday,
as jwaa .formerly the custom, my first opportunity to see Plua X did
not present Itself until last Sunday, during a ceremony of beatifica
tion. By courtesy of Ttther J. S. Meyer, English assistant to the
general of the Society of Jesus, who, by the way, ia a native of St.
Louia and a devoted American, I waa the recipient of a ticket that
entitled the bearer to a reserved seat on the tribune of the basilica
of St. Petera. The ticket bore the following Inscription In Italian:
SOLEMN BEATIFICATION
of the Venerable Servant of God
JULIE BILLIART
Founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady.
Sunday, May 20, 1906. For the Afternoon Function.
THE MAJOR DOMO OF HIS HOLINESS.
The basilica will open at 3:30 p. m. The sacred function
will begin precisely at 6:30 p. m. Entrance at the door of St.
Martha. Ladles are requested to wear black dress and black
veil. Gentlemen black coat, white cravat.
Applause or acclamation forbidden; also the display in
the basilica of banners or emblems.
The beatification and canonization of saints Is unknown to any
other than the Roman Catholic church. Before proceeding to the
solemn act the church takes Infinite pains to trace the career and au
thenticity of acts of benevolence, pious devotion and miraculous at
tributes of those ppon whem the honor conferred upon martyrs of
primitive, Christianity is Invoked. According to a very ancient cus
tom the Roman pontiff alone is vested with authority to enunciate
the beatification and canonization of saints. The preliminary cere
monies" of the beatification of the venerable Julie Billiart, which
took place Ia the Vatican banlllc la the forenoon, were conducted by
Cardinal Tripepl, pro-prefect of the sacred congregation, assisted by
thirteen other cardinals and thirty archbishops and consultators.
To these ceremonies everybody waa admitted, while admission to
the papal function waa by card.
Accompanied by a member of the editorial staff of the Clvlllta
Cattollca, who ia thoroughly versed In the rltea of the church,
knows every nook and corner of St. Peters, and, moreover, enjoyed
the acquaintance of Cardinal Sarto years before he became Plus X,
I drove up the grand colonade that connects the Vatican with St.
Peters, reaching the door of St. Martha about ten minutes after it
had been thrown open. The passage was blocked by carriages and
autos and a perfect jam of men and women, civilians, uniformed
soldiers, priests, monks and nuns wedging their way Into the corridor
lined by gaudtly uniformed Swiss guards, who vainly tried to hold
back the surging mass. Most of these people knew that the first
comers would secure the best seats, hence the unseemly scramble.
Wonderful Scene in St. Petors
It was a never to be forgotten spectacle. The greater half of
St. Peters, Including the'vast dome, was brilliantly lighted by more
than 6,000 electric lamps and gas jets emitted through porcelain
candles artistically grouped and suspended from magnificent can
delabra. Above the main altar, surrounded by a cluster of large
five-pointed electrlu stars, was a transparent painting representing
the new saint, with angels' features in the attitude of heavenward
ascension. The basilica was superbly draped in crimson and gold
expressly for the occasion, and a number of large paintings repre
senting incidents in the life of Julie Billiart were hang within the
radius of the enclosure reserved for the pope and prelates partici
pating in the function. One of these paintings represented the new
saint ministering to the wounded on the battlefield of Waterloo.
The enclosure erected in the center of the basilica for the papal
court, extending from the great bronze pillars under the dome to the
apsis, was constructed of crimson damask covered benches on each
side of the paralleogram, for "occupancy by the cardinals, arch
bishops, bishops, prelates, monslgnors and heads of religious orders.
Back of these benches were several tiers of chairs reserved for mem
bers of the diplomatic eorps and distinguished guests. From this
viewpoint I was in position to survey the great assemblage, and the
pageant was the most Impressive I ever gazed on.
Waiting for His Holiness
An hour before the papal procession bad entered every seat
was filled. Fully 200 members of the Palatine Guard, composed of
knights and chevaliers of the Order of Malta, in Spanish court cos
tume, with lace cuffs and ruffle-, 'gold chains and short swords, acted
,as ushers. They were assisted maintaining order and decorum by
the Noble Guards, in dashing uniforms and centurion helmets.
Quite apart from the multi-colored and ornamental uniforms and
regalia there was a sprinkling of bejeweled, gold-laced and bestarred
ambassadors and diplomatic representatives. In the balcony re
served for Roman patricians were many high bred women, in fash
ionable, flashy attire, unmindful of the restriction that directed them
to appear In black only.
In a niche near the high altar a small group of quietly dressed
women were pointed out as the sisters and near relatives of his holi
ness. Presently a buzz was heard in the colonnade leading from the
Vatican to the basilica; the noise grew lpuder and louder and thea
came the clapping of many hands and cheers, in defiance of the
express orders of the papal major doiuo. As the papal procession
entered the pope, borue by six stalwart courtiers, waved down the
cheering crowd with his hands with apparent displeasure over the
demonstration. At thla juncture every man and woman in the
tribuue rose and craned their necks to get the first glimpse. The
cortege was preceded by the papal cross. His holiness was escorted
by his Noble Guards in full regalia. Borne aloft in the gilded but
by no means too ornamental chair, dressed in elegant and spotless
white, with the insignia of his holy office, but without the tiara,
Pius X, with hia band extended blessing the people, seemed to exert
a benign spell over the assemblage. His white hair, bronzed fea
tures and open countenance created the impression of a venerable,
dignified and yet simple man. who, although realizing bis exalted
mlns belong to the priestly class and are supposed to ha.l-W'
from the mouth of Brahm, the great creator; the Kshatrlas,
warrior clasa, are supposed to have sprung from he shoulders of
Brahm; the Valsyks, or merchant class, are supposed to bar
sprung from the thighs of Brahm, while the Sudras, or laborers,
are supposed to have sprung from the feet of Brahm. There are
numerous subdivisions of these castes, and besides these th'ere are
outcasts, although there does not seem to be any room below the
Sudra for any other class. The caste system not only affects social
Intercourse and political progress, but it complicates living. A
high caste Hindu cannot accept food or drink from a low casta
and must purify his water bottle if a low caste touches It. ,
Reforms Now in Progress
About seventy years ago a reform In Hinduism was begun
under the name of Brahmo Somaj. It was built upon monotheism,
or the worship of one god, for which it claimed to find authority
in the Hindu sacred books. It drew to itself a number of strong
men, among them Mr. Tagore and Mr. Sen, the latter making a trip
to England to present the principles of the new faith before prom
inent religious bodies there.
The Arya Somaj, another reform sect, sprung up later. Both
of these have exerted considerable influence upon the thought of
India, far beyond their numerical strength. So far, mowever, Chris
tianity has made greater inroads upon Hinduism than any of the
reformations that have been attempted from within.
At Allahabad we found two Christian colleges, the Allahabad "
Christian college for men and the Wanamaker sohool for girls.
Dr. A. H. Ewing is at the head of the former and Miss Foreman, the
(Continued on Page Eight.)
position, does not want to be worshiped and dislikes all ostentation
and display. That la the reputation, both among high officials and
laymen who have come in contact with him. v
Of the twenty-alx cardinals who participated In the solemn,
function lour who had .been competitors for the succession were
pointed out to me, vlz: Cardinals Rampolla, Gotti, Vannutelli and
Satolll.
At the conclusion of the function the pope remounted the sedla
gestatoria and proceeded to the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, wit
the ceremonial In the same order as on his entry.
' Life of the New Saint
The new saint. Julie Billiart, was born in Cuvllly, France, la
1760 and died at Amiens in 1816. Her parents were In moderate
circumstances and Julia was obliged to, earn her own llvllhood at
the age of 7. A shock produced by the attempted assassination of
her father produced a nervous malady that kept her an invalid for
twenty-two years. Although suffering excrutiatlng pain, her resigna
tion caused persons who had recourse to her advice and prayers to
call her the saint of Cuvilly. During the uprising that followed the
French revolution she came near being immolated, and fright caused
the loss of epeeth. A vision, in which Jesus on the Cross of Cal
vary comforted her in her affliction, Inspired her with the desire to
devote her life 10 rellgloud instruction, and eventually founded
the order of the Sisters of O'u Lady, which institution" concerned It
self with the Christian education of girls. In 179 she waa trans
ferred to Amiens, where ahe recovered her speech. She took her
first vowa in 1804, and soon aftor a mission waa given Julia BllUart.
She was elected superior general. During her lifetime the congre
gation established itself in several French cities and saay now be
found on .the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific, the Congo and the
Zambezi territories. In 1816 Julie Billiart assisted and nursed the
wounded on the battlefield of Waterloo. She died the following
year, at the age of 66. These particulars, gleaned from the pamphlet
distributed at St Peters prior to the ceremony, give an outline of
the llfo and service of the new saint. , E, ROSEWATEH,