Englishmen hardly appreciate the true magnitude of the difficulties we have to contend with in any attempt to expose sedition.  All the social forces that exist in Hindu society run counter to anti-Brahminical movements.  The influence which the Brahmins exercise on the popular mind is still considerable.  A man who is damned by the village-priest or the Brahmin kulkarni is doomed for good.  Loyalty has been rendered odious to the ordinary mind by this as well as by many other influences.  Loyalty is flattery.  This is a dictum now almost universally recognized in the Deccan.  A supporter of the Government is a “Johukum,” a “hireling,” or a “traitor.”  The Press has of late become sufficiently powerful to make or mar the reputation of a man so far as the native public is concerned.  Every advocate of Government measures—­even of the best of them—­is held up to ridicule by the Press.  This is immediately reflected in the most exaggerated form in what we may call public opinion in the land.  Certainly very great courage is necessary in one who is called upon to bear calumny such as this from his society and his castemen.  But there are other forces more threatening still.  The rowdier section of the people never fails to hoot the man out on every possible occasion and even the women of his family may be subjected to indignities.  The vakils are a very powerful class in the Deccan.  Many of them do not openly dabble in politics; but you can hardly find many among them who do not sympathize with extremist politics.  The landholders, traders and agriculturists in general are always in need of the services or, as they think, of the favour of the legal profession whose prejudices will never be wounded by the classes mentioned.  The vakils, I may say, are to be propitiated by every one who wishes to conduct any public movement.  But a loyal movement can never save itself from condemnation at the hands of this powerful class.

Although reluctantly, I must add that the lower services of the Government are filled by men who passively help extremism.  They form the bulk of the total constituency of our public Press.  That is a fact to show their political inclinations.  Even they do not hesitate to use their little arts to worry a man known to be “anti-political” whenever he happens to come in contact with them.  An agriculturist friend of mine who belonged to the caste to which I have the honour to belong once came to me and asked me why I was taking a particular step connected with the political movements in Kolhapur.  The reason he gave for his attempt to dissuade me from participation in any anti-Brahmanical movement was that every Jain would be put to immense trouble in his dealings with pleaders and clerks simply because another Jain (in this instance myself) was against the leaders of their caste!  Another class which always forms a check on a pro-government man is composed of the chiefs, sirdars, landholders, &c., who belong to the agitators’ caste and who certainly cherish admiration for the doings of the “patriots.”  Many of us have to come in contact with some one or other belonging to this class and if he be known to favour anything against the great figures of the city-politics, his business is sure to be spoilt.