with the cause ought to show their sympathy by attending not only the marriage-ceremony but the marriage feasts also. But the diplomatic leaders of the Conference, the professions of some of whom considerably differed from practice, wriggled themselves out of the difficulty, by adding the words "so far as possible" to "help the movement." To the resolution advocating sea-voyage, Mr. Tilak moved an amendment which laid stress upon vegetarian diet and Prayaschitta. He was supported by Pandit Mad an Mohan Malaviya.
In 1889, the Social Reform leaders issued a circular together with printed copies of pledges which persons who believed in Social Reform had to sign. The circular expressly declared that the idea of resort to legislation, in matters social, was definitely given up. So Mr. Tilak gladly associated himself with this movement led by Ranade and other leading Reformers of the Bombay Presidency. But when the Government, showed their willingness to introduce the "Age of Consent Bill", the leaders of Social Reform did not hesitate to go back on their pledged word. The Social Conference of 1889 decided—altogether without consulting the signatories to the pledge—that the pledge bound not themselves alone but their children and executors as well!!! Mr. Tilak was utterly disgusted with such ridiculous resolutions. He admitted that the disfigurement of widow was unjustifiable but he had nothing but contempt and ridicule for those who seriously brought forward a resolution in the Conference requesting Government to make penal the disfigurement of widows. Such childish, perverse and unreasonable conduct was in his opinion extremely
