Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-01-10
THE RUSSIAN "M1R. (.

]
and assume that if the Slavonie race
ever controls the European world it
will be through the military domina-
ton. In this estimate of Russia's
PROBABLE influence on the future of
Europeon history, the peculiar char
aeteristle OF that great nations social
system is entirely overlooked. The
fresh blood and physical vigor Of her
homogeneous millions, are, it is true,
grand elements for reconstruction
OF the older societies Of the West :;
but there is a greater power, the Rus
slams claim, in the healthy life of
their social organization.
During the past five hundred wears
Western Europe has been develop
ing along line that tends more and
more toward the elevation of the few
and the degradation of the many.
The results of this process are most
plainly seen in England, where the
greater portion Of the soil is nominal
ly possessed by a score of persons.
By system of legalized robbery the
original owners Of the soil, the people,
have been shut out from their natural
share Of this common gift ofGod, and
exist only through the pleasure Of
those who have despoiled them. The
ubiquitous power that these few great
land-holders possess has been too
plainly demonstrated by the eonver-
sion OF fpopulOus countries into sheen
| walks, and the expatriation of the
inhabitants, to gratify the caprice of a
Duchess OF Sutherland, or some other
avaricious proprietor, whose real right
to the soil was only a legal fiction.
As basis Of Christian civilization
/ this system of land tenure is worse
than failure. 1t is a criminal mis-
take which must be corrected, or the
disruption of English society is inev-
liable; and England's experience in
this matter is, or will be, the expert
enee of every country organized on a
feudal basis.
AT this juneture Russia appears and
offers long tried foundation for a
new order Of things,-a return to first
| principles, departure from which has
everywhere prO2ed disastrous.
what appears in the West as the
chance doctrine of the greatest think
ers," writes KOstOmarOv, "what Is
there regarded as the highest express
sion of philosophy to which Europe
has arrived after centuries of eOnvul-
slons aud trials, has in Russia ever
lain enshrined in the character and
ideas OF the people Our peasant COM
munlties are in their nature nothing
else than the realization of the idea
which is now earnestly Struggled after
in the West" That idea is the COM
mon brotherhood of men, and the in
alienable right of each man to a share
of his native soil.
The idea Of private right to proper
ty in land Is foreign to the ideas OF
the Russian people. The earth Is
Gods, they say, and the use Of it his |
gift TO man, not TO individuals no I
one owns it, or can own it. TO the ex-
elusiOn ofhis neighbOrs. They would !
as soon think of gran ting the exelu- !
slve right To navigate the VOlga to |
one man, or a company of men. as 4
the ownership OF the land along its 1
banks. Both belong to the nation as
a whole, for the equal but undivided 1
use Of all the people. Individual ap-
prOpriatiOn or sale of land seems to /
them as irrational as an individual mo-
nOpoly of air or sunshine would be to
us. Whatever q man creates by his
own wit or labor is his,-the fruits Of /
his own planting, the corn he culti-
Yates, are his but the soil is the COM
mon Inheritance Of the people, and
cannot be alienated from them.
The entire social and political sys-
tenn OF Russia Is based on and grows
out of this free tenure of land. The
social unit, the national mierOeOsm is
the family. A group Of families liy-
ing in one place and sustaining fam
lily relation to each other, form AIir.
The nation is a family of Mrs, under
the supreme direction of the Gar,
who is regarded as father to the entire
people. The national territory, d.
vided among the Mrs according to
their occupancy, is either cultivated
by them in common, or sub-diYided
into equal portions and temporarily
allotted tOtne heads of families form
ing the Mirs. The woodlands, pas
lures, hunting-grOunds and fisheries,
remain undivided and free to all, !
under local regulations preventing
unequal appropriations. To provide
for new claimants between the alOt-
ments, a number of shares are set
apart as a reserve, to be rented or
otherwise made use Of for the COM
mon benefit until it is needed. The
shares of those who die, or remove to
other parts of the country, revert to
the reserve. III a stranger comes to
live among them, he is adopted by
The Mir as into family, and given an
equal share in the common possess
siOns. In mahy parts Of tbs country,
specially among the COssaeks, local
government is purely democratic, the ,
Elders, or chief men Of the village |
being elected by pOpn
lar vote. In all cases the authority (
The Elders is nothing except as an g
expression Of the will of the people. J
- God alone directs the Mir.n
To a.Russian the word Mir denotes G
not simply the aggregate of the people
Orming a community, but KOsnOs 9
Il is the persOnifieation o. order and !,
power, possession and prOvidene e. 1
The shoulders of the Mir are broad
hey carry everything What be- 1
Ongs to the Mir, belongs to the moth
RS little son. "A thread of the 4,
Mir becomes a shirt for the naked" !
Justice is usually administered by 4
he Elders sometimes by the Mir at b
arge. Passing near a village, Baron a
1authausen saw an instance of thel a
after, OnetOf the villagers had pre- a
umed to enclose a portion Of the 8
OmmOn pasture land. He was sum- :,
noned before the Mir to give an q
explanation Of his conduct. but fear /,
ng the communal stick he hid him b
elf /; whereupOn the people assembled 81
nd pulled down the unlawful fence. h
Mr. pOlozhil," /" said the Baron's driv- n
r, 1.-THE Mir has decided" "What m
he Mir decides must come to pass, n
ays another Russian prOverb. r.
The principle of communism rules Al
mong Russian artisans the same as N
mOng the peasant farmers. The y
1ir organized as a mandatory Is the NJ
riginal form OF mechanical industry.
Whatever one does, all do. The
MEMBERS of these artisan eOmmunes el
ssist each other with purchases in :"
and send their produe- "
ions to the market towns, where they n,
re kept for sale by members OF their q
wn Mrs. In this way every indi- W
idual is identified with his commu N
ity, which, wherever he may be, he A
egards as his home. He Is part Of OF
family for whose welfare all his eE- OF