Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-07
ma RnssInn Penannt.


The Russian peasant is not a bad fel-
low, but he is not picturesque, chiefly be-
cause be is a triAe too well off to be sen.
timental himself, or TO be the subject Of
sentimentality ia others The law makes
him at birth a member OF the rural COM
mune, or village community, and secures
to him as long as be lives the means of
earning a living. He is his own master,
or as much so as any man not a hermit
can be; that is to say, be has as much
weight as any of his fellows in the coun-
ellis OF the commune, and the commune
is to him the source Of all law. His land,
in many parts OF the Empire, is apt to be
sterile, but it belongs, as he does, to the
commune, aud csnno be taken away.
HIS homestead exempt from execution,
and so are his horse and his farming i'm
plements, aud his tools, if he is q me
chanic. He must work hard all his life,
and his taxes are heavy; but the obligs-
ton to pay them rests upon the ccm-
mune, not upon him individually, except
as the communs requires him to pay.
de eats black bread, and drinks bad Ii
quor, but be has enough OF both. His
condition Is not quite so good in some
respects as it was when be was a serf; bat
the difference is largely the result OF his
own choice. 1t arises chiefly out OF the
desire of each married peasant to set up
an establishment for himself, q practice
which has increased the cost Of living
witsout adding anything to the working
power Of the community. The practice
works its v cure, in part, and peasant
families are still large, as a rule, the
family being in all cases a sort of CO.
operative society for purposes of work.
The family may consist of any number
OF persons, and embraces commonly the
representatives of two or three genera.
lions. There is one recognized head in
each family, who may be either a mar or
a woman, and may or may not be the
Oldest member OF the family. The quail
E%eaton requisite for this domestic head
ship is executive ability, and its posses
sion secures authority BY common COO
sent; but in grave matters this family
president acts only By aud with the con
sent Of the family senate. he directs the
working, sells the products of the work,
and buys supplies, out at every step ad-
vice is offered and needed. The family
usually includes the married sons and
their wives, but not the married daugh-
tiers, who belong to their husbands fami-
lies. All the earnings are held in com
mon, and this rule prevails even when
some OF the male members, whose labor
10 not needed at home, 20 away to ST.
Petersburg or elsewhere to work at hshdi-
crafts. There are some such workers 10
nearly every family, and in winter, when
the teamwork is done, other members 20
away in like manner in search of employ
ment, each sending his earnings home 10
be placed with the common fund. II a
married son seeedes from the family, and
sets up q Of his own, be ia entitled to
take nothing away with him, but must
begin over again, working upon his part
of the common land. For this he is iul-
ly equipped, and, like his brethren, he
can exc out the scanty livelihood thus
earned, by working occasionally for hire
under the steward Of the neighboring
great estate. His teamwork is simple.
His land is divided by communal author
itylntot three parts, one for summer grain,
one for winter grain, and one to lie ial-
low, and even his days of beginning par.
tculsr operations are fixed for him, go
that he has 40 need Of judgment as part
OF bis equipment for independent farm
ing he has need only of three things,
namely, himself, his wife and bis horse,
and these he has. These three constitute
the labor unit, as Mr.. Wallace phrases il;
that is to say, all the work is done BY
precisely this combination of forces, and
no matter how large q family may BE-, its
members work in groups of two--one
man and one woman-each group using
one borse.-- [Appleton's Journal.