The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-07-19
little or no benefit has been derived from
those wholesome institutions.

little Or no benefit has been derived from
those wholesome institutions.
The provincial assemblies, "Zem-
stro," and the communal assemblies,
+" MR. APE only an imitation of the old
Greek type of representative democra-
cy. The 'Mir," or village community,
is an institution of ancient origin. 1t is
based on the family, the "Mir" being
nothing but the family ON larger scale.
Here, as in the family, there is COM
mon ownership of certain things-the
house, its contents, the cattle, and the
implements of agriculture. The village
owns the land. There is also on both
sides a similar share of responsibility.
AS the household is responsible for the
debts, so is the village responsible to the
imperial exchequer for the taxes. As
in the family. the elder becomes the
head man of the village. Each and all
of the members of the village have equal
rights and burdens, determined by the
village assembly. of which every head
of household is member.
The redistribution of the soil, which
takes place every year, is one of the
anomalies of the Russian system of land
tenure The land being the common
property of the village, mere right OF
possession is granted to the holder.
The right, based upon the most iniquit-
Gus principles, supposes that each in
dividual is born with the same intelli-
gence, the same activity, the same
strength, that people are. all equally
moral, good and deserving. 1t seems
rather hard that the peasant who has
titled and MANFRED his section with care,-
in expectation of future profits, may be
and often is sent to another section to
begin the work anew, while his less
thrifty successor reaps all the fruits of
his toll. Nor is it more rationale to admit
that in the payment of taxes the indus
trious should have to bear the share of
the unworthy members of the communi-
ty. The allotment of land is made ac-
cording to the census lists, in which are
entered all the male peasants in every
part of the Empire: The taxes are
based upon these lists, irrespective of
the age at the time the census is taken.
The act of emancipation, in liberating
the peasant from his noble lord, does
not liberate him from the "Mir" He
can notabsent himself without the au-
thorization of the Commune Being
away even on leave, he is responsible to
it for his taxes, and may be recalled
whenever the village assembly thinks
fit. He may be expelled from the. COM
munity or sent to Siberia ON a simple
decree of the "Mir.'' His position, in
short, is hardly better than it was I'M
der the old system.
Morally, the peasant has not lmprov-
ed. He now drinks more and works
less, and his favorite beverage, the
vodka seems to be the ruling spirit
of all his doings. Corruption under all
forms has invaded all classes The vii
lage assemblies, the courts of justice,
the tax gatherers-a are amenable to
bribery, or are too often swayed by the
potent influence of the vodka" The
peasants themselves deplore the present
condition of the 'Mir, saying: t..There
is no order now; the people have been
spoiled; it was better in the time of the
masters
.. The priests and the merchants as a
class do not enjoy better reputation.
They are so ignorant and so dishonest
so open to bribery and corruption, as to
put to shame the very barbarians from
whom they claim-with some right-to
be the legitimate successors.