The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-04-20
OLD n NEW RUSSIA.
A Brief History Of its Political and Social
Growth, in Connection With the Rise
of the Romanofns.
Written for the RIVER PREss.I
NUMBER Y.

sOlidation and national development, and lett
behind the era Of anarchy and petty soVer-
eighty, and, although an occasional court IN
trigue or attempt at characterization occur
red. they could not overthrow the central au-
thority, which with cruel might stamped out
every effort and extended its iron authority
and power. There were but two classes in
Russia worthy Of the name at this time,
which were divided as noble and serf-a very
small middle class of merchants and artisans
existed, but exerted no perceptible in
duence. Agriculture was in q very rude con-
dition, and trade, which never had had much
development, was all but annihilated during
the three centuries Of exhausting civil
war which had desolated the country. All
power was centered into the bands Of the
Gear, although he was nominally supported
by a council consisting of a sort Of senate, and
an occasional council Of representatives chos-
en- by the people, but the services Of either
were not required, and they may be consider
ed dead members Of the Russian system.
The growth Of this empire is the history
of q single family and that family is the Ro-
manoff, and a great deal Of sympathy has
been wasted On a worthless nobility which
this family has destroyed and oVerthroWn by
q series of arbitrary and heartless measures,
which have really been exterminatiye in their
results. But however severe and h~eart(ess
this policy may appear to modern eyes, it
t,.r 3 S,,+;Goo+sor in roacccyfv and in ito
tendency to c%ivilize, when a tendency to civ
ilize could only be created by the iron will
of autocracy. Even Ivan the Terrible did
much to curb the turbulency Of an arrogant
nobility. and left it 50 powerless for harm
that the subsequent reign Of anarchy
up to the accession of Peter was not sutfi-
cient to r~einslate them.
During the years preceding Peter to the
time of Ivan the Great, another force was in
process of formation, and which had gradu-
ally augmented until at the time of emanci-
patton it was the most potent social factor
that affected the government, an element
which has been the only one sufficiently or
ganized and centralized to voice public sen
timent in the empire, and which has fur
nished the material, and with its magnificent
organization has shown the power to defy
all the machinery Of the government. It was
with this that the discomfort was manifested
that led to the emancipation ukase. and open
~ and secretly it has led in the only popular
movement known in the empire. This or
ganizati0n is the Arte5.
The Artd is q kind Of trades union, Or
guild, somewhat resembling in its formation
those of mndieval Europe. It is 8 natural
outgroWth Of the Mlr, Or agricultural ON
mune, noticed il 9 previous paper. Its mem
bers are a part Of the village polity in which
they were born, and are subject to the will of
the village elder, who can dispose Of them at
pleasure-(this authority extends even as far
the army or to the government departments).
These associations are represented only by
the difference in the trade or calling profess
ed, and all have g sort Of unity in tendency
and organization. Individual action is al
most impossible, and really is impossible
among the Russian-born of the naoujk or
peasant class. All labor, whether skilled
or unskilled, is furnished by these societies,
and the wages are paid to the society and at
terward divided in common, on a pro Tata
agreed upon among themselves, and the So
ciety is responsible not only for the proper
performance of the labor contracted for, but
for the honesty Of the member, and his acts
generally. This responsibility of the indi-
vidual to the governing powers, and his per-
feet subordination to them, il carried to the
Mm where the party beiongs;-and no mat
ter whether he is in the employ of q banker,
merchant, or contracted directly by the 1,td,
or in the government service, or in the army,
he never loses his identity with his native
village, nor his entire personal ~subjugation to
its DEGREES.
If q merchant wants q clerk, he reports to
the ArteL and he il furnished if he wishes
to build a house, he applies to the Artz and
it is built if he wishes to do any sort Of
work he must apply to the Arta as q body,
and not to the individual member. IF his
employee is dereIict in duty he reports to the
Arta and the man is replaced or punished by
the Arta, Gf his offence is great be is re-
ported to the Mir, which may pass any SEN
tence it pleases, and may send him to sibe-
ria or the mines, and until q late day could
even put him to DEATH; if he steals money or
valuables, the Arta is responsible and must
replace them, and this makes each member
of the organization a spy on bis neighbor,
haoo,,co IL fha cfrIan nrn,,arfv ia not fnund.