Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-08-18
DISSENT IN RUSSIA.

Seets That Count Their Numbers
Among the MilIIons---Dangcrous to
the Ckar.
Pail Mall Gazette.
The extraordinary increase Of secta-
rianism in all parts Of the Russian en-
pire threatens TO prove more serious
danger to the government than nihilism
itself. II Is very difficult to obtain
trustworthy evidence as TO the actual
status of dissent in Russia, nor must 1t
be forgotten that nearly all our infor-
nation on the subject is furnished from
official sources. But there Is reason to
believe that the number OF dissidents
from the national church amounts at
the present moment to over 100000.
Many Of these sects, though exposed to
most cruel and unrelenting persecu-
tons, are, politically speaking, perfect
" harmless, but the same can not be
said of certain religious bodies that
have sprung up in later times, and are
daily making converts among the peas
ant class. From an interesting article
in The GOlOs Of July 9, we gather the
following particulars relating TO two
powerful sects--the Beg0unie, ("Wan-
derers'0 and the Neplatelschtchikie.
("NOn.prayers'D. The former are to
be found chiefly in the governments of
Yaroslaff. Kostroma. Kazan. NiejegO-
rod, OlOnetski. and Archangel. Their
fundamental article of belief Is that
"the car is Antichrist, and his minis
tiers and agents are wicked angels sent
90 execute his DEGREES, 10 the uprooting
of the people Of God" AS any oppo-
sition 20 the government is impossible,
and as III man would be saved he
must refuse 10 recognize any authority.
imperial or other" the only means left
10 escape from Antichrist is to avoid
all society and TO take refuge In solita-
ry woods, deserts and mountains"
They are sworn foes To all passports
and certificates of residence. ana there
are good grounds for believing that the
vexatious manner I'm which the pass
port system Is carried out in the inte-
riOr OF Russia originally gave birth to
this strange act. The writer tells us
how in nearly every village in one of
the most extensive districts OF the gov
eminent of Olonetski he met with Be
gounie who were gladly lodged for
weeks together by the peasants in the
so-called "lairs" that are construct ted
for the purpose in secret and out-of the.
way places. The sect is divided, more
over, into twogrest groups-the "Wan-
derers" and the "ShelteTers." The Be-
gounie-or "Hiders," as the peasants
generally call them-are recruited from
every part of Russia, and among their
number are to be found deserters from
the army and escaped convicts from ST.
IBERIA, but for the most part they are
natives OK the northern governments.
AS long ago as 1864 the police began to
hunt these poor sectarians from place to
place, but owing TO the sympathy invari
ably shown them by the peasants, all at.
tempts to arrest any of taeir more
prominent leaders have been constantly
frustrated. Thus Nikanor, the ac-
knowledged chief of the Degounie, was
apprehended IN that year of the charge
Of refusing 10 serve as a soldier; but,
in spite of the heavy convoy that trims
ported him to NichOlaiefI. he succeed
ell in escaping. and had such confidence
in the fidelity and attachment of his
followers that he actually resided for
months in his native village. and even
when arrested, Notwithstanding that
the police agents. Anthiemoff and Ii
kOf, received n substantial reward
from the government for their jealous
and praisewOrthy service" once more
affected his escape. and to the best of
our belief Is still at large preaching
and making proselytes.
Hatred of passports, and of all the
worrying extOrtions to which the poor
peasants are in consequence exposed.
must be regarded as the source and orr
gin of Begounism, and the same may
he said Of the Neplatelschtchikie, or
NOn-prayers. The sect is very numer-
GUS In the government of Perm. more
particularly I'm the mining districts.
Two thirds Of the wOrkmen engaged in
the well-known Seye mines are Non
prayers. They were first heard of rs a
corporate body in 1861, and their refus.
al, on religious grounds. to pay the tax
levied on the emancipated peasantry
has since frequently brought on them
the displeasure Of the government and
exposed them to no few hardships and
prosecutions. Hundreds of them have
been imprisoned. transported TO Siberia,
or forced to quit their homes for some
more distant part Of the empire. But.
wherever they went. they could always
rely ON the good feeling and secret aid
of the people; and escapes from prison.
that would otherwise be simply mirac-
ulOus, are OF constant occurrence
through friendly cOnnivance of the
peasan =. The persecution is now rs
hot rs ever. but II is not difficult To
To fOresee on whose side victory will
ultimately declare itself. Only n few
months ago the chief apostle of the
sect. having obstinately refused to abate
one iOta Of his religious opinions, was
declared insane and put into a mad.
house. whence he was released only i'm
consequence of the publicity that had
accidently been given to his case. But
still, In spite of prison, gallsys, trans
pOrtatiOn. and mad.hOuse, sectarianism
lourishes, and will flourish until the
iniustices that have given rise TO these
rxtTavagant forms of Professionalism
are redressed. IL is greater liberty in
s,cial life and In matters of opinion
That Is needed.
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