The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-09
RUSSIANS AND JjiEElWS.sa

A Swiss writer, who has been study
ing the condition of the Russian peas.
! sntry especially with aview 90 the dis.
| covery of the causes of the wholesale
! local prosecutions Of the Jews, hss
come to the conclusion that the phe-
nomenon is neither religious nor po-
litical. but entirely social. The i'm.
perisl Government is about to issue
a series OF stringent measures for the
protection OF the Jews and the severe
punishment of their III Users The
writer feels certain that the Gar and
his government cannot amend tho
stupendous evil By mere repression
and puuiShnsnt. No cure is possible
so long as the Russian peasant farmer
class remains in its present hopeless
condition. Throughout toe whole Of
Central Russia, with it's great Rus
sian population CT 5000. 0O0-thst
Is to say. one-third part of the Rus
ian Empire with nearly one malt OF
its nhabitsnts-tbe interests of the
peasants mus be made the first and
foremost care of the government. to
the postponemento OF the less import
ant interests OF tne nobility and the
other great land owners. the cues
ton is one of life and death for the
government itself, for the ec0no ii.
cal future and prosperity of Central
Russis depend entirely upon the vel
fare and thrift OF the sDAll peasant
farming class. As i. ia, the main
bulk OF the taxes is contributed by
this poyerty-ssricken clasa. Quoting
the report OF the tax oommiseiOue-
the writer shows that the peasants are
now annually paying in hesd-tax,
communal taxes and state taxes, q
sum of 176 600. 900 roubles; ADDED to
this they pay 100000. GOO rouhles
more in the drinE-tsx and so-called
"Obrok. for their former condition
as seris. Thus 375, O00, 900 roubles, or
56 per cent OF the entire income OF
the Russian state, ia 60 ltrlbuted by
this despairiDg and impoverished so
cial class. The economical condition
OF the poor sinks lower every year,
and there is every prospect ofin-
creased misery. The peasants them
selves ascribe their rapid decline to
one cause.-The pressure and tyranny
Of capital. Il must be remembered
that capital has not effected in Russia
what it has done elseWhere-the en-
tire transference OF the Ownership OF
land from the peasant farmer to a
wesllhier class. His land is still his
Own, though he gains nothing By it,
because he is impoverished by the
capitalist traders, upon whom be de-
ponds for every single article which
ne needs. Capital as it presents it.
self 10 the Russian peasant, ia built
up wholly on barter and by skilful
use of time, place, and pecessity, the
capitalist or bsrter-mOnger strips the
peasant Of everything. In the dis
tricts where this triumph Of Ca ital is
moss complete, the barter is in the
hands of Jewish traders, and hence
the Russian peasant attributes his
ruin to the Jews, aud is filed vito
hate towards them. He is incapable,
in his state o; culture. of looking
deeper into the matter. He has not
the energy to become q trader him
self. He looks upon every Jew as a
typical represent alive of that capital
and that trade spirit to which he as
cribes the economical ruin of the farm
ing class. His politics, so far as he
has any. are a curious medley of
fanatical toryism and socialism, if we
may attribute these western names
and principles to 90 Oriental q phe.
nomenon. The present result is that
both the enemies, Russian and Jew,
are seized with a panic foyer OF emil
grafton. The persecuted Jew lies
toEari the west to escape theRussian.
The impoverished Russian sets his
face toward the east to get out of the
reach of the Jew. A great exodus of
populations has commenced, one
westward the other eastward, while
the third part penetrate the interior
of the empire in all direction in
search of work and bread. Tnis un.
rest OF the most settled and restful of
all the Glasses of populstion-the
agricultural clsss-is a threatening
symptom, OMNIBUS for the future of