Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-29
Russians and Jews

A Swiss writer, who has been study
ing the condition of the Russian peas
antry, especially with view to the dis
covery of the causes of the wholesale
local prosecutions of the Jews, has come
to the conclusion that the phenomenon
is neither religious nor political, but en-
tirely social. The Imperial Government
is about to issue a series of stringent
measures for the protection of the Jews,
aud the severe punishment of their ILL
users. The writer feels certain that the
Car and his government cannot amend
the stupendous evil by mere repression
and punishment. No cure is possible so
long as the Russian peasant farmer class
remains in its present hopeless con-
dition. Throughout the whole of
Central Russia, with its great Russian
population of thirty five millions
that is TO say, one-third part of the
Russian empire, with nearly one half of
its inhabitants tho interest of the pea
SAINTS must be made the first and fore
most care of the government, to the
postponement of the less important in
terests of the nobility and the other
great land owners. The question is one
of life and death for the government
itself, for the economical future and
prosperity of Central Russia depend en-
tirely upon the welfare and thrift of the
small peasant farming class. AS it is,
the main bulk Of the taxes is contributed
by this pow rty- stricken class. Quoting
the report of the tax commissioners, the
writer shows that the peasants are now
annually paying in head tax, communal
taxes and State taxes, sum of one hun
dred and seventy-six million roubles;
added to this they pay two hun
dred million roubles more in the drink.
former condition as serf. Thus three
hundred and seventy-six million roubles,
or so per cent. of the entire income of
the Russian State, is contributed by this.
despairing and impoverished social class
The economical condition of the boor
sinks lower every year, and there is every
prospect of increased misery. The
peasants themselves ascribe their rapid
decline to one cause.-The pressure and
tyranny of capital 1t must be remem-
bered that capital has not effected in
Russia what it has done elsewhere-the
entire transference of the ownership of
land from the peasant farmer to
weather. class. His land is still his own.
though he gains nothing by it, because
he is impoverished by The capitalist
traders, upon whom he depends for everv
single article which he needs. Capital.
as it presents itself to the Russian peas
ant, is built up wholly on barter, and by
'skillful use of time, place and necessity,
the capitalist or barter-mOnger strips the
peasant Of everything. In the districts
where this triumph of capital is most
complete the barter is in the hands of
Jewish traders, and hence the Russian
peasant attributes his ruin to the Jews.
and is filled with hate towards them
he is incapable, in his state of culture,
of looking deeper int the matter. He
has not the energy to become a trader
himself. He looks upon every Jew as a
typical representative of that capital and
that trade-spirit to which he ascrihes the
economical ruin of the farming class.
His politics. so far as he has any, are
curious medley of fanatical toryism and
socialism, if we may attribu these
Western names and principles to
so Oriental a phenomenon. The present
result IS that both the enemies, Russian
and Jew, are seized with a panic fever
of emigration. The prosecuted Jew flies
toward the West to escape the. Russian.
The impoverished Russian sets his face
toward the East to get out of the reach
OF the Jew. A great exodus of popula-
ton has commenced, one westward, the
other eastward, while the third part pen
citrate the interior Of the empire ia all
directions in sealc CHI of work and bread.
This unrest of the most settled and rest.
full of all the classes of population-tIe
agricultural class-is a threatening symp-
tom, ominous for the future of the ma
tiOn