The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-04

1:ODlllJN. L or JnaJ reason all
Cne best pupils of the gymnasiums, the
literary colleges, look upon the univer-
sity diploma as the highest prize they
can reach in life. But it is not an
easy task to pass through q university
course. In the first place it is neces-
sary to master the long programme OF
the gymnasium, where for eight years
they study Greek, Latin, French, Ger
man, Slovenian and Russian, the his
tory OF the world, the history of Rus
STA, the history of the Russian church,
the history of universal literature and
that of Russian literature, the natural
sciences, mathematics, physics and
geography. The Russian gymnasium
is purgatory for the pupils. Hardly
10 per cent of them can successfully
pass its examinations and thus reach
the SANITARY of the university.
Since the abolition of serfdom there
are few noble families left which can
be called rich. The others, who give
their children the highest education,
clergymen and civil officers, are, as a
rule, poor. Therefore the education of
a child in the gymnasium and the uni
versity is usually accomplished only
with great personal sacrifice on the
part of the parents. Once the diploma
is secured, good career is opened, and
bread and butter are guaranteed for
life. But if student is dismissed
from the university for any cause he
is lost forever. and all the sacrifices Of
his parents must go for naught. The
eX-Student is the unhappieSt person in
Russia. All the doors of Arrangement
are shut against him. He mas only
one door left open-that leading to the
"subterranean republic" The StatiS-
tics of the nihilists show that fully
ninety per cent of them are eX-stu-
dents. In view of this fact, it seems
an objectionable folly on the part of
the government to treat the university
bows harshly. A nihilist leader is re-
ported to have said, on the occasion of
the recent student troubles:
Thanks to the car, now we are
stronger by hundreds of men, and he
weaker"
The recent trouble began at the
Kazan university. The new governor
of the KaZan province, Gen. Tcher-
kassoff, issued an order strictly for
bidding all unauthorized meetings.
The students, however, could not help
meeting. They have a library OF their
own, and some funds for assisting the
| most needy of their comrades; and
they had to meet in order to conduct
this business. The police arrested sew
eral students who met together. Then
as usual, all the students rose to de
mand an explanation and satisfaction,
| The news of the riot" was tele'
graphed to st. Petersburg. Count
Tistol, minister of the interior, re,
puted "student-hater," briefly an
swered: mo quarter" The university
was closed, and a great majority of the
students were sent away from the city
| of KaZan. The students of the uni
VerSity of this city wanted to eX'
press their sympathy with their COM
radeS of the KaZan university. Mr.
Dmitrieff, the curator of the universe
| ty, instead of using mild measures, re-
Guested the gendarmeS and the police
to occupy the university buildings. A
| fight took place between the students
and the policemen. The university
was closed, and hundreds of students
many on the very eve of being gradu'
ated, have lost the chance of getting
| diploma.
In view of these troubles, the au-
thorities of the other universities
have issued stringent orders, which
have only led to disorders. The uni
versity of Warsaw and that OF
Charkoff are already closed, anC
many students of the Moscow
university, of the Odessa uni
versity and of the Demidoff Ly
ceum of Yarsolavi have been arrested
and sent home. l saw student Of
the law department of the university
of this city, who a few months age
would have been graduated, but who
on account of the recent troubles, Las
been expelled from the university
and he showed me his ''wolf's pass" a:
they call the certificate of an expelled
| student.
"If | were punished so severely" hi
said, 'for some fault or crime of mine
1 would bear my lot patiently; but
have done nothing wrong except IL
coming to the university earlier thar
some others, when it was full of gen
darmes. l feel now like one thrown
from a vessel in the middle of thu
ocean. If l am not recalled to the uni
versity, shall have only one task il
my life-revengel"