The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-07-29
PEASANT RUSSIA.
Tie Great Political Game that che Csar asd |
the Mosjik are Playing.

White Russia Ned Russin. New Russia. Asintic
Russia. and 50 on-while from n business
standpoint there are only two Russins--tho
Cars Russia and Peasant Russia. These two
Russias greatly diNor rs to language religion.
law. dress. habits. morals. education. occupa-
lions. political tendencies. and. In truth. In
every point OF vital Importance. In some par
ticulnrs their differences amount to squire and
radical opposition. and TO clear incom patibllity
OF interests.
The Cars Russia is made IN oftho conquer
ora OF the country and their mutifnrlous de-
scendantB-the Gar. grand dukes. princes.
counts. barons. mobiles. civil and military Of
ncers. clergymen. and. to large extent, NOR
chants. Teachers. doctors. postrnasters. tele-
graph operators. railroad conductors land sur
vcyors forest guardians lawyers. notnries
and SS s'r tho "e' p"sss"S
classes; PriSileged persons cnn easily hc rec
Fns'd .s. They sSs f Hrepo.n pnsrm
t"s s ai' y suR ~ ' not not
rather abuse. tho beautiful Russian tongue
With thonsands OF foreign woTnI .,,
Whit what not. The MOUTHS nn.uass is soid and
Russians is unsayory. lingnis,ic hash. M"st
functionaries have TO deal directly with tho
peasants. They look upon such iunctionary
the back OF their heads, sllrug their shoulders.
sha Ike their heads. gesticuIate with their hands.
"aH % hsra JINGLE Ivan. at lqs, remarks ono
be be Wana sr TH"' strange language
Then the tunetonarv runs in DESPAIR to the
village priest and emnoys him as interpreter.
been Informed that In Russia there are many
laws IN operation. and among them these two:
Inv OF tho OpuSAntry. In ull civil suits tho
peasants prefer their own law to tho Cars.
Thsrs Is 10 af sy1ryIechy
am told there are no Russians who unc9n-
dtiona End practise the doe doe
tine religion. and 'inter%iSeI the Shy pagan
Ssssorna to- sS what they call the M faith
The privilesed classes. along with different
European nntrRs and ashiGns have
are among them many Professionals OF various
shades Roman Catholics. materialists. nthe;;
these creeds. beliefs and unbelleis are accept
cd by them In fractional way.
SLAMS" an old Russian sea captain said to me.
Il seems to me q th9s when certain Moscow
pstual balancing In political and moral
Sss a1S@ ss ssSs The
these i rhraaes G For The eS Gs nssie
and for s" Psassas Russia i. Siys the Car as
little u. possible, H. WHO viii view Russian
In ihs ah; s. will Ss
one side ana the Mouljk on mo other: Tie
Monjik got provincial srli-gcyernment, and the
rid Of the salt tax ana the poll tax. and ths
gaas fSo Me scasS tho
earn s9mSthiE Of the affairs q his own COM ":
ins Gr eskny oRSs wSeh he he
+ evident hoSsysr that hiT Pol,SSa chess
Here va must estimate their, relative strength.
bayonet. but although there are more than q
million OF buyonets under his command. the
nots are WELDED by the sons OF the Moujik. and
therefore IRE rot daPgeron,s t" thu latter Eqt
S d oa hs
schools were suggested e tho Moujk by his
diatoy installed in those school sieachers Of his
Car coronat ion. the oiiira organs shouted
til thoy grew honrse that the Cars power lay
hE union With the un1n
body knows who treeted Tor Tint union or on
| what grounds it has been concluded.
body no, s.s"H se aT ehs ono
hundred million Of Kussia's population the
aar hssn
buttons which have withstood all the mnchinn-
tions Of Cznrs. princes. and mobiles for, tan
| centuries Among the most important OF those
institutions are tho common holding Of land.
the elective form Of local government the GUS
lies tie basis OF u real Russian democratic.
republican system Of government. Mir, or the
nars eFS Village sss tho cIas
grasp only when his tax collector appears.
voiost. which is also under tic full control Of
tho peasants. But hors the PEASANTS role IN
tho national Government OF to-day virtually
stops. Districts embracing % number OF VOnsu
and provinces composed Of n number OF dis
tricts are governed ny the Cars functionaries.
ply 10 extend tho system Of village aud volost
govern nsnt NJ to st. Petersburg.
it is enough to say that tho rountry's safety ior
Is ds thn Tx yss
growth Of this kernel. In Tho village i'I col.
q indiyidual, yroporty, that is leit 70 individual
no paurors and, no miilionaires. Any peasant
who feels that the vlllaEG frame 10 too narrow
s as ' he oss no sS S% S
any public dobt or any memhers OF his family
who cannot take care Of themselves. The vii.
lnge commune Is the safest stronghold Of
The ortel is An association Of peasants who
| StWTl " WOfh outN vi tuc NliIhSo. utTe mrs
artelR OF all tradrs-cRrpontrrs. bricklayers.
portOrs. drivers. fishermen. and SO on. Each
arts! consists Of from six to twenty or thirty
men. The artel underta kes some work and
divides the profits equally among the men.
with the exception that new hands receive less
than eXpel fenced wOrkmsn. and tho elder OF
the artei receives a certain sum in addition to
his part. as u commission or salary. II de-
pen'Is much upon the cleverness Of tho elder
whether the artel gets very profitable jobs or
not and whether tho personal expenses OF
the artel are large or small At the end Of the
working season tho ar'ol divides Its receipts
and its menbars return home I'M Ill tho next
season. WHOM however each OF them ~ perfectly
FREQ to Join another arte. II H. evident that
the principle Of association Is not foreign to the
liussian peasants.
II is now u generally accepted opinion here
that the well-being ~ Russin depends on tho
well being Of the Monlik. Behold how car
nestly the whole of tho Cars Russia has begun
to study hcr foster father! Like naturnlists.
thu Czarlsts hav" tried to pin their interesting
specimen; thoy have learned lis outside np.
pearance. and its internal contents and have
examined 1t from nll imaginable stnndpoints.
They have invnstigat II medically. chant
cally. Rrtistically. mechanically. HISTORICALLY,
/ poeticaliy. archpologically, geographically. and
otherwise. Recently ~ Russian writer under
took to make n list Of all books. pamphlets.
essays and ARTICLES on the Moujiks written
during the last quarter OF century, His
| hn,,a tntn kA Ind