Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-06
Russian Tyranny.

II in other parts Of Russia the police
are less severe than in St Petersburg,
students compromised by participation
in university disorders are none the less
laid under an interdict which renders
impossible the assumption of their pro-
fessional studies. They become marked
men, and are treated as potential reb-
els. In 1881 number of students
''sent away" (rnsticated) from the
University of Moscow applied for ad-
mission 70 the University of Kieif. The
council of the latter university refused
to receive them, and were taken severe
~ TO task for their conduct by the
NedieiId, a weekly journal, which stig-
Matted the proceeding as illegal and in
applicable, thought the Ministry had sent
special circulars to all the universities
ordering them to admit none of the ex-
PEELED at Moscow. This the NedieEi0,
in common with all its contemporaries,
knew well enough, and it attacked the
heads OF the University of Kieff only in
the hope of provoking them to an ex-
PLANTATION that might damage the Gov
eminent, hope which, il is hardly nee
essary to say, was not realized. Every
outbreak is the occasion of similar cir
culars.
The struggle between the Ministry
and the universities is far from being
limited to disorders and their results.
These events are. after all, exceptional;
they occur at comparatively long inter-
walls, and are separated from each other
by periods of apparent calm. But quiet
ness brings the students no immunity
from espionage and persecution. The
when clouds darken the political sky,
or the Government with or without
reason, take alarm, they arrest multi
tudes. At these times students are
naturally the greatest sufferers, for, as
have already shown. our Russian
youths are nearly all eager politicians
and potential revolutionists. A fraction
of the arrested are condemned, after
trial, TO Imprisonment, to hard labor or
to death. Some eighty per cent. are
exiled without trial, to Siberia or to one
of the northern provinces; few, after
short detention, are allowed to return
to their homes. A proportion of those
sentenced to q term of imprison-
ment may also be allowed to resume
their occupations, instead of being
exiled by administrative order. But
mercy IS an order unknown to the Rus
sian police; they take back with one
hand what they give with the other.
On October 10, 1881. law was made
instituting a sort of double Judgment
and twofold penalty for students COM
ing under the categories last named.
Articles 2 and 3 of this law direct uni
versity councils to act as special
tribunals for the trial of students who
have been tried and acquitted by the
ordinary courts, or who have expiated
their Offenses by terms of Imprisonment.
This law prescribes that, in the event
OF the police certifying that a young
man whose case is under consideration
has acted tout of mere thouohtless-
ness and without evil intent" the coun-
Gil may either admit or expel him, at
their discretion. But should the police
impute to him "perverse intentions, Z"
the council is constrained to pronounce
n sentence of perpetual expulsion and
deprivation of the right TO enter any
superior school whatever. Article 4
explains that the preceding articles APP
ply not alone to students who have fall
en- under the lash of the ordinary law,
but also TO those who have rendered
bHtusSNtS OD0ONlOuS 10 the exception
al ''law of public safety'--in other
words, TO the martial law, which has
become one of Russia's permanent in
situations.
To obtain for the victims of the DO
lice any remission of their punishment
is matter of excessive and almost in
superable difficulty. Requests for in
diligence must be made to the En-
peror personally (how many students
have friends at court?) and are only
entertained when the suppliant can
prove that, during two years after his
liberation, or the definite expiration OF
his offense, he has repented him of his
errors and entirely broken with his old
companions. 1t is, OF course, quite
impossible to prove anything of the
sort, and the only sign of grace recog-
nized by the authorities is the revela-
ton of secrets or the BETRAYAL OF
friends. -" StepGniack," in London
| Times.