The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-17
THE GREAT NORTHERN BEAR.
Internal Political Economy of the
mysterious Empire of the Night"
Where the Principles of Communism Prevail
and the People Are Bound to the Soil
Rural and City Life and Distinctions.

defy the power and prewess Of England.
Rome, by the force of her arms. by her law,
her literature and her priestly power, has for
nearly twenty centuries influenced all the states
in the south and west Of Europe. From the in
habitants of these states America has inherited
this influence, and on this account we can easily
understand the motives that affect their lives and
habits. But Russia has never felt this Roman
influence and therefore her institutions appear
SO foreign to our thoughts The Russian en-
pire is nearly three times as large as the United
States, and contains population of about nine
~ millions, who occupy almost one7sixth Of the
arabic land of the world Nine -tsnths of the
Russian people live in the country and the
smaller country villages
In Russia there is preletariat--no pauper
class-such as exists in other European coun-
tries This condition Of things is undoubtedly
produced by the peculiar land tenure which pre-
walls throughout the empire. During the six
teenth century the people of Russia were mainly
nomadic, and on the 24th of November.
1851. Ende.Sf, the Car. fixed the population
to the land by his imperial ukase A great re-
form was accomplished the great body of the
people were to have permanent homes and cease
The royal domain was divided among the people,
and thus the rural commune established
Serfdom was instituted as reform, and as a re
form the royal proclamation of the Bird of March,
1861, released the peasantry from this form of
slavery. The Russian serf must serve the
owner of the land upon which he lived for
three days in each week; during the remaining
three days he could cultivate the plat of ground
which had been allotted to him for his own sup
port. By the decree of emancipation the mobiles
gave up half their estates to the serfs. The
Gear paid them for the land by giving them gov
eminent bonds, running for long time The
serfs, Also were not obliged to work for their
former masters.
Turgenef published his novel, Fathers and
Sens" in 1861, in Moscow review, and thus de-
scribes the times during which the old relation
between the rural nobility and the serfs was
breaking up and pictures boldly the chaos which
seemed impending
He says THE tenantry paid nothing
and stole wood. The peasants began to quarrel
among themselves; battles were continually
taking place in the village; crowd of peasants
assembled suddenly, as if in obedience to an
order, IN front of the overseers Office, repairing
thence to the masters house, their faces bruised
with fist blows often In state of intoxication,
and loudly calling for justice In the midst of the
tumult the sobs and shrll lamentations of tho
women mingled with the shouts and abuse of
the men. Perhaps the master was in want
of hands for the harvest q contractor in tho
neighborhood had promised to furnish work
men for definite price and then broke his word
In most scandalous way The peasants of the
village demanded an unheard-of price, and
meanwhile the grain began to she'll"
The rural commune is peculiar Russian in
stitution. The members Of each commune own
the land around their village IN common, not ia
seyeralty. They own it forever and in equal
shares A man and his wife make the social
unit which is recognized by the commune as
house Every house has a claim to a fair di-
vision of the communal estate; to so
much field to so much wood, to so
much kitchen ground as that estate
will yield to each. Once in three years all
claims fall in, all holdings cease, and fresh di
vision of the land is made A commune being
republic, and the men all peers, each voice must
be heard in council, and every claim must be
considered in parceling the estate. The whole
is parted into as many lots as there are married
couples in the village; SO much arabic land, so
much forest, SO much cabbage-bed for each.
Goodness of soil and distance from home are
set against each other in every case.
The principle of association passes. like the
needs out Of which it springs, beyond the village
bounds Eight or ten communes join themselves
into canton, ten or twelve cantons form .
volost Each circle is elf-goyerned; in fact, is
a local republic. From ancient times the mem
bers of these village democraciss derive body
of local rights, kind of common law They
choose their own elders, hold their own courts,
Russian "starosta'-is elected by the peasants
from their own body for three years though
be is seldom changed at the end of his term
Everyone is qualified for the post, though it sell
dom falls, IN practice, to man who is unable
Or unwilling to pay for brandy
No member of commune can quit
his village without the general leave, without
q passport signed by the elder, who can call him
HON oxrith Ant MIR f.v NC Vl.t
absent brother must obey, on penalty of being
expelled from his commune. If he refuses, he
must join the army, become q laborer on the
public works or be outlawed In Russia, there
conditions What may be termed the external
affairs of the village highways, fisheries, and
forest rights-are settled not with the imperial
officers, but with their neighbors u the canton
and the volost
The canton and the yolost treat with tho gen
eral governor, and the police. Administer looks
for what he needs to the association, not to the
separate members, and when rates are levied
and men are wanted, the canton and the volost
receive their orders and proceed at once to raise
alike the money and the men. The crown has
only to send out orders, and the monay is paid
the men are raised i
Where each man is land owner, abject nov
erty is unknown; and Russia has no need for
poor-laws and work houses. since she HAS no
such misery in her midst as permanent pauper
class as the nations of western Europe eye
Livery Oody mas caoin, a Hell, q cow; perhaps q
horse and cart. Even whom fellow is lazy
enough and base enough to ruin himself
he cannot ruin his sons. They hold their places
In the commune as peers of all. and when they
grow up to mans estate, they will obtain their
lots, and begin life on their own account The
bad man dies and leaves to his commune no leg
acy OF poverty and crime.
Perhaps member Of rural commune desires
to try his fortunes in the town and abandon the
home of his fathers. The obstacles which lie in
his way are very great After he has freed
himself from his obligations to tho commune he
orders of society in the city-in a tsek, guild.
or chin peasant might enter guild If he
could pay the tax; but the impost is heavy, even
for the lowest guild and man who comes into
the city mus. seek place in some cheap and
humble tsek. In one or another of these socie-