The Dickinson press., 1888-07-07
RUSSIAN FANATICS.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF AN INTER-
EsTINe RELIGIOUS SECT.

Tho Idea of Nihilism Pushed to the Ex-
trcmc Limit-Somc Strange Hclicfs-Pc-
cuiia, Social and Financial Methodist
Curious Specimen.
The interesting sect of ".Negators" offers to
us the spectacle of Il strange religious pes
si.nislm. The doctrines of this sect push tho
flea of nihilism and of n~egation to their ex-
~1retlest limit. The members lead Il life of
va-ahondagc, and pass the larger portion of
their existence in prison. The government
thinks their doctrines dangerous to public
safety, and subjects them to the most rigor-
GUS pulishmcnts. Let us take as Il type of
this sect Il certain merchant named Shishkin.
In his search for truth lie four times changed
lts sect, and finally became persuaded that
al! religion was error andlying. He addicted
himself to the study of the sacred Scriptures,
and thought lie perceived that they We're not
in accord with human nature, and then ho
came to repudiate all ideas of God and re-
li-ion, as well as all human institutions, all
authority, government and society. He was
promptly arrested and imprisoned, and all
his property coniiscatcd. He refused to JUS
tify himself or to avail himself of legal help
for his defense, persisted in his opinions, and
continued to preach in the prison. Here is u
curious specimen of his answers to the judge
d'instruction:
Judge-Who are You?
Prisoner-Don't you SEQ I'm Il mana Are
You blind?
J.-What is Your religion?
P.-l have none.
J.-lThut God do You believe in?
P.-l don't believe in any God. God be-
longs to you-to you people. 1t was you
who invented him. l don't wait him.
J.-Do you worship tho devil, then? with
some irritation).
P.-l worship neither God nor devil, be-
cause ! have no need Of prayer. The devil
iSalso an invention Of yours. God and the
devil arc yours, as we'll as the car, the
priests, and government officials. You are
all children of the same mother. am not
one of you, und l wish to know nothing of
you.
Each for himself, say these scctalles;
there is neither right, nor duty, nor social OF
political or religious hierarchy. Man, alan.
doned to bis natural instincts, without hin.
drance from government, will be irreslstibly
impellcd toward truth and equity. They
deny, without exception, all rights of prop
crtv, and recognize no form of social organ
lzaiion. For them, marriage, tho family,
social duties, do not exist; they live i'll n
fantastic world of liberty without limit, and
despise all that surrounds them.
For example, if any one asked Shislkin for
anything whatever, he would give it them at
once; only it absolutely must he something
useful, food, clothes, or money for vital
needs. etc. But he would not give u half
penny for tobacco, wine, or such like things.
- At,A,l ,,,,-f,,, 80 tl,,,N,, a..
the window rather than help you to poison
yourself with tobacco he answers to those
who ask linn for money to indulge in that
habit. If amy one thanks him, he answers:
"What Il stupid word! You nave received
what you wanted; you have eaten; well
now GO"
These sectaries ARC advocates of all that is
natural; they never shave or cut their hair,
they drink no spirits and do not smoke, so as
not to spoil the natural beauty of tho intel
lectual faculties. They dream of Il lifo in
which each should work for himself, satisfy
i'll. his wants with the productions of tho
earth, and making for himself all necessary
articles. What is over ought to be given to
those who are in want. They entertain a
profound hatred for all compulsory work
under all forms. They never go into service,
eveii If threatened with death, and they chi
ploy no servants. Wien Shishkin was in
prison they shaved him and tried to compel
him To worH; but he utterly refused, saying:
"lcn have taken me by force. l did not ask
you Ia Shut me up. SO now you ought to feed
me and work for me-" 1t was of no use to
fios illEl, TO chain him to u whcelbarrow, to
shat him up i'll a dungeon, to give him only
bread and water; it had no effect. He re-
m2ined ilntnovable.
These s~cctaries do not allow of the ex
change Of products or Of trade. "If YOU
want anything and | can give it you, take
it. When | in my turn van anything, you
will give it me-" They preach free love and
do not recognize marriage. They consider
women To he Independent beings, equal to
men, free to choose lovers and occupations
according to taste. They replace the word
wife by friend.
a man, IL woman and q child were brought
before Il judge, accused of belonging to the
sect of Negators. as this your wifetn asked
the judge. "No, she is not my wife, ''But
you live with herY' "Yes; but she is not
mine. She is her own.' SIS this your hus-
band!' "No; he is not my husband" eu-
swered the M But how is it, thcnf'
asked the judge, astonishcd. 81 need him
and he needs me, that is all; but we each be-
long to ourselves" answered tho woman,
"And this little girl, is she yours:' continues
the judge. mo. Sho is of our. blood, but
she does not belong to us, but to herself"
"But arc you mad, thenI' cried the macis-
trate, out of patience. *Thi cloak that you
are wearing, is that yours!" mo, it is not
mine," answered the sectary. "Why do you
wear it thens" 81 wear it because YOU have
not taken it from me. THIS cloak was on
the back of some one else, now it is OH mine;
perhaps tomorrow it will be OH yours. How
can you expect me to know to whom it be-
longs? Nothing belongs to me but my
thought and my reason" And SO on.
The words faith" 'power," claw"
"usage," inspire them with profound horror.
Under no pretext do they have recourse to
the protection of the magistrate, preferring
to suffer with patience. To appeal to the law
for protection would be to recognize it, to
submit to social institutions; but to submit
to law is to destroy ones individuality, which
should rest for its support only Oh the indi-
vidual conscience and personal convictions.
1t must be added that they do not believe in
the life of tine other world and the rewards of
the future life. They hold that man is i'm
mortalized only in posterity, in behalf of
which he spends his moral end physical force.
-Nireteenth Century.
MAKING A FALSE CONFESSION,
DR.. w. A. hammond ak About the
Self ACcrcnl ,;,Nfn,