Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-12-07
OESERET EVENING NEWS.
RUSSIAN SOCIAL LIFE.
SOME OF THE NIsTARES VIEWS OF
FOREIGNERS.

SOME OF THE MISTAKEN VIEWS Oh
FOREIGNERS.
Among the many pre-coneeived
ideas Of foreigners concerning Rus
sian life and customs, there are two
that strike the educated russian a:
most incongruous, saws the St
Petersburg correspondent Of the
New York Tribune. The first is the
thought that Russians are timid
about discussing the actions OF theiI
government, for fear Of being
thrown into dungeon or TRANSPORT,
ed TO Siberia; the second. the BELLE
that the Russian girl Is brought vi
under the same restrictive regime a:
the French girl Of the well-to-dc
classes.
Nothing IL more preposterous.
Strange as the thing may seem, in
Russia Il is not the Russian that is
scared at any open criticism Of the
government; but the foreign visitor
who, having heard such horrible
stories about the despotic ways OF
Russian officials, stands aghast al
the free and exceedingly uncompli.
mentary comments on government
al DEGREES and men Of LOFTY posi-
ton that he hears openly emitted on
all sides, ''by the subjects Of the ter
rible Car"
The fact Is, Russians are most Inn
pulsive people, aud are positively
unable TO restrain their feelings,
ever had they the wish to do 50,
which they have not. Any new
enactment Of the government is
openly discussed in private houses,
and even in the streets, though, OF
course, no comments are attempted,
nor would any be allowed from the
rostrum; and it must be added that
there is not n single case on record
I'm which any person would be
prosecuted by the police on the
strength Of denunciations coming
from house servants. Servants and
masters, peasants and landed pro-
prietors are all and always united
against the police. Nowhere, in
fact, do the police stand in such bad
odOr with the population as in Rus
sia- Many an educated Russian
would scorn the idea Of shaking by
the hand an officer of police, even of
the highest rank.
What entails the severest official
persecution is the secret dissemina-
ton Of seditious ideas through the
underground press, the local papers,
or else the spreading Of education
and enlightened ideas among the
peasants, which is very justly held
TO lead them TO discomfort with
their lot; but about the most grew
Gus Ofiense man can be accused
Of is the reading and keeping Of
forbidden literature, such as the
books OF John Stuart Mill, Buckle,
Herbert Spencer, COmte, Karl
Marx, or even HQrpeT's Monthly or
copies Of the Century containing
George Remnants articles. A per
son suspected Of having any such
terrible books about the house is
liable any night TO be aroused from
his sleep by descent Of the police,
and 10 have the members Of his
family frightened almost to death.
Such night descents are extreme
ly popular with the petty officers Of
the secret police service. since they
afford them an opportunity 10 build
up a reputation for being Jealous
and trusty watch-dogs Of the en-
pire-an idea generally backed up
by wholesale rewards and promo
tiOns in the service. There are
cases, Of course, when out Of spite
against personal enemies, those in
power use the terrible weapon Of
house-searching and even depOrta-
ton by administrative process,
without even a semblance OF trial.
Since there exists in Russia no free
press 10 denOunce such abuses, Of
course they remain unpublished,
and never even reach The emperor
or his ministers.
As to the imperial family, no
whatever on its members
are allowed TO be made in the press;
even items referring TO the most in
actions or movements Of
have TO be submitted TO the
Of the minister of the
court, Count NOrOntZof- Dashkof,
before being allowed to gladden. the
eyes of the russian newspaper
readers. Yet in private life, i'm gem
eral conversation, the members Of
the RomanOf family and their ac-
lions are quite freely commented
upon and oilen submitted to the
most scorching ridicule-and still
no one is ever mOlested for it.
Apart from the Gar himself, whose
as the head Of the gov
srnment is generally conceded, the
Of the imperial family are
mostly referred TO rs highly decOTat-
we but most expensive nOnentities.
The emperor is very leniently COM
nented upon, yet this is by no
means due TO any fear Of his power.
III is well known to be
IN honest, simple, courageous man
II frugal tastes, by no means avari-
,lous, and Of a rather limited intel
ect-a man devoted to his wife and
and far from happy in TIE
ofty position 10 which he was ele-
'ated by the sudden death success
lively Of his elder brother and his |
ather. About the worst traits Of
Alexander lips character are re-
,orted TO be his headstrongness and !
MS inability ever to forgot treachery |
II meanneSs; but that is entirely |
Iue to the frequent Sights he had to |
Undergo at the hands Of the cour-
lens when he was stilla dull, heavy
ct youth, and when as yet no one
ver dreamed Of his ever ascending
he throne. As il is, Russians are
generally agreed that, were other
hings ordained differently, Alex
nder Alexandrovitch ROmanof
you'd have made n first class landed
well deserving Of the
Dve and respect OF his dependents
nd his neighbors, and that it is
ardly just 70 find fault with him,
ecause Nature has not provided
i'm with the lofty intellect neces-
airy for the successful management
vast country having 100, 0O0,-
w lnhaDllants, speaking more than
lghty different languages and
ialects.
Likewise the comments On the
impress are genenlly most friendly.
he Is not 80 popular among her
objects as the Princess of Wales is
18th the English, norris she so good
'oking. The Russians, besides, re-
emit the fact Of her having brought
ich feeble, plain-loOking children
Ito the Romanof family, hitherto
.nowned for the splendid physique
its members. But then she has
OF particle of the Immature so
rongly. developed in her elder sis
II. since the latters increasing
safness. She has devoted friends
her "entourage," and the people
TEEN her for her devotion TO Rus
an customs. ...
Upon the whole, the peculiarities
nj little foibles Of the numerous
embers Of the Rsmanof family
We plenty Of food for gossip, and
lie public delights in passing COM
Il