Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-23
ABOLITION OF SIBERIAN EXILE.


Perhaps the most important news that
has come from Europe IN the year, if not
in several years, is the announcement that
the Russian Government has resolved
upon the abandonment of the penal sys-
TEN of Siberia. There are very many rea-
sons to believe the story to be true. The
later Russian officers who have served the
Government in Siberia have, with few ex-
ceptions, advised the Cars Ministers that
the Siberian prisons are in an abominably
unsanltary condition, and that it is i'm
possible to better them without an entire
change of policy in the matter of COM
mitments to Siberia. In the next place,
the statistics of death, suffering and in
humanity in the penal colonies have been
made so boldly public by fearless Russian
and German writers that the Government
can no longer refuse to recognize them and
retain any part of the respect of other
nations Thirdly, the revelations of the
American traveller, KEENAN,, have had
powerful influence in inducing the Gar to
order change of policy.
An intelligent Russian gentleman in
forms us that since Remnants papers have
appeared in the Century magazine the Rus
sian officials have been overwhelmed with
protests against Siberian exile, written
from all parts of the civilized world The
mails for over a year have been loaded
down with letters to all the Ministers and
leading publicists of Russia on this sub
ject. Some of these missives have reached
the Car himself, while hundreds of them
have found their way to the boudoir of the
Czarina. The letters have been supple
mented by myriads of notes from Russians
to their dignitaries, but the most of which
were anonymous communications, all pro-
testing against the cruelties of the Siberian
system and appealing, in the name of hu-
mainly, for reform. In short, philanthropy
has for once taken up cudgel that has
compelled the most powerful sovereign of
Europe to assume defensive attitude and
to call halt.
Last June, it Is known, the Car
ordered an investigation into the economy
of the whole penal system of Siberia, and
the result was a report that proved it to
be one of the most expensive, and to con-
stitute a steady drain upon the national
purse, although the mines worked in the
interest of the privY purse of the Car
yield him a handsome profit, but only
because the entire cost of the mainten-
ance of the prisoners that work them, and
the whole cost for machinery and trans
portation, are charged against the States
small share of the product. 1t has been
at last forced upon the attention CT the
Car also that all the rest of the world re-
CARDS the exile of women and children to
Siberia as a most inhuman policy and that
because of it Russia is held by most hui
man people in detestation. The same au-
thority to which we have already referred
attributes the awakened interest Of the
Gar in the matter to the influence of the
Czarins, proving again that in the cause
of humanity woman wields potential in
fuence.
If the story of the dispatches shall prove
to be true, and the Russian Government
shall indeed abandon the penal system,
it viii certainly be followed within the
century by still another reform, the modi-
fcation ofthe police and Judicial systems, so
that the police shall be deprived ofits pewer
of summary arrest and long confinement
without bringing the accused to trial, !
and under which the cruelties praeticed |
are such as TO cause every human heart to
bleed for sympathy. The revelations of
the Nihilistic writer Stepniak and his
many confreres have been affirmed in the |
main by the writings of KEENAN,, whose
motive has at no time been subject to
the charge of political prejudice or ami
mostly TO Russia; indeed, the honesty and
purelv tender human sympathy Of the
man must be conceded by whoever reads
him. The condemnation of his work by
the Russian officials is one of the strongest
testimonials that could be given in afhml-
ance of its integrity.
If the reports we have thus referred to
are reliable, and they appear to be ac-
cepted as true by so high an authority as
the writer smau, whose life has been
mainly passed in investigation OF the
Siberian system, Russia has at last mani
tested sensibility to the opinion of civil ]