The daily critic., 1890-10-23

which Nihilism is distinctly auributa.
bic. That many do exist we have everv
evidence Chief among them is the
immense growth Of the proletariat At
the time Of the emancipation proclm7.
tion no such thing as an agricultural
proleiariat was known but In ISL. ten
years later, Il was an established fact
that the percentage of prolotarianism
was 3, 10, even ID per cent. In some
districts.
The Russian agrarian question has
always been q perpieXing one, more
especially so since the liberation of the
selfs Soon after, when the division of
land was made, no provision was made
for a probable Increase Of population,
and even at that time the portion Of land
allotted each peasant was insufficient 10
supply the needs Of himself and little
family In addition TO payment for
the land, heavy taxes were imposed
burden far too heavy for the recently
liberated peasant TO bear lie had no
idea Of management; he had to be cdu
Gated 10 &C. The little home gradually
slipped from his grasp. until at last,
with many a sigh, he reliuquished it
altogether, and with his family went
forth to seek employment in some Of
the large cities. After all the old DAYS
of serfdom we're better for the peasant
than the present system Of land tenure
The tchinovniks (oilicials), the children
Of priests and the poorer nobility, 90 TO
swell the proletariat
-
Further cause of Nlhilism Is trace.
able TO the police and spy system Of the
Empire. II is believed that in St.
Petersburg alone there are over $4,000
police and spies, and that Moscow
shelters between twenty five and thirty
thousand This system Is running the
country financially socially and morally
When we realize that each member of
this large force receives from 5 to 10
rubles per day, its drain on the treasury
OF the Empire can be readily under.
stood. IL has q demorali2ing effect
socially, for the reason that II causes
feeling of distrust and suspicion In the
minds Of the people. Morally, IL
arouses mans worst instincts. The
knowledge that his every step Is
dogrCd, that he Is constantly under
police supervision, creates a desire to
learn how far he can proceed without
exciting suspicion. He Joins the
Nihilists and delights In tempting fate.
The mysterious possesses a peculiar
charm fot him. lie grows bolder as
time goes on, until he finds himself an
inmate Of prison cell or on the way to
Siberia.
The brutal treatment Of political pris-
oners is another fruitful source of
Nihilism. The majority of the arrests
are simply suspects Students Of both
sexes contribute largely TO this class,
and their detention In a prison cell
arouses the animoslty OF parents, broth.
ers. sisters ami lovers, and desire for
revenge Is their all absorbing thought
To accomplish this they become one Of
the great army Of Nihilists.
In Russia the schools and universities
are little better than hotbcds Of in.
trigue, and Nihllism Is largely re-.
ciuiiCd from them Thus the reason IS
manifest why so many young people are
sent to prison and exile.
One Of our most noted Russian writers
says. The dcspOtlsm Of Nicholas
crushed fullgrown men; the dospollsm
Of the two AleXandcrs did not give them
time 10 grow up" One of the greatest
American living writer's says: "a Rus.
sian who does not oppose the despotlsm
Of the Gar Is a criminal, and he who
does Is patriot and hero.