Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-23
RUSSIAN BARBARISM.
Bessie Bramble Calls it the Disgrace
Of the Century.
THE CAR BLIND TO HIS FUTURE.
Low Ebb Of Civilization as Shown by the
Estimation of Women.
THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY

WRITTEN FOX THE D1SPATCHs
The boasted civilization of Christian coun
tries has received a severe blow in the re-
Gently published accounts of the barbarous
and revolving crimes committed in Russia
in the name Of the law.
1.-THE orthodox Catholic faith" as it is
called in Russia, is the faith of about 73,.
900, 600 of people. The Gar is the head oi
tine Church ard appoints to every Office in
the Church. So Russia is Christian coun-
try, and yet the flood of light now being
thrown upon her institutions reveals q
system of atrocious persecution and relent-
less cruelty that would be considered a dis.
grace in any pagan country in the world.
And what of the ruler of all the Russias
| who gives sanction to this awful system?
He must indeed be deficient in common
sense to suppose he can put out the fires OF
freedom by the blood of its advocates or ar
rest the cause of liberty by the horrors OF
martyrdom. He must indeed be unmindful
of the lessons of experience as shown in the
progress of civilization and the history OF
the Church ITSELF
CENTURIES BEHIND ENGLAND.
The cruelties practiced in Siberia on
| political prisoners, as related by George
1 =
who have never realized what it is to live in
a country where one mans will holds abso-
| lutte sway, and where neither Ii e, liberty,
nor property is held secure, save at the
| pleasure of those in power. The English
barons wrested their Magma Charta from
King John at Runnymede, which insured
the protection of English citizens from arbi-
trary spoliation, unlawful robbery, and Sc
cured for them a trial by jury of their
peers-rights for which the Russians are
still struggling and suffering and furnish
ing subjects for martyrdom.
With the history OF his country before
him, with the fate of his father in full re-
membrance, with revolution apparently
pending, it seems strange that the Emperor
of Russia does not see that the rule of abso-
lutte monarchy must pass away surely as
that"this world Is full of change''-nothing
but change. Common sense and intelli-
gence would dictate to him that wisdom lay
in the granting to his subjects the rights for
which they are contending, but he is evil
IDENTIFY neither intelligent nor wise. He
lives, it is said, miserable life, being in
deadly fear of assassination, and constant
dread of rebellion and revolution. But
withal, he clings to absolute power.
NO SWEET sLUMBER FOR HIM.
He does not sleep at night for fear of dire
full plots and deadly bombs. But even
were safety assured, the downiest beds of
ease could hardly protect him from the
thoughts of his cruelties-the agonies of
suffering of those sent to endure the horrors
of Siberian prisons, and the tortures of life
for which suicide would appear as the only
remedy. Absolute power breeds cruelty
and barbarism. 1t seems strange that Alex
ander, an educated mana man who must
by his position be aware of the struggles of
other countries in their fight for freedom, a
man who must love his people and his
country If he has heart in him, a man who,
ii he is a Christian, must know he is violat-
ing the doctrines OF his Church, should not
take measures to right the wrongs under
which his subjects sutfer-should not inquire
into and abate the atrocious cruelties in
ficted by his servants upon men and
women condemned only for their opinions,
and their exercise of the freedom OF speech.
1t seems strange too that the Empress
Dagmar, educated literally as the daughter
of the King of Denmark, should be content
to be mere cipher, using no influence for
the protection of her sex, or for the ad-
vancement of the people, or the promotion
of constitutional liberty. She must be like
her sister, the Princess of Wales, who is
content simply to hold drawing-rooms, and
set the fashions. But under these circum-
Empress of Russia lives in such constant
dread that her nervous system is completely
shattered, and that she realizes as COM
pletely as does the Emperor, the truth of
the old adage that "Uneasy lies the head of
him who wears crown"
HOW THE WOMEN SUFFER.
The condition of a country in the scale of
civilization is shown by the status of women.
When despotism is the rule of the State, 1t
may be assumed that the treatment of wo-
men is barbarous. The latest story from the
prisons of Siberia shows cruelty SO atrocious,
so barbarous as to make every woman's
blood boil. The whole civilized world
should protest against inhumanity
in Christian country and
make Alexander and his Ministers under
stand that such acts expose them to the con-
demnation of the whole civilized world.
Madame Sigida, a cultured and delicate
woman, who was sent TO Siberia for her free
dom of opinion was cruelty fogged to death
BY some brutal Russian official. What her
special offense was is not exactly known;
but it appears that by secret edict of the
authorities political prisoners are directed
to be treated in precisely the same manner
as the worst species of criminals for any in
fraction of prison discipline Yet it will
hardly be supposed that anything could
JUST y the cruel punishment OF being fogged
to death. George Kennan says it NAV be
explained that the brute who did the fog
ging may have been partially intoxicated in
order to nerve his hand for such torture.
The news of this horrible affair, when
heard by some of her fellow prisoners in the
women's department, caused them to COM
init suicide. Two of the three were school
teachers, and were educated and refined
women, as related by George Kennan, whose
only crime was their utterance OF disloyal
sentiments and their endeavor to spread the
principles of freedom. Many OF the women
confined in these dreary prisons of Siberia,
afar from home and friends, and subjected
to every indignitv and cruelty, become in
sane, and others commit suicide.
TEMPoRA! o MoREs!
And this is the afternoon OF the nineteenth
century. While the women of America and
England are working and praying and col
lecting money for the conversion Of the bar
barians o. Pagandom, these atrocities are
being committed in a Christian country,
and under sanction of Christian govern
ment and without interference from the
head of the Church, whose will is the su-
preme law OF the land.
That civilization is at its lowest in this |
Christian country is shown bv the story told |
by Russian who studied in Harvard Col |
Iege; "A well-to-do Russian peasant had |
some trouble with his wi e, so he proceeded |
to make her understand by cruel abuse that
she was his chattel to do with as he pleased.
She appealed to the court for protection and
brought competent witnesses to prove that
he had bound her naked to stake during
the coldest weather, and asked the passers-
by on the street to strike her, and when
they refused, he gave her blow himsel.
He also, she further proved, fastened her to
the ground, put heavy stones upon her, and
broke her arm. Notwithstanding that all