Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-03-20
FL0GGING In RUSSIA.
Some of the Joys Of Life in That
Country.
How Peasant in Search of Work Was
Sent Homc-A Mockery OF Justice
"A Few Examples Of tho
Whipping Mania.

whipping Mania.
The advisers Of the present Emperor,
says late number Of the London Tel
egraph, have long since come to the
conclusion that the emancipation of the
serfs was an objectionable blunder, and
some OF the most enterprising among
them have presented ingenious projects
OF laws to nullify its most radical
clauses. The late Count Tolstoi's plan
was at last accepted, creating peasant
tutors, called Zemslsy Natshalniks,
whose duty it is to watch over the
peasants, control their acts, Judge
them or whip them without any trial
or judgment, and generally to play the
part of policeman, Judge, jury, disinter-
ested friend and powerful protector. At
first 1t was hoped that the ranks of the
Zemsky Natshalniks might be recruited
exclusively from the nobility, but this
hope was doomed to disappointment,
owing to the circumstance that all the
mobiles who were qualified for lucrative
posts already occupied them, and those
who were not did not as a rule possess
even the slight qualifications demanded
by the new law, viz, had not passed
through an establishment of intermedi-
ate education. The choice, therefore,
fell upon retired army and navy officers
and "sbelved" tschinovniks, the first
batch OF whom was let loose upon the
country In January, 1890, the second on
June IS. The will Of these men has
thenceforth become the sole substitute
for the electoral rights Of the peasants,
who formerly elected their own judges
OF the peace, and also, in many cases,
for the statute and common law of the
land. They were to drill and teach the
peasants according to the method fol-
lowed by Carlyle's DR.. Francia with his
beloved Guachos. Knowing that educa-
ton and instruction as impaired in the
schools is an abomination to the author
tiles, they naturally acted on the salu-
tary principle that what smarts teaches.
Their procedure was simplicity itself.
"You stole Kaloff's hen? You didn't?
] don't believe you. Anyhow, sound
hiding can do you no harm. We have to
chastise good child that 1t may not be-
come bad as well as bad one that it
may not grow worse. Give him thirty
five, hot" Last spring 1t was stated In
the district Of very Jealous Zemsky
Notshalnik, M. Mordvinoff, that there
was scarcely family that had not one
or more members fogged.
The following fact--the truth Of
which is acknowledged by the entire
Russian press-may help to show to
what lengths the whipping mania has
been carried; One day peasant, who
had left his native village some weeks
previously in search Of work, was sent
home by etape-that is to say, he was
arrested and put in prison till band of
convicts, felons and murderers were got
together who were going the same way,
when he was compelled to join them,
and to march for two or three days till
they arrived at the next etape prison, a
filthy, loathesome shed. Here halt of
week or ten days would be made, and
the march resumed; and SO on, until he
at last reached his native place. This
Is the most economical mode of travel
ing in Russia; technically, 1t is not pun
ishment. As matter Of simple fact,
1t is horrible ordeal to go through
always worse than Imprisonment and
occasionally more terrible than death
but like the bullet-wounds made out
side the chalk circle which diminu-
tive duelist once proposed to draw on
the ungainly body Of his giant adver-
sary, 1t does not count, Any respectable
man, woman or child in Russia is liable
to be sent home by etape. If you lose
your money on the road, and have not
the wherewithal to patronize more
expeditions mode of locomotion, you are
sent home by etape. If the yearly pass.
port of man who is not residing In his
-ANatye place Is not renewed by the
tiles in time, even though the
- 1srsessSS 90 none of his, he is arrested and
sent home by etape, If you are 9
soldier In the army, and, hav
ing served at distance, have
received your discharge and goot
character, you are frequently sen'
home by etape. 1t was thus, therefore
that the ill-starred rustic was restored
to his lares and penates as poor as {
church mouse, having been robbed o:
the little ready money he possessed by
the scoundrels who were his companion,
on the road The Zemsly Natshalnik
hearing Of his arrival, ordered him wha
Russians facetiously term a meal o
"birch Cruel" There was absolutely
no motive, real or alleged, for thus add
sng TO the hariships endured by tn,
poor wretch during his marching anC
imprisonment unless, indeed, th,
flcriptural saying were appealed to tina
~hosoever hath to him shall be given
He was advised by some sympatheti,
soul 10 appeal to higher court whicl
Is composed of q number of Zemsly
Nstshalniks under the presidency of th'
Marshal OF Nobility. The sentence
however, was confirmed on the grount
that 1t seemed desirable TO the court b
allow 2emslSy NRtshalniks the right o
furnishing peasants for acts that are no
forbidden BY the law, + the punishment