The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-21

| permission TO go to Siberia. Applications
| for admission to the PRISONS were made to
| the individual Governors, and was admit
| ted to all but that in which the chief polti-
cal offenders were confined. My observa-
tons induced radical change in my
| opinions
at is extremely difficult now to obtain
these privileges. An American missionary,
VINO has long resided in China, applied to
the Russian Government for permission to
return home by way of Siberia, but the ap-
pllcatlon was peremptorily refused.
NARRow-MINDED FANATIC.
The present Gar is not bad man, in
fact he Is the best of his family. He is na:-
row-mlnded and religious fanatic, and is
surrounded by conservative and unprogres-
Sve advisers who have persuaded him to
SO qualify the reforms introduced by his
father that they are practically nullitied.
Russian peasants are the most police
| ridden people on the face OF the globe. From
| his cradle the peasant is taught to fear the
| police. reverence the priests the church. the
| Almighty and the Gar. His education is
narrow, and all his attempts at thinking for
! himself are suppressed. In consequence.
! most Of the peasants are loyal TO the
| Emperor and the church, out of 1l2 0OO, 600
| people only 100000 being dissenters or
| free-t thinkers.
THE REVOLUTIONISTS.
ut is impossible to say whether the lat
| ter are identical with the NihilistS, because,
since the assassination of the late Gar, the
revolutlonIsts have had no Executive Com
mlttee aud no ruling power. They do not
know now numerous they are, being d.
ylded into small circles having no inter-
communication. The untiring vigilance of
the police has made the revolutoHists can
! tiou>, but it has also Increased their desire
| to throw of tine Government yoke.
Tine local Government officials are per-
! meated VITA corruption. \ peasant cannot
| change his market place without brbing
! some petty despot. AT a distance from st.
Petersburg the central authorities do not
| hear OF these abuses and the unfortunate
| peasants, whose spirits have been thor
oughly crushed and cowed, dare not COM
| plain.
! THIS is TYRANNY.
If an intelligent man dare to protest
| against some fragrant act Of tyranny he is
| arrested and hustled off TO a prison for sew
| al months while his case is being iuvesti-
| gated. Some tIumped-up charge is made
| against him, and lie Is lucky if his incar-
! ceraton does not extend into years. lie is
| particularly unfortunate # he is Jew;
| the poorest prison, the hardest labor and
| tile worst treatment are his fate.
The NIhilists include all classes, but
| they are largely composed Of the educated,
| many OF the most brilliant university stu
| dents being connected with the revolution
! airy movement. Assassination is no longer
| portion OF their programme, and some do
| not even demand a republic. A limited
monarchy, with an elective legislature, hav-
| ing check upon the sovereign, would sat
| lSIy many revoutlOnists.
CRUSHED UNDER FOOT.
mo AnglO-SaXon race would stand for
| twenty-four hours, without revolving, the
| treatment daily endured by the Russian
| peasants. The latter are wretchedly edu-
Gated. Everything in their histories and
text books relating 10 revolution or rebel
! lion Is eliminated, so that many have never
a m c firm vii fr.ri IL
| penfence.
Every article published in a newspaper
must first be approved by n Government
| censor. This Official is not always prompt
in returning the proof, and sometimes re-
tanning items of news a month Frequently
an article will come back to a newspaper at
midnight with so many corrections and in
terineati0nS as to necessitate its entire re-
setting very narrow line is drawn on
what the censor Is pleased TO consider sedi-
tlous news. and in consequence many Rus
slams are i'll posted on current topics and the
| ordinary affairs of daily occurrence"