The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-08-01
CREED OF AHOLY" RUSSIA.
God and the Char Are Insepsrabie In
the Average Mind--Ground Down
by Taxes. Half starved.
but Loyal Gsiii.

person who should hesitat s..,va,n
taking up his abode In N. I,n,,ad
States or In Russia woulc -, o,,r NO.
pie, be regarded as OF !. nsssassad. -
not with devils. at all events with ex-
tremeiy warped ide As To our minds.
says writer " the Kansas City
journal amer" a, with its free insti-
'utlohs' repr,' ants the closest approa IN
10 'erres'r al paradise that any sys-
tenn OF " ,vernment has so far been
apie 70 scure for the people; and in
sortinF over the nations for the most
ht'ir q representative of the other ex-
trc>me. we should. not unlikely and
Sith n good deal OF reason. pick on
I Russia.
On the first part OF my horseback
ride 10 the Crimea. nothing that i
came in contact with was more incom-
| prehensible 10 me than the universal
and unquestioned loyalty of the Rus
SLAMS 20 form OF government that
according to our ideas, they ought 10
hate. Moujiks whose daily fare IL
black bread and stewed buckwheat
and to whom "a cucumber picked in
brine is luxury, are as devoted 10
the ear OF Russia as the most liberty
loving citizen OF the United States is
20 the god OF freedom.
The great bugbear OF the moujiks'
lives is the hard necessity OF rakipg
and scraping enough money 10 pay
their taxes. Delinquency in the pay
ment OF taxes means logging In
order TO escape the knout OF the tax
gatherer IL is often necessary for them
TO wander far and wide in search OF
work. leaving their families 10 till the
] tiny allotments OF land. often quite in
sufficient for their support. The taxes
were heavy, ana the burdens grievous.
but unless such things were necessary
the car would not require II OF them.
this was the substance OF the answer /
always got.
So incomprehensible did this seem
TO me for awhile. in the face of the
terrible hardships OF the mouths con-
] dition. that / used TO turn 20 Sascha,
my companion for enlightenment He
was an educated young man, could
! speak four languages. aud was well
enough up in geography TO ask me
whether Brazil was In Africa or South
America; and he assured me the
moujiks were right Our car he
would answer. lis the best govern
ment for u.s."
The truth gradually dawned upon
me as my stay in the country
heightened and the opportunities OF
talking with all sorts and conditions OF
people multiplied. With the excep-
ton OF limited circle in the cities. the
Russians are. politically. as blind as
bats. They are ''loyal" to their pres
ent form of-government because they
don't know anything about any other
/ form.
True the moujik lives in tiny sort
OF a republic. In his own village: but
the idea that similar constitution
would make success as government
/ for the state has never entered his
head.
One evening ! engaged in CONVERSE
ton moujik OF more than ordinary
/ intelligence. and endeavored 10 ex-
plain the foim OF government we had
in the United States. ! pointed out
/
/ larged and improved edition OF his
own village mir. The moujik was de-
lighted at this explanation. and said
he had always heard THAT America
was "A good friend TO Russia.
This answer explained at once the
/ drift his mind was taking. IL was tho
same drift that Russians mind al
ways takes In matters of comparison
between his country and others
whether he is an educated person or
an illiterate moujik makes not pin
difference. The peculiar national van
/ ity OF the Russian mind had led the
moujik 10 infer at once that we had
been 10 school TO Russia and had built
up the United States government in
/ imitation OF the rural mir. This was
amusing. but IL was at the same time
hopeful.
Now. then" said I. "our nation Is
big and powerful. like Russia and our
government Is big mir. in which
every body has voice, just as you
have Ia your village. Under this sys-
TEN we have grown rich enough Ia
buy all Russia, II We wanted IL; our
people are hundred tiiAes better fed
better clothed and better housed
than the Russians are Why can't
the Russian nation do the same?n
This was mere experimental talk.
and knew from experience what the
answer would be
That Is all very well for the
Americans. he returned. '.but not for
us. For the Russians the czar Is best.
A person might as we'll talk 90
block OF wood. The mouth has
blind unreasoning faith in tho ear
very neary akin 20 the faith he has In