Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-09-11
RUSSIAN FANATICS.
a BRIEF DESCRIPTION or AN INTER-
EsTlNe RELIGIOUS SECT.

The Idea OF NIhiIism Pushed 70 the tx
treme Limit-Somc Strange ReI,pf.--Pe.
euii"r Social and Financial Methods-A
Curious Specimen.
The interesting sect Of "Negatorsr offers 20
us the spectacle Of a strange religious pes-
simism The doctrines Of this sect push tba
idea OF nihilism aud Of negation to their ex-
tremest limit The members lend n Ife az
Vagabondage, ard pass the larger portion Of
their existence in prison. The governments
thinks their doctrines dangerous TO public
safety, and subjects them to the most ripor-
Gus punishments. Let us take as a type OF
TINS sect certain merchant named Shishkin
In MS search for truth he four times changed
his sect, and finally became persuaded that
all religion was error and lying. He addicted
himself to the study Of the sacred Scriptures.
and thought tie perceived that they were not
IN accord with human nature, and then he
came to repudiate all ideas OF God and re-
hglon, as well as all human institutions. all
authority, government and society He was
promptly arrested and imprisoned, and all
his property contiscated. He refused to ius-
tify himself or TO avail himself Of legal helm
for his defense, persisted in his opinions, and
continued to preach in the prison Here is a
curious specimen of his answers to the Judge
Construction:
Judge-Who are voul
Prisoner-Don't you SEQ I'm a mani Are
you blindl
What is your religioui
P.-I have none.
What God do you believe inn
FL don't believe in any God God be-
longs to you-to you people It was you
who invented him, don't want him.
J.-Do you worship the devil, thenl with
some irritation.
FL worship neither God nor devil. be-
cause have no need of prayer. The devil
IL also an invention Of yours God and tho
devil are yours, as well as the car, the
priests, and government officials You are
all children of the same mother. am not
one OF you, and wish to know nothing Of
you.
Each for himself, say these sectar1es;
there Is neither right, nor duty, nor social or
political or religious hierarchy. Man, abau-
doned to his natural instincts, without him
drance from government, will be irresistibly
impelled toward truth and equity. They
deny, without exception, all rights of prop
erty, and recognize no form of social organ
social duties, do not exist; they live in a
fantastic world of liberty without limit, and
despise all that surrounds them
For example, if any one asked Shishlzin for
anything whatever, he would give it them at
once; only it absolutely must be something
useful, food clothes, or money for vital
needs, etc. But he would not give n half
penny for tobacco, wine, or such like things.
Il should prefer to throw the money out OF
the window rather than help you to poison
yourself with tobacco he answers to those
who ask him for money to indulge in that
habit Ii any one thanks him, lie answers:
What stupid world You have received
what you wanted; you have eaten; well
now 60"
These sectaries are advocates of all that is
natural; they never shave or cut their hair
they drink no spirits and do not smoke. SO as
not to spoil the natural beauty Of the intel
lectual faculties They dream Of life in
which each should work for himself, satisfy
ing his wants with the productions of the
earth, and making for himself all necessary
articles. What is over ought to be given to
those who are in want They entertain a
profound hatred for all compulsory work
under all forms. They never go into service.
even if threatened with death, and they en-
ploy no servants. When Shishkin was in
prison they shaved him and tried TO compel
him to work; but he utterly refused, saying:
lyon have taken me by force. did not ask
you to shut me up. So now you ought to feed
me and work for me-" 1t was of no use to
fog him, to chain him to a wheelbarrow, to
shut him up in dungeon, to give him only
bread and water; it had no effect He re-
manned immovabe.
These sectares do not allow Of the ex
change Of products or of trade ''If Won
want anything and | can give it you. take
it. When in my turn want anything, You
will give it me-" They preach free love and
do not recognize marriage They consider
women to DO independent beings, equal to
men, free to choose lovers and occupations
according to taste. They replace the word
wife by friend
man, woman and a child were brought
before a judge, accused of belonging to the
sect of Negators as this your wifeN asked
the judge. "No, she is not my wife" "But
you live with herF Eyes; but she is not
mime She is her own" as this your hus-
bandP "No; he is not my husband" an
swered the woman. "But how Is it, thenP
asked the judge, astonished u need him
and he needs me- that is all; but we each be-
long to ourselves" answered the woman.
And this little girl, is she yoursp continues
the judge. "No. She is of our blood, but
she does not belong to us, but to herself"
"But are you mad, thenp cried the magis-
trate out of patience. This cloak that you
are wearing, is that yoursFn 'No, it is not
mine," answered the sectary. "Why do you
wear it thenf II wear it because you have
not taken it from me- This cloak was on
the back Of some one else, now it is on mine;
perhaps tomorrow it will be on yours. How
can you expect me to know to whom it be-
longs1 Nothing belongs to me but my
thought and my reason" And so on.
The words faith" power" "law,H
''usage," inspire them with profound horror
Under no pretext do they have recourse to
the protection of the magistrate preferring
to suffer with patience To appeal to the law
for protection would be to recognize it, to
submit to social institutions; but to submit
to law is to destroy ones individuality, which
should rest for its support only on the indi-
vidual conscience and personal convictions
1t must be added that they do not believe in
the life of the other world and this rewards OF
the future life They hold that man is inn
mortalized only in posterity, in behalf OF
which he spends his moral and physical force.
Nineteenth Century.
A Curious Finnish Myth
nnr-, o,J trr;I;~L+ ora opIv roroTU rnaIa