New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-11
SUNDAY EDITION.
JAN. II 1894.
HOW THE PEASANTS STARVE
srgpN1AK TALKS OF THE RUSSIAN POOR
DECLARING THAT THE PEOPLE OF HIS COUNTRY

nFcLARIYG THAT THE PEOPLE OF HIS COUNTRY
ARE FITTED FOR PREE GOVERNMENT
@Our demands are not excessive. We pray for
..,onal representation, national parliament. uni
y.rsa suffrage local autonomy. freedom Of the press
ord freedom Of speech. NOn inherit them at your
birth. Who can wonder at our di,content"
As sergius Stepniak, the exile from his country
.nd the leader o: the Revolutionary party. repeated
these words to Tribune reporter in the room of his
hotel il was difficult u believe That many NATIVES
., the land Of the Car consider him the murderer
nj the Chief Of Police of II. Petersburg.
Il have never done anything Of which am
asbamede he said. and his canestness and the
rssthll glance of the dark. piercing eye carry with
,bem conviction YES" he continued, my pa
formal Government has committed many sius. The
,post serious charge. however in tie long calendar
NJ shortcomings, IS the increasing misery 81 tle
nsasants Were that evil removed. there would be
less reason for rebellion. The mortality CT this class
~ oar people is frightfu 1t AZ in 1000 and
IN some OF the provinces il reaches the high number
~ GO In the wear 1554 the Congress of PHYSICIANS
declared that the cause of this calamity was lack OK
food Lack of food ycs million and haf OF
the people actually starvc each year. IN hldh'
country village district, the mortality i greater IMAM
in the towns There is 10 other place on eF'h
where that condition Will repeat Itself Inc TcNc'S0'
as Won Know is the rule.
people! In fact today there are twenty millions OF
peasants who proletaranS. Tie rate OF taxes i
50 high that one half of their income Is sWaIo"o-'
nm IN paving the demands to tie Government "''
such high taxation the cannot h'sAe o'''
ends meet They have been obiIed u
mortgage their lands t. Insurers III oi'oF "
Get money upon which to live Int let me LAY 10"
that the Insurers in the central part OF the country are
uot Jews but Christians. 1t seems 70 be the MIS-
taken idea that the only usureiN ana money 'cnoc''
aI, Hebrews. The impression arises pFooaON' from
the reports which are tccrraphed from my country
That is wrong In the central part Of Russia there are
comparatively no Jews.
Iu, This condl..71 Of affairs remains The peas
ant are a nation Of agricultural proletaran>. Inc
chairman of recent congress in Russia declared u''
their condition than that Of the former ses'
in a material sense. And that : true. me sefl'
were well cared for at least materially II Wa I"
tie Interest Of their masters 10 see that uey were
well fed and we'll clothed. Bat now 1t Is dlhercW'
Not that we want serftom again! Far from mat
pu tce facts must be looked in the face. These are
sad truths"
,tepniak does not despair however. Of the future
lie i, confident that the day of relief is coming. Inc
land Of freedom. bcckons Us on he says
Russia" he addcc, i, prepared for scli-coveTn-
meut today. 1t IS Il mistake, a great mistake 10
supposc that this is not the case. The people I'D
dosd are better prepared Tor sclfeovernment IMAM
auy nation rot yet entirely fee. le>. compare inc
Russian, day even with the French a"d the NcI""'
! believe that they better prepared for 7ei -oE
eminent today than these peopcs. Inc h"''t'
AT pussiau peasants are accustomed To autonomy ~
,i,,ir Villages, They have t. elect their own officers
there. Three years after the emancipation oi inc
.eris in lo64 the Government granted SORT q" loc'
autonomy 10 the Lemstross Or legislative a>>emoi' "
a province The nobility sent onehali OF Lc rep
,e.en;a1ives while the others were elected by The ma
die class and peasants The peasants sat upon Inc
lpi
n.ty IA, desired t. take advantage Of the other III all
The history Of the Lenistross.
The privileges Of the Zcmstross were OF course
elementary. The members showed desire 10 foster
education and establish industrial schools In lo'
te zenstross I'm every province voted for progressive
taxatiou Ii was their intention to impose taxes
imam the nobility for the relief of the peasants, Who
nav about 81 er cent Of the taxes OF the Government
The authorities, opposed the measure, however ana
the Government refused to adopt the auseeston'
Russia is in tact democratic and if we had some form
of ...lfeovcgnneut We should make ii great and
10 the condition of education" copuucd the
Nihilst. there !, U,p mGtA 10 say A'c H',c' ar
a. a RUE iIc.stc Yet, pdddoAlCaI Is thdt may 7tti
they are We'll developed lntehcctuaAS INC Poisin'.
ambitious 10 OBTAIN cdu,d'IDi' ~ wy '' ,
ntcrfelee ana makes it dlncuit OF obtNnnch'. Many
a,,riSiouS ,,l',h,f, uf> IN. iounding OF school, is
dincuIt matter. II Il rrimc in Russia to t-'ch With
out especial permission. NWclnbcr the case {" "a
Ynhle lady named AltinOa. The VIII. Ol The MARSHAL
of racOw. Inc suu.4cr time she passed III Villd-c
and In order to accomplish some good, sAt gather
nUnDcr Of peasant children about her ana Dti'h u
teach them to r..d and Writ. What was Inc con
sequence The police came 20 Err house ana com
handed her - c,.t,c her phauthroric acton. IhcE
demanded The certificates OF her lgiimdt" marilt-o
ara birth and subjected her 10 various ildie. ~
va, obliged TO give up her class ana u leave IN
country lu a -hp:t time
a similar hardship wa5 melted 0Gi TO several people
IN Odessa Who cnGcavOlcd 10 teach the Cdtrth-"I L"
people Of tow dc-Iye. Education Is ln the hands oi
Ire municipal authorities it is true, bat the "0Vcih.
ment Ina, appointed superintendent, who clpo,c "iill
the educated cla,s,s with us. HE rcN"Iuiph VIII
come
,,cpni1k does no' consider thc present car Nlau
by naturc. nor dos ne tniIh him naturally "A tfurI
man. IL j. not tic j. an lndlNlduIl tti We
are lighting lie aud ri. Tie CLdg CdiNV. control
lIC Omclal,. Iney too numerous. II "OUd DC
iapO>sl5le lie i only one man against 10000 Ohccr>
ana emclal>. l,ut u j, uOt lr"c To say tAHt a. j.
unable 10 grant constitutional government aud oth"I
PRIVILEGES 6cca l,c he cnc1 By the Loble- and
pl.ncc, Jealous Of their p:cru.dtlVcs. That /, not
the case. He is not threatened BY them. Ihcrt ere
other moral cause which prevent him from granting
freedom. \ great barrier j. the hereditary prid" 0i
the kOmanofs. He cannot bear 10 tnnh u giving
Up IN. l0Ity position and 10 bring himself TO ia
realization II the fact that other, naVr rights. lie
Is good enough aId Kind enough In his Nay. Ira
ditiOn and heredity however oihcult Things L"
tgHLH
Tie general belief that The father Of the prcSen,
Car was ready 10 sim MS name 10 constitution,
granting 20 Russians the privilege OF constitutional
monarchy m the day Of ha trIsc Death, Vas ,did
70 be untrue by ~ ,pnak. "NO,' lie continued, 1T
was not a constitution. IL was only conversation
nj Tho ,,}i a