The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-03
stII.s ANp REMEDIES,

Wheneverlsard times come pe0plefall To-
earehing for their cause and prescribing
remedy, and it is quite singular how rafely
tt1ey: lit ,iIloA the. real cause or. suggest a
s-r4lite1iv shat is applicable. just HOW two
European eoun tries Russia and Belgiunl--
are the tlleater Of unusual popular distress;
the diagnosis of thescaSe, as reached by me
eIief sufferers from the distress, Is very
curious. and the proposed remedies are
actually dr0ll. Both are worthy OF the
consideration eI the farmers in this country,
whose alliances are devising panaeeas Tor
their fluctuations. ri.
Russia is suffering from the effect of the
edict OF emancipation issued by Alexander
H., By that edict some 40,e00,QQ0 OF serts'
nearly half the population Of Russia, were
converted into freedmen, and enabled to
purchase small traets.of laHd on easy terms.
But thes average Russian m0ujik is perhaps.
even less fitted 10 take care of himself than
the freed colergd man of the cotton States.
He is sbiftless, idle, ignorant and de-
bauehed, To him happiness consists IN get
ting drank on yodki and 5luniberlng away
the hours Such a race, suddenly freed
from the authoftty.which eXaeted work, and
from the restraints WHICH compelled
spbriety. naturally sank intoth lowest form
Of degradation. Nothing but tie demands
Of hunger Induced the freedmen to plant
! their land and when they had planted it
! ihe same ludncement was required To make
! them harvest their crops. Between one
I harvest and another the appetite for spirits
! made them TaFen0us Tor money, and this
/ they aitaiued by granting a ehattel mort
! gage Oil their crop. Things have Reached
/ such point that il is rare 70 ifnd peasant
/ in Russia who owns the Tipenirg crops on
/ his farm Itbelongs 10 a creditor who has
! lent him money at ex0rbiiant interest,
A nnmber OF cures for theresujtng misery
/ have been suggested. One is to put siol
| to the sale Of ardent spirits, which bEutaiize
| the reaSantTy But more than 4 Third OF
| the ordinary imperial revenue is derived
from the excise on alcohol, and the Govern
nent at ST. Petersburg caRngt afford to cII-
tail the consumption OF distilled liquor.
| This remedy failing, tie peasant ard no IN
considerable portion Of the nobility think
that matters would mend il lie Jews We're
| driven out Of the country. As matter of
fact, there are far more Christian than jew
m0ney-IehGers and publttans, aud the MEM
hers Of the orthodox faith are inst as keen
to foreelose their MORTGAGES as the He
brews. But the proposition TO make the
Jews a srapfgoat eaptiYates the Ignorant
mQujiE's fancy, and be now demands that
The mem bers Of <he obnoxious faith be ex-
PEELED In order 10 restore thrift and sobriety
and prosperity to the Russian peasantry.
The situation in belgium is different
/, There the people are suffering tE1Ri over
81 ~, an e There are 4s2 people to the
square mile, as against $50 in Great Britain
aud ireland, ard IA in the Eaitea St9tes.
l+Qf course, IN suyh dense reputation
l+the romEetiticn for work IS active. eni-
pfoyneut is scarce and wages are low.
The BelsiaRs, realizing tlie severity Of
their sutferings, have Row discovered n
remedy They insist on universal
suffrage, The demand is. reasonable.
!. Bat elle 81 thirteen adult Belgian.Rltles has
now the right to sote. But how the posses
SION Of vofessis going to increase the de-
mand Tor work ih=the Belgian towns, or to
raise. tie rate Of Wages, It's not easy To See.
+ With rbtes the Belgian people may change
+ their Government, and send new men TO the
| Chambers TO make new laws but so long as
| there are 4S2 people en- every square mile
OF International territory it is not in thu
! power of.the Legislature or the. Executive
/ to supply every man with steady employ
ment at lucrative rates. That is expecting
L 0LlH tLCtefte VI iloGtSlLOho hlllSll di0 a! a.
/ man and very ciTeumScrbed intheir powers
1 = Some of our Disconnected fellow-citi2en.
] whe are Iilanni revolution in our financial
aud economical systems, in order to cure
/ present evils, may learn a useful lesson
from these foreign examples. Hard times
/ are. fst always The fruitof unwise laws, noI
can they always be helped hy legislation
| thRt1s wiser. They often, indeed, they gen
5xF
laws whielIare beyond the reach of human
X c1op trOl .--s5.--.