Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-03
THINGS In GENERAL.
1.-THE Nineteenth Century Persecution Which
Would Have Disgraced the Middle Ages
Russia Behind the Times in Every

I
thing-Wrongs of an Unfortunate Race.
| WRITTEN FOR THE pIsPATcH.l
| Russia fs I2 days behindhand. 1 mean in
the almanac. In almost everything else
Russia is 400 or 500 years behindhand. Russia
| is a behindhand country.
Significant it seems to me, is this retention
of that old, cumbrous, outgrown and imper-
| feet way of time-keepfng. All other civilized
nations have now these several centuries
ago improved upon it and left it off, and
! found something better. Russia holds still
to the calendar of the Middle Ages.
Russia is one of the most interesting no
tions upon the face ofthe notwithstanding
as an anachronism, as singular survival Of
otherwise obsolete ways of thinking and be-
having. 1 believe that in one Of Julian
Hawthorne's novels the scene is laid in O
medieval castle on the banks of the Hud-
son. But that is only a little more improba-
BILE than the existence of Russia in this nine
teenth century on the edge of modern
Europe. Imagine the monastery which over
looks the Southside- fitted up with all the
machinery of the medi9val Inquisition. Dig
dangerous dungeons underneath it, and fill
them with heretics rotting alive. Introduce
the iron maiden into those religious cham
bers. Plant stout stake in a pleasant
courtyard up there on the hill, and OCCASION
ally of a Friday morning burn Presby-
tertau there by a slow fire; let the smoke of
torture and the smoke of Jones & Laughlins'
chimneys go up into the Pittsburg sky to-
gether. This is hardly greater strain upon
Imagination than is required of man to
realize st. Petersburg and London side by
side, Alexander III. and Lord Salisbury pre-
siding over adjacent nations. England and
Siberia at the same time on the same planet.
Belongs in n Museum.
The truth about Russia is that Russia is
"freak'' and belongs in an international
dime museum. Or rather, that would be the
truth about Russia If Russia were not every
day this very year crushing the life out of
thousands of poor men and women-our
brothers and sisters. That makes 'freak"
too light q word for that great medieval
despot, and even Madam Tussaud's and the
chamber of horrors too small place.
If Russia were as happily dead as Babylon
Russia would be exceedingly interesting.
We would take the same antiquarian delight
in her that we take in the old castles and
the old thumbscrews. At cid York, in the
Museum, they show you some of the
weapons that once were welded by Dick
Turpin. And you look at them with con-
siderable interest. But If Dick Turpin were
alive today, wearing those stout weapons
and shifting people down with them along
the highways, interest would hardly be
the word Russia is rather more execrable
than interesting.
In London last summer, at the Stanley and
African Exhibition, they had reminders of
that other barbarism which disgraces this
century-the fiendish barbarism of African
slavery. They had yokes there that had
rested on slave necks, and chains that had
tangled against slave legs 1t will be re-
membered against us in history that there
were Arab slave dealers in our days-and
Russian despots.
Ordinary Words Not Strong Enough.
1t is difficult to speak in the language Of
the drawing room about the peculiarities of
the Government of Russia. l remember
what grim silence there was in Old City
Hall after Mr.. Kennan's lectures. Every
man in the audience wanted to pelt the Car
with dynamite. The writer in the Coten,-
pordry Revie,o was probably carried away by
an angry and exaggerating temper who at
tributed to the Russians all the varieties of
known to the moral law
Month after month he kept at it, and may
not have ended yet, like n preacher in the
Ten Commandments, with Russian illustra-
tions. That was too much. Even in the
Middle Ages there were 'numberless good
people. And probably there are in Russia.
Still it is very nard for people who desire to
love all men-even Russians-to have ST.
berian exile supplemented now by Jewish
persecution in the Slavic programme of
injustice.
bably the best thing to say is that the
Russians are trying to govern nineteenth
people by fifteenth century meth
DDS. And that is a good deal like trying to
crowd a mans foot into child's shoe. You
have got to cut or some toes before you can
do that. Tho foot went in once easily
enough. But that was good while ago.
And people were governed once in Russian
fashion. But that, too-except in Russia
was good while ago.
Yet doubt not that as much could he said
for Alexander III. and his Ministers as can
be said for Charles II. and Stafford and
Laud. Those men whose heads the Puritans
cut off were religiously and conscientiously
trying to thrust modern feet into medieval
shoes. They were absolutely conscientious
about it, and were exceedingly attractive |
and good men-and enemies of England, of !
progress and of humanity at the same time. |
A Change of Mind.
No doubt the Russian Government has |
perfectly satisfactory reasons satisfactory |
to itself for putting nineteenth century men |
md Hebrews to death. By and by, under |
The persuasions of some new Cromwell, there |
will be change of mind. In the meantime |
what IS going on in Russia? What is actually |
done to the Hebrews theref The most ex-
tended statement of facts that know of is |
made by Mr.. Hourwitch, a Russian, He |
brew and a lawyer, in this months Forum
The central stronghold of the Hebrews for
now these many centuries has been that
tract of country which was once named Po-
and. There the Polish laws protected them
There they made their homes generation
after generation before the partition of that |
unhappy country was ever plotted. Then
Russia got hold of Poland.
The Russian laws had long forbidden the
residence of Hebrews in permanent settle
ments on Russian soil. But the Polish laws
in force. Permanent settlement
was permitted without that Russian prov
nce which was called the "pale."
Then came the father of the present Car.
And the economical and political conditions
we're such at his accession that it seemed a
rood policy to extend the privileges OF the
race. Skilled artisans and merchants with
heir clerks were permitted to have resi-
ience in Russia outside the pale The
schools and the public offices were opened
% Hebrews. The result of this policy was
hat they learned the Russian language and
became good patriotic Russian citizens.
They made their presence helpfully felt in
LII departments of good living. Commerce
aw, medicine, science, literature, art, we are
old, had Hebrews in the first places The
Hebrews in Poland and out of it became
Russian.
Dawning of Dark Day.
But now is risen up another ruler who
knows not Joseph" In 1882 Count Igna-
l,.o ;e;. ,o1 |