Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-09-23


rope were confirmed, and the failure
was found TO be far more nearly COM
plete, and in the case of Russia more
disastrous than the most gloomy FORE
cast had indicated. This important
fact lent a new scope to the investiga-
tions of our correspondent and the
outline of these results, which was Civ
en- in our cable dispatches. will be read
with the keonest interest throughout
the United States.
The journey referred to extended
from st. Petersburg in the north to
Odessa in the south, in the east as far
rs Mini Novgorod, and over consid-
siderable portion of the land border
ing on the frontiers Of Roumania,
Austria and Germany. The condition
of the Jews under the prosecuting
movement, which was first known to
the outside world in February last,
was found to be more terrible than had
been thought, and marked by indie
scribable miseries. 1t is not merely
the wretchedness of the Jews who are
east of "the pale," and who are being
steadily driven out by confscation and
the restriction of means of livelihood,
that excites pity there is the deeper
wretchedness of those who are daily
crossing "the PALE" contending with
the natives, with those who have pre-
ceeded them, and with each other, for
the too scant food existing there
"Out of this tragic hurly-burly," says
our correspondent, "some three or four
thousand are able to fight their way
over the tops of the others and escape
across the frontier. This panic-strick-
EN- stream of fugitives is all that Eu.
rope sees of the persecution. Of the
horrors which remain behind it has
hardly the vaguest idea."
With the advance of the movement
, which has now acquired momentum
, that can scarcely be checked, our cor
, respondent intimates that point may
be reached where the other European
powers may be forced to intervene.
He sees in the Jewish persecution only
an Overture to a grand performance
of chasing all foreigners and non-orth-
odox persons out of Russia" If this
be accomplished by the rude force OF
con6scation, other nations, especially
, Germany, can hardly look on with in.
, difference. But beyond this possible
Intervention from the outside there is
a development within that has not
been counted on. The relative failure
! of the crops, due to the blighting eff
feet OF the weather, has been immense.
ly aggravated by the persecution Of
the Israelites 1t happens that this
class of people has been in the habit
: of buying the standing crops and ad.
5 vancing to the growers the money
, needed to harvest them, and without
r which the harvest is impossible. The
/. land owners, from causes that need
not here be recounted, but which were
described years ago by Wallace in his
noted book on Russia, have fallen SC
far behind that they depend regular
ly and habitually on these advances
not only for harvesting expenses, but
9 for present maintenance. This year
D with the stern warnings begun in Feb.
r ruary and increasing in significance
as the spring advanced, the Jews have
been making very few advances, and
have sought rather to convert their
property into money that could be
! concealed from spoilation and be car
ried with them in their exile. "The
8 result is that whole grain districts ex-
ists," says our correspondent, "where
no purchasers have come around al
all, and where the proprietors, getting
, no cash advanced, were unable to har
vest more than an infinitesimal por-
ton of their crops. l personally saw
numerous evidences of this, and in
Odessa received proofs that it is wide.
spread"
, From such facts as these the out
look for Russia is terrible indeed
The physical suffering that is inevita.
bic must be followed by discomfort,
despair and violence. The sentiment
t of those capable of thinking in this
t vast and mysterious nation is one Of
, foreboding. Reports of bread riots
and of still more fearful outbreaks Of
the "hunger plague" are everywhere
rife, and in the uncertainty bred by
the wretched inadequacy and untrust-
: worthiness of the press and the known
falsehood of official assertions, appre
, tensions multiply. The efforts of the
= Government to provide against suffer.
/ ing by famine rather confirm than al.
lay lear, slnce OH the one hauu Ihey
Q are confession that famine is near
, and on the other hand the belief il
general that these efforts will be baf
fled by the thieving of the officials
The history of the next half year is
] likely to be. not only for Russia, bu
Q for all Europe, crowded with events
I of momentous import.-New York
Times.