The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-10


AS the land stands today the peasants to
large extent govern themselves, and they have
many governmental rights greater than those
of the people of the United States. The differ
epce between the nobility and the common
people is by no means SO great here as it is in
the other countries of Europe. and the consti-
tuition of this nation is such that it could be
changed from an autocratc monarchy to q
constitutional republican form of Government
with little trouble, provided the Gar and his
people should ever care to bring this about.
I don't believe that the people rs they stand
to-day are ready for self-goyernment. The
50, 100000 peasants who were slaves 30 years
ago ought to be taught to read and write before
they are allowed to vote On national matters,
and the steps by which Russia will come to
modern form of Government are through edu-
cation and a constitutional monarchy.
One of the greatest needs of Russia is educa-
ton. The country has practically no public
school system, and only two per cent. OF the
total population of Russia are in school. A
vast number of the people cannot read or write,
and the droschsk y-drivers and laborers of this
city cannot read the signs over the stores 1t
is for this reason that outside of each store in
Russia You see paintings representing the arti-
cles for sale within; and / have more trouble
in getting from one place to another in Moscow
and st. Petersburg than l ever had in any of
the other great cities of the world. You may
have q card with the name of the place and
the street you want to 60 to written upon
it, but this does no good, for your cabman can
not read; and if you point him to a name in
the guide book, whether it be in Russian or in
English, the printed letters mean nothing to
him.
In all the schools of Russia there are less
than 100000 scholars, while in the United
States we have more than 10000 600, and we
have only half the population of the Russian En-
pire. Still, Russia spends more than $40 000, 900
e year on its schools, and there are excellent
universities at ST. Petersburg and here at Mos
COW.
went through big university at Kazan,
and there is now one college in st. Petersburg
which admits ladies. This has 400 students,
but the other female colleges Of the Empire
we're closed about Eve years ago because the
Government thought they were too liberal in
their methods of thinking.
The women of Russia are naturally very
bright and well-educated Russian lady is the
peer of any woman the globe Some of the
most noted of the Nihiists have been women,
and Vera Sassulich who assassinated the Chief
Of the Secret Police of ST. Petersburg was a
woman of very fine mind. though she was
said to be insane ON politics. She was educated
at Zurich in Switzerland, and she killed this
man for whipping Nihilist. who belonged to
the same society that she did, with knout.
This Nihilist was very cruelty treated. and the
skin was almost torn from his back by the
whip. which had steel hooks at the end of its
prongs.
The society to which this man belonged
learned of the outrage, and it decided that
this Chief of Police must die. They drew lots
as TO who should be the executioner, and Vera
Sassulich got the fatal ballot. The day after
II l. IL
upon the Chief of Police in his Office in st.
Petersburg, and shot him in his chair. She
WAC then only % years old, and she was &C.
quilted On the ground Of insanity.
have talked with number Of freethinkers
among the women of Russia whom / have met
during my stay here and find them not at all
afraid to say what they think about the Gar
and his Government, and they are full Of in
telligence both in the expression of their
thoughts and in their reasons for them. Some
of the best of the Russian literature has been
written by women, and during the past gene
ration there have been half-dozen bright
novelists of the other sex.
All the world was talking six months ago
about Marie Bashkirtsef, who left such re-
markablc diary, and who was painter as well
as writer. There are q number of women
doctors here In Russia, and though they are
not permitted to do much except as the assist
ants of male physicians, they have shown
themselves very efficient, and they are chiefly
employed in the hospitals.
One of the brightest women I met is the
wife of TolEtoi, the novelist. She speaks sew
eral languages, and is packed full of good ideas
aud of practical common sense. She manages
the Tolstoi estates so that they bring in fair
income, and she makes ali arrangements az to
her farms. She has a large garden and many