Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-04-27
THE FAMINE.

! A study of the question leads the
ninking to believe that the govern
nent can be held largely responsible
br the terrible famine which is at pres
INT devastating the Russian land. Let
Is go back to the EN- ancipation OF the
erfs in 1861. At that time a small
portion of land was allotted to each
/ peasant, barely sufficient for the suste-
,sDce of himself and his family, but no
provision was made for the probable
Increase of population. As the years
vent by and the peasants increased in
numbers, the surplus thousands of souls
iriite to the towns and cities and
iormed an immense proletariat, which
n time became a menace to the empire.
those left to till the land found them
elves handicapped with taxes, imposed
lot so much by the government itself
Is by the tchinoUniks tofflcials) who
we're sent into the rural districts to ad-
minister jutI and to collect the taxes
imposed by the greater power. These
brutal officials levied heavily on the
Ilender resources of the peasant, and
Is a result, his humble home was in
lime swept away.
There is always more or less famine
throughout the Russian land, but last
rear provinces heretofore fertile refused
~ reward the husbandman's labors.
To-day no less than forty millions of
he Gar subjects are suffering the
pangs of hunger, and the misery is
!ndescribable. Thousands of people
ire dying by the wayside, while others
ire subsisting on roots and other food
IN fit for dogs. Mothers are subjeoting
heir little ones to exposure to con-
iagious diseases, believing that form of
ieath to be preferable to the slow one
If starvation. In some of the famine
districts the scenes witnessed are be-
fond description. Troops of peasants
wander from village to village begging
oiteously and crying, "Give us breadl
Bread-for Christ's sakel" This appeal
always in vain, for each peasant
amily seems to be in greater distress
han it's neighbor. The Gear and his
ministers at first turned a deaf ear to
he peoples pleadings, but ct last they
have been brought to a realization of
The true state of affairs. 1t is estimated
that it will require three hundred
million dollars to tide over the famine
Ieason, while barely one-third of this
imOunt has as yet been subscribed.
- ScANiooAOhy oAA bChhih Va bhO
lads of the Russian peasantry who are
suffering for the very necessaries Of
life, [ appeal to the warm-hearted
American public for aid in this dire
extrenity-thst some of the surplus of
this years bountiful harvest may be
devoted to their relief, rs was done in
the case of the famine in Ireland some
years sinca. On behalf also of that
great and growing army of Liberalists,
mary of whose sDlest men and women
havs found homes in Siberian mine 8
and prIsc-s or have suffered an igno-
ninious death, l invoke the moral sup
port of the people of the United States,
who know what it is to enjoy the bless
ings of freedom and self-government
The dawn of brighter era for the
Russian people Is already in sight, for
it is believed that the present year the
spectre of Nihilism will assume, to the
Romanoff dynasty, a more formidable
aspect than ever before. 1t has been a
terrible awakening, but the great heart
of the Russian nation is at last aroused
lsru that lethargy of despair which
ros ,-ualted from the many centuries
is oppression which it has endured
COmntess NorraikOtO, in april Lippin-
sOHs.