The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-22

Tho series OF papers contributed 70 tho
Fbrtntohtlv Rerie,o By tho writer who has
adopted the pseudonym Of E. B. LAN1N has
been republished BY Messra Chapman 4
Hall In volume entitled Russian Char
acte-istics. Tho authors aim is to show that
the Russian people. however 1mprovident.
shiftless. superstitious. and immoral they ap-
pear to English eyes. are yet not undeservIng
OF some admiration for not having sunk still
lower under the Joint pressure Of autocracy
and orthodoxy. that is to say. under the worst
possible political and ecclesiastical systems
It is also to be noted that this authors crit
icisms OF the existing state OF Russian
society Is based on data drawn for
the most part either from official documents
or from Russian newspapers. which. as We
know. are subjected to rigorous cen-
sorship. His facts. therefore, cannot be dis
puted by the defenders OF the Russian Govern
ment. though It may be objected that he is
guilty Of sins Of omission. and from tho mass
OF authentic materials selects those only which
will serve his purpose. 1t Is possible. OF course
in this way to deepen unfairly tho shadows Of
picture. as II one. desiring to depict Ameri-
can society. should conflne himself to tho rec
ords OF the criminal courts- Although. how
ever. 1t is we'll to remember that the author Is
drawing an Indictment rather than pre-
senting impartial observations, we are In
debted to his book for Information nowhere
else accessible In English. Particularly inter-
esting on the score Of novelty is the chapter
on the Generalization Of tho Russian nation
and the delineation Of various distinctive Rus
sian traits. such as mendacity. fatalism. i'm
providence. proorastination. shiftlessne ss. dis.
honesty. and sexual immortality.
According to Mr.. IAnin-the name 10, We re-
peat. pseudonym-the Russian Government
Is deliberately resolved to reduce the people to
condition OF abject unreasoning slavishness
which will permit them to be dealt with like
cattle. That the goal Is not very far Off is In.
dlcated by the following fact brought forth by
one Of tho most loyal and reactionary newspa-
pers In Russia 1t seems that during review
OF the army recruits In Wilma the General in
command. turning to one Of the new soldiers
asked him: What is military discipline ?"
1t Is that soldier has got to DO Just what he
is told by hts superior oficer. although moth
ing against tho Car" was tho answer. "All
right. then: you take your cap. bid your com.
rades good-by. and 20 drown yourself in that
lake there. Look sharp" Tears glisten ed in the
soldiers eyes: he gazed earnestly and prayer
fully at his commander. turned suddenly right
about and rushed of to the hike. Ho was Oh
tho worry DTInk DeIOFo no WAS oSerVuken and
stopped by tho sergeant sent to prevent tho
involuntary suicide. II the whole nation were
as ready as this soldier was to dispose OF its
soul at the beck OF hundred thousand b,i.
reaucrats. then. according to Mr.. Lanin. the
ideal OF the Russian Government might be
considered realized. He suggests that the
Russian authorities might appropriately sum
up the results OF their guidance from an i'm
perisl point OF view by tellinG tho masses what
the Prince Of Orange told the English mob at
I'VE are here for your good-for
all your goods" and adding. as Dean Swift
afterward suggested. BY way Of explanation.
" for all your goods and chattels"
What are the fruits OF absolute subsection on
the ono hand and OF ruthless extortion on tho
other3 Among those enumerated by tho au-
thor are physical degeneration outstripping
the rapid lowering Of the standard for the army
TO such an extent that In 1897 more than 103.-
900 recruits had to be rejected as physically
UNFIT for military service; the 1900 annual
deaths. as against 1900 births In Nischni Nov
gorod: the death rate varying In 203 Russian
cities from q minimum Of rs to O redoubtable
maximum Of Ill per thousand OF the inhabi-
tants: and. finally. q provincial famine every
year without exception. and national famine
eight times In q century. Drunkenness. we
arc told. has been deliberately encouraged by
tho ruling class In Russia not only as tending
10 increase the revenue. but 80 being one OF tho
most snosoiovs msAps Of governing the Pee.