Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-12-31

earth. II any man had made this statement to
me before came to this country. l would
simply have thought that he made q slip of the
tongue and really meant 'less" when ne said
..more.', For . long time the inhabitants OF
this great empire have been pictured as most
wretched and unhappy, - oppressed In every
way, and especially ~ having absolutely no
political power. This picture IL utterly untrue.
Moreover 1t may be said with perfect truth that
in many respects the people Of Russia the
common people-the very poorest and lowest
have not only political power. but that they
have more political power than any other peo-
pie living today. l can prove this statement by
facts that you may obtain from any peasant 10
the land.
Russia Is, a. have said In another letter, a
great land Of farmers. Not only are the peo-
pie In the country farmers-and these form
seven-eighths Of the whole populatiOn-but also
millions Of w0rkmen In the cities have farms
which they cultivate In the spring and summer.
Now this immense agricultural population lives
in very peculiar way. In tho United States,
and In all other countries except Russia, the
farmer lives by himself In the country on his
farm. But Ia no part Of Russia, except very
few provinces, IL this the case. The farmers
never live by themselves on their farms. They
all live In villages. Thus far have Travelled
over 1000 miles In Russia, on land. river and sea,
| by railroads and steamboats,, and overland by
wagon and sleigh, and yet never anywhere have
1 seen q Russian farm house standing by itself.
Except in the provinces around the Baltic sea,
the farmers throughout the whole land all live
In villages. The land they own and cultivate
lies around the villages. some Of the farms be-
| ing ten miles away from the houses OF the farm
ers that cultivate them.
| -
Now, each OF these villagers Is . political body,
and one Of the most powerful political bodies In
| all the world. All the farmers who live In the
village are members OF this body, which Is called
the mir. The village, acting through this mir
has absolute control Of al the land held by its
members, and its authority over such land Is
supreme In the first place, the village actually
owns all the Land occupied or cultivated by its
4 inhabitants. With US each farmer owns his
land, and not the county or township in which
he lives. But In Russia tho farmer as q single
individual practically never owns the land ht
lives on and cultivatex And yet. nearly every
farmer In Russia. besides many city wOrkmen, |,
. landowner. Butshe owns land not as single
private citizen, but ~ . member Of village
The individual farmer not only does not own the
land ne lives on, but he Also does not control Il
or nse 1t - he thinks best. He cannot do 80. i
Is the village, the mir, which decides how tn
land shah be cultivated. what system Of tn
crop rotation shall prevail, how long land shoult
lie follow. etc.
Such decision Of the mir each individual peas
ant must obey. The mir can redistribute oil tn
farms owned by the village wheDeverit chooses
Il can take away al the land held BY one man
except his yard and gardens, and give II +
another man, giving the flrst man m entirel
different lot OF land Moreover, nearly ever
village has some land that Il does not app0rttol
out to desperate individuals q ~. but I'll tn
: members ofthe village hold + 10 common, >
: pasture lOnd, etc.
: These privileges, this Immense political power
wess styen 70 the villages BY the imperial gov
: eriiSsent Of his majesty tho emperor and cz.r 9
/ Tan the Rassias. This government, which h.
\ been psocIaimed . H. world - ths great u
press0s q miilions u nnAappy hu1nan beingl
yeiunsnxtlyA 90 1elihsgAtaly - slvea n ~ ~
~ nnder r. pr - ~ - powe6 md psty