The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-16
SOCIAL PESTS OF RUSSIA.
Eight Million Outcasts, and No Dis
grace Attached to the Life,
From the BALTIMORE Amarican


From the Baltimore American.
Alexei Svirsky, a newspaper writer and
literary man of ST. Petersburg, is be-
lieved 10 know more about outcast life
in Russia than any other man. He has
made a study of vagabonds of that nation
for years, and in pursuit of literary ma
terial has wandered all over Russia. Hv-
ing with beggars and thieves for months
at time and sleeping in iais police sta
tons, or the crowded dens used as lodg.
ing houses.
In one Stun lodging house in st, Peters
burg, ii is claimed that 10, 600 people sleep
on winter nights, and there are a number
that afford shelter for a thousand The
inmates are as tattered and diseased d
collection. of people as one can find in q
years travel and Mr.. Svlrsky said il
would be better for all concerned if they
did not exist.
II frankly confess" he said, that am
not one of those who believe in prolong-
ing such miserable lives These people
are of no use to themselves, or any one
else. The bulk of them suffer from dis
ease. and they are a constant menace to
the health of the town. If they were ami
mails, and not human beings there would
be no doubt as to what should be done
with them. In manner and temperament
a great many of them are animals, and the
best way to deal with them Is on this
basis. l know that 1t sounds harsh to
speak of human beings in this fashion,
but Russia is so Uttered UP with this par
ticular kind OF human beings that they
have simply gst TO be weeded out.
II estimate that there are nearly 5000, 900
people In Russia who live either we'll with
i'm or on the edge of outcast life. Some
are beggars, some are thieves, others are
prisoners, and still others are people who
work a little when they feel like II. and
live on charity or what they can pick up
the rest of the time. We have entire vii
lagos given up to begging families, who,
at stated intervals, go KURT, as they say.
Some have horses ana wagons which they
take with them on their rounds, and 9TH
ers walk but they ell try to keep to-
gether as much as possible. On their re-
turn from begging excursions, they di-
vide up their winnings, and then have a
big debauch
Russia Is still in many respects only
half-civilzed country, and there is al
ways love of wandering in a people bor-
dering on barbarism. 1t comes natural TO
thousands of our peasants to roam about
and find their living where they can. and
IL is easy TO understand how they take 10
begging, and even stealing, when the ep-
portunity proves favorable. 1t is also
true that there is no disgrace attached 10
vagabondage in Russia. as there Is in
more Western countries. Not so very
many years ago all the peasants were
serfs. and had no understanding of indie
pendence or self-respect, and it is nor to
be wondered at they fail to appreciate the
degradation which vagrancy and idlenoss
imply. You might preach for the rest Of
your life to some of the people you have
seen in ST. Petersburg, and try to appeal
to their sense of honor, and you would
talk in vain. Hundreds of them have no
knowledge of any better conditions. and
care for none. What they want Is enough
TO keep body and soul together, SUFFICIENT
vodka to nave periodical dehauch and
corner to lie down in at night That Is
all.
The government is not to blame for