The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-13
SIBERIAN EXILE SYSTEM.
Emperor Nicholas About to Abolish This
Barbarous Anachronism.
20 OFTEN during the las, tn

abolish deportation 10 Siberia as
a means Of punishment that one nigh be
tempted TO disregard the revival OF a re-
port 10 this effect were u not for the fac;
that the Car has organized com mission
for the purpose OF devising some other
method Of dealing with offenders. and has
made arrangements for visiting the vari-
Gus penal establishments In the Asl4tic
portion Of his dominions next month. in
order 10 make a personal investigation OF
the entire matter.
There are two reasons which are Gcsu-
atjng the Gar in taking steps 10 brias
abs.ut this great work OF reform in the
first place he realizes that Siberia has
reached a stage of development CT which
IL can no longer be utilized as the dump
ing ground for people who for one reason
or another are not wanted in European
Russia, and that the time has come tO re-
move from Siberia the stigma inseparable
from its employment by the Official world
as a penal colony. And, then too Mich
olas. who is an enlightened and pr0g.es-
sive monarch. in spite of all the reports
TO the contrary, is clever enough 10 un-
derstand that penal transportation is i
form Of punishment which, dating from
three and four centuries ago. should have
no place in modern civilization, and hat
II has by the march OF events been Ie-
dueed TO an anachronism-
Although in former days exile 10 81
IBERIA was regarded as a living death,
and its horrors were painted in such viy-
id colors that the very name of this huge
section of the empire of the Gar was
calculated TO cause shudder. yet to-day,
thanks to the opening UP of the country
by means of railroads, telegraphs, as well
as steamships and postal eommuniea7
tions, it has gradually come to be recOg-
nized as land of extraordinary natural
wealth and of magnificent resources; in
deed, as an ideal region for immigration.
To such an extent has Il recently grown
to be looked upon as a land % promise
that the Russian authorities have been
compelled TO devise special means to re-
strict and TO even prevent altogether the
wholesale immigration OF Jews. and, es-
pecially, of those German settlers who
are regarded in European Russia much
in the same way as were the Yankees
in the Southern States prior TO the civil
war; that is TO say. strangers who by
their industry. enterprise and thrift Sc
cure possession of all the good things of
district at the expense Of the natives
of the locality In many respects resi-
dence in Siberia has become more agree
able than west OF the Cral range, for
owing to the vast extent of the country
and the comparative paucity OF officials.
people enjoy far more liberty and are less
subject to irksome supervision on the
part Of arbitrary police authorities in
Siberia than in Russia proper.
Obstacles to Development.
One OF the chief obstacles 70 the deveI-
opment OF the resources of this land of
promise has been its use as a penal col
ony. Experience has shown that there is
no more disastrous blight cast upon the
progress and prosperity of a country than
an attempt to coloniZe 1t with convicts.
The almost fantastic growth of the
wealth and Importance Of the Australia
sian colonies OF Great Britain dates only
from the time when the latter ceased 70
ship her criminal classes to the antipodps
by way of punishment, while the gran
deur OF the United States of North Amer
lea may be said to have been established
when England, France, and Spain were
prevented from dumping any longer upon
these shores the dregs of their jails. In
order to realize the extent to which ST.
IBERIA has suffered from penal transporta-
ton, ii may be mentioned that within the
last twelve months alone some twenty
two thousand men and women have been
foisted upon the country by means OF
exile.
do not propose TO go into the entire
question OF Siberian banishment here. II
will be sufficient to state briefly that
there have been until now three species
OF Siberian exiles. In the first place,
there are those condemned thereto by
the courts after due trial These consti-
tute the minority. Then there are those
who are banished "administratively;'
that is, without any form of hearing or
tTIdl, on the mere authority OF proyin-
cial Governors or even OF ordinary po-
lice officials. In this category are % be
found the largest Eumber of cases of
abuse of power, of persecution, and OF
terrorism, people being frequently seized
by night and hustled off to Siberia for
no other reason than that they have de-
clined TO pay blackmail to some Of the
local authorities. or have incurred the
i'll will of the gendarmes. or else have
been made the object of some anonymous
denuncIation. Finally, there are those
the village commune. to which they be-
longed. According TO the communal sys-
TEN in European Russia the elders OF
every rural community. like the munIcip-
ality of each town. and city. have the
right TO deport to Siberia without re-
course TO the courts. or even to the local
magistrates. any one of their fellow-citi-
zens whose presence they choose to con-
ofA adxra &c 70 ha
ity IL is estimated that nearly on-third
OF the total number OF people eXiied to
Siberia are indebted for their banlshment
10 the mfrs. or village communes, 10 which
they belonged.
What Has Become of Theme
In spite Of the immense numbers OF
people who have thus foUnd their way
to Siberia against their will, that is 10
say, by means OF exile-it Is estimated
that nearly two million have been thus
deported since the beginning Of the cen
tury-they have contributed as little 70
the population OF Russia in Asia as they
have 10 it's prosperity and development
Banlshed on the plea that they were Eo'
desirable citizens for Russia west Of the
Trails. they were as a general rule not
of material suited for the building up
of new country east OF that great noun
tain range. and were II not that the fig
ures are official / should hesitate % give
currency TO the recent Official returns
according 10 which no less than o. PET
cent. of the PEOPLE exiled during the last
ten years, and distributed among the vari-
GUS towns and villages Of Siberia. have
Totally disappeared. without leaving the
slightest trace. Their fate can only be
q matter Of SPECULATION. Many OF them
have persisted OF want, others are per
haps earning a decent livelihood under a
different name, while many have doubt
| less esca ped frcm the town or village %
vhieh they we're exiled, and have en-
desvored TO reach Eome once more.
l. speaks well for the Russian people
that although voluntary immigrants and
settlers suffer terribly from these eXles
al whose doors may be iaid nineteenth.
| OF the crimes committed IN Siberia, and
ere forced 10 contribute % the support
| Of these outcasts assigned by the author
| tiles 10 compulsory residence IN their
village or town, they nevertheless main
| tain a kindly and sympathetic heart TO-
ward the unfortunate people. From thA
F, depths OF Asia 10 the borders Of Europe
/ IN every viilAge-nay. ~ almost @yer5
! house and cOttsge-there is az night oBf
single window Illuminated by "a lamp ~
candle from dusk 20 daybfeak. and IN
| that window. alongside Of the lamp oi
| candle. there II plate and Jug. Hken-
ever the evening meal begins. 30 matter
| how humble Il be-. one Of the family