Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-29

will take another hundred years before even
European Russia can be said to be we'll pa
trolled You Westerners forget how i'm
mennse Russia is. and what ignorant people
our peasants are, when dcclaiming against
our way of managing things We nave as
enlightened men In the government at St.
Petersburg You have in Washington or
the Germans have in Berlin, but they have
to feel their way, so TO speak. in every re-
form they Undertake. In your country the
people are intelligent enough to tell the
authorities and to demand Of them the leg
islatlon which thCy think is necessary, but
here in Russia the government has 10 DECIDE
for itself unaided by the people, what is
the correct thing 10 do. Naturally. hiuuders
are made. but with such class of people
as our peasantry it could not he otherwise.
CauSe OF the Social Plague.
How do you explain that so many people
are found in Sums in Russia? Here in st.
Petersburg you have pointed out to- me
aristOcrats well peasants who have
been unable 10 hold their own in an honest
struggle win the world. All kinds of peo-
pie seem To be represented in the life, and
as you say, they number many millions.
Is there any general explanation 10 be
given for this STATE of aifairS?'
Il have my own idea i'll regard to the
causes which account for our large OutcaSt
population, but il would take too long 10
give it 10 you in full. indeed, a statement
which would explain this matter must
necessarily include great deal of Russian
history, and g0Od-sized book would hard
ly suffice to tell the Whole story. There are
a few facts. however, which stand out
prominently. and they will help to make
plain to you how our OutCast class has de
veiOped.
Only Half Civilized.
In the first place, Russia is still in many
respects only a ha1f-civlized country, and
there is always u love of wandering IN Il
people bordering on barbarisn. 1t comes
natural TO thousands of our peasants to
roam about and find their living where they
can. and it is easy TO understand how they
take to begging, and even stealing. when
the opportunity proves favorable. 1t is also
true that there is no such disgrace attached
TO 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 independence and
SelT~reSpect, and II is not to be wondered
at they fail to appreciate the degradation
which vagrancy and idleness imply You
might preach for the rest of your life to
some of the people you have seen here in
st. petersburg, and try 10 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 10 eat to keep
body and soul together, sufficient vodka TO
have u periodical debauch. and Il corner 10
lie down in at night. That is all.
The government is not 10 blame for this
state Of affairs. 1t is the result of socio-
logical laws over which no government can
possibly have control. and the most that
can be done is to try to keep the incOm-
petent ones from cOngregating in the cities.
As you have seen, 1t has been impossible
to keep all of them away from the towns,
but there are thousands in Siberia who
would have come to st. Petersburg and
Moscow ii they had not been forcibly col
onized in the east"