The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-14
Famine in Russia,

an abundance Of unuccupcd
| and. generally. the most fertile land
in the world. She retains this charaC-
| tcristic still to Il great extent, but her
future historical development Will more
| largely depend upon manufacture ana
commercial industrialism. This is the
confident anticipation OF many eniisht-
ened Russians who have given the sub
ject independent and scientific study.
one of the many consequences OF TINS
transition has been and will be more
markedly III the future of periodical
famines, pestilence, ana not improbabiy
revolutionary changes which We cam
not forcsee.
1t is u strange fact that two of the
largest and most fertile empires in the
world are subject to recurrent fanines
almost identical in their deadly in
tensity and the superstitious fatalisn
with which they are borne by the ma
tives. Very different, however, is the
origin OF famine in India and famine in
Russia. In India famine is the natural
and consequential effect of drought
owing to the failure of the mOnsoons.
III Russia famine while following di-
rrCtly, of course. upon the failure or
he crops is indirectly attributable to
the archaic system of agriculture pre-
vulent in RUSSIA and above all to the
communal system of land tenure which
prevails throughout the empire. The
moujik is Il serf still despite his polit-
ical and social emancipation. Serfage
is bred in his bones. He is Il slave to
customs that passed away il the rest
of Europe in the night of th" Dark
Age. He has the virtue of his defects
and the defects of his virtues. lie is
subservient if not groveling: he is ig
norant superstitious, lazy ANA intem-
pcrate: but he is also the most sub
nlisSive peasant in the wide world to
his government and religion. He is do
mestic and naturally intellectual. If his
intelligence We're not ovcrain With
ickon Worship and Stupe!ied with
vodka. He is treated by his rulers
with blind rage and compassionate
kindliness--;n autocratic system of
overlordship which deals with the sub
ject as with Il child. safeguards him
against all personal initiative ana at
lust really makes him as childlcssly de-
pendent upon n hierarchical bureaus
cracy as he is presumed 10 be ininnlile
in despolSil.
The commercial system of land ten
urc throughout Russia in Europe con-
tributes more directly to the franklin
stein of famine than perhaps any
other single cause. Every Russian
peasant is born to an Inheritance in
the land. The land for the people and
the people for the land is here eXem-
pli!ied in n living. operative reality. If
Henry George did not get the idea OF
his single tax from Russia. it is pre-
emincntly the tax which subServcs the
main purpose OF the muscOVite finance.
Not only must the Russian peasant re-
cevc his share in the land but he must
accept it and with it its fiscal obliga-
tions to the crown. He does not buy or
inherit his commercial share in the
village plantation. 1t is apportioned to
him. He is II machine for making
revenue. He lives under unadulterated
feudalsln, except that at each "divis-
ion of souls he assumes u monetary
obligation to the imperial eXcheQuer
instead of Il military one to the lord
of the manor. Under such a system
scientific or profitable agriculture is
impossible, even unthinkabIe. In the
fat years the moujik never satisfies
his hunger two days out of seven; in
the lean years he is famine bound. In
an agricultural country where farm
ing is neither profitable nor scientific,
famine is an inevitable corollnry.
Russia has made marvellous progress
within the past twenty years, We
hear less about it than that of Ger
many because it is more self-contained
and self-sustaining. Tho commercial
expansion is reacting dsastrously on
the agrarian prosperity of the country.
The youngest and the sturdiest of the
male rural population are Hooking to
the industrial centers, while the culti-
vation of the land is left To the old or
feeble men and women and children.
Although Russia has largely imported
our agricultural implements, they arc
not to be found in the hands OF the
peasantry. Their Instruments of hus-
bandry and methods of cultivation are
as antiquated as those employed by the
Slayonians of the days of Ivan the
Terrible. While Russia is in the tram
sitionary stage from Il nation of COM
mercial cultivators 10 world wide
empire Of manufacturing and agrlcul-
tural progress, famincs such as now
threaten the empire shall he as fire.
quent in the future as they have been
in the past,