The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-03

bury politics are apt to count more in
a candidates favor than competency.
The case is cited of a professor of
commercial law at Odessa who, being
too lazy to prepare lectures. contented
himself with reading without comment
passages from a book written by him
self on the subject. which book was
in the possession of all the students.
Another story is told of a general APP
pointed rector Of a university who Sc
verely took 10 task the librarian be-
cause there were gaps here and there
IN the rows of books. You must keep
the library ship-shape," he ordered.
Hereafter see that the first student
whO asks for a book shall take the
first from the first shelf and then the
second, and so on, that the rows may
! be kept clean" And he threatened
10 send away the librarian for foolishly
suggesting that numerical order might
not coincide with the subjects desired.
AT some of the provincial universe
ties there are important chairs with
. out occupants. because the Govern
ments choice fell on some man with
out the necessary degree, who is too
them and who, consequently, cannot
I take possession. while preventing any
competent person from obtaining the
I appointment. A. the present nlUtneiJ
there is no professor Of Roman law
at the Odessa University. At Warsaw
! there is no professor of commercial
law. And yet students must get these
1 subjects up and pass examinations on
them before receiving their degrees.
Except at St Petersburg and Moscow
! professors Of political economy never
have any knowledge of modern events,
their course stopping short a quarter
Of a century or so back.
To this cause of dissatisfaction
among students is added another,
which is connected with it and inten-
. SITES it, That is. a law forbidding any
/ one from entering a university save
that in the region Of the preparatory
school which he attended. The country
is divided into ten great regions, each
with its university-St. Petersburg,
! Moscow, Odessa, Warsaw, Kharkoff,
Kasan, Kieff. Helsingfors, Dorpat and
Tomsk. And as at starting school a
child must decide on his university,
I
he is bound TO his local university.
The Government has devised this pur-
posely, to prevent a flooding Of the
two capitals. St. Petersburg and Mos
COW. where the education 10 be OBJ
tanned is far superior TO that of the
other centers. This is considered rank
| injustice. since the rich, who can af-
ford their entire education from child
hood in the capitals. can form excep-
tiOns for these privileges.
These are not the only causes for
discomfort among Russian university
. students. There is also the lack of
all rights in the university, each stu
dent being required on entering TO
sign paper acknowledging himself to
be merely a visitor or guest. Then
there is the exaggerated system of SUI
pervision bY an inspector, who is
generally a retired general and who
holds them responsible for every petty
action, as il they were children. Those
preparing for the university are
watched with such strictness that they
desire some little liberty when once
they have matriculated, and they re-
sent the abuse of authority. Further
q Prohibition of societies of any de-
scription or even Of general meetings.
The direct consequence of this last
measure is that a students movement
of protest becomes revolutionary from
the start. Not having any place in
which TO assemble, they are constrain-
ed TO march into the university and
take forcible possession of a hall or
lecture-room. They lock the doors
hold a meeting in due form right in
the sacred precincts and pass resolu-
tons. When the superior, warned, pre-
sumes to interfere, the students, know
ing that their action has already put
/ them beyond the pale Of Cancellation
catch him. beat him 10 avenge all past
resentment and end by kicking him
out. The next day the superintendent
publishes a notice in the papers say
ling that, owing TO q sudden indisposi-
ton, he will be unable 10 attend 10 his
duties for a brief period. which lasts
until the ringleaders have been i'm
prisoned-
A boycott OF the university follows
the meeting; manifestoes are posted il
. the streets. Notices are sent to the
DLlEI ALlNticiAlEs anu utLloUSlEdllOls
break out. Often the trouble is quelleC
before this last stage is reached by the
arrest of the leaders. Government spie:
: are in each class, registered as stu
i dents, who participate in the meetins
: in order TO denounce the seditious. i
happens not unfrequently, in virtu,
: Of this system. that the spies de
r nounce, for reasons of personal spite
students who were only passive on
lockers, but on whom the onus o.
punishment is thus made TO fall.
z Glory Debdyted.