The Irish standard., 1904-12-31
ty is in the provincial and local antago.

ty Is in the provincial and local antago-
nism, such as have made the Austro-
Hugarian Legislatures at Vienna and
Budapesth scenes of bitter conflict.
Worst of all is the lack of a system
OF popular education, fitting the people
to participate in the selection of repre-
sentatives, and in the proper enforce
ment of their acts. The Russian
peasant lives in world Of ideas wide
ly different from that of the West.
He has his own philosophy of think
ing. and does his own thinking within
very limited range, but that range
does not include what he knows as
politics. He will have to be made over
again before he becomes an effectiv,
voter on larger questions, while he has
shown good sense often in dealing with
local problems. 1t is noted that it is
in the Zemstvos, where the peasants
have the largest majorities, that the
amplest OUTLAWS are made for primary
schools.
This is the second of the demands
made by the presidents of the zemst-
vos. Russia lacks schools for the body
of the people, while not unsuppliedwith
such as are needed by the richer
classes The business of providing
schools has fallen upon the zemstvos,
but the cost of maintaining an i'm
mense army and navy, and the OUTLAWS
on expeditions for the conquest of
Asiatic tribes, together with the
salaries of another army of officials,
has taxed the resources of the provin-
ces. When all these things are pro-
vided for there is not much left for
schools. The conference asks that
popular education be made q special
object Of government and not remand
ed to the rear of governmental inter-
ests. 1t realizes that free institutions
require degree of popular intelligence
to which the body of the Russian
people have not attained, and it asks
that no time be lost in putting them
in a position to take part in public
! affairs.
Naturally the opposition to these
propositions is very strong in more
than one quarter. That the bureau
cracy hate them is to be expected, but
the bureaucracy at present is dis
credited with both the Car and his
people. For the second time it has
broken down under the damands of a
great war, and showed it's inability to
rally the forces Of the empire to the
support of the government. Its acts
are being defeated by popular boycott,
which grows out Of general hatred Of
| it's policy. 1t cannot muster the re-
| serves which it has had on tie army
| rolls. 1t cannot collect the taxes it
promised. The selection of Prince
MrslSi for the most important place
under the Gar must have been done
in it's despite; and the permission given
him to summon this conference shows
that Nicholas II is aware that his gov
eminent needs better backing than a
bureaucracy can give it.
No less determined is the opposition
of the religious conservatives, repre-
scented by Pobedonosoff and "the Holy
Synod" The Church of Russia is
completely under civil control, except
so far as this is limited by the Canons
of the Primitive Councils. The last
trace of ecclesiastical independence
was destroyed by Peter L; and while
the membership of the Holy Synod is
mainly. of ecclesiastics, these are
selected by the government, and their
proceedings are subject to the veto of
the procurator. Pobedonosoff, who now
fills that place, is the most con-
sentative of Russians. The Church has
held up the Holy Gar to the people
almost as an object of worship, and
whatever seems to limit his power
must be repugnant to all whom it can
control in public affairs.
The educated classes is has no influ-
ence with, for this very reason. They
for the most part, have broken with
religion itself, through hatred of the
political form in which it has been
presented to them in Russia. They
still comply with it's forms, such as
| making reverence to the sacred Ikon
on entering room, before they speak
to anyone in it. But their reading is
largely in the most negative and ir-
religious writer's of the West, who are
| furnished them in traslations secretly
printed and circulated. In no part of
the world, and in no age of the Church,
| has the intelligence Of the people been
so alienated from the national religion
as in Russia at the present time. A
free government cannot dispense with
religious sanctions. The authority of
God must be the background of that
Of the magistrate. The law must have
a ground in eternal right But the
| intellectual movement in Russia has
! left the enlightened classes without
! any such convictions.
/ After all is said, Russia is moving,
is making history. Her friends take
fresh heart as they see with what
cOura &c this hundred of representatives