Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1904-08-25
Russia and The East.

The great success of the Idaho
County Teachers Institute held
last week was noted in the ''Press'.
There were 81 teachers alone, and
when their friends joined them to
hear the lecture of Prof. w. G.
Beach last Thursday evening the
room, even with extra chairs could |
not accommodate the hearers. Some
clustered about the door and some
turned away.
Prof Beach showed that the pres
ent war in the East is caused as
much, or more, by desire for
wider markets for Russian manu-.
facturers, as by a desire to ex-
tend Russian territory and to Sc
cure q port whence Russian ships
could be modified the year around.
Until 1890 Russia was an agricul.
tnral country, but the peasants are
poor and ignorant, and farms aver
aging from 8 to Is acres have been
worn out for lack of fertilizers.
The income of peasants family of
8 persons is only s2l2 per annum
and only s107 Of that is cash while
$40 Of this money goes for rent and
taxes. Population has increased
until there are 13O, 900, 900 people
in Russia. Is it any wonder that
the half starved people are turning
to manufacturers for livelihood?
The Trans-Siberian railway was
built primarily for military pur-
poses. But it's great strategic i'm
po-tance from a commercial stand
point, furnishing a continuous line
of transportation from the Allan tic
to the Pacific oceans is apparent.
And Russia is doing all in her
power to secure the through traf-
fic of the world, while she is devel-
oping her own manufactures and
commerce. To this end she &C.
cured a franchise for the Chinese
and Eastern railway through Man
churia to Port Arthur, and is trying
to hold that port, she also secured
a controlling interest in connecting
lines of railway through Pekin as
far south as Hankow, on the
Yangtie river. The country
through which these lines in Man
churia and N. China pass is fabu-
lously fertile and rich in unex-
plotted mineral wealth, anthracite
coal fields, iron ores and precious
metals. All this is to further
Russian commerce and carrying
trade. What is the result? 1t is
two fold. First upon the Russian
people themselves. AS peasants
pass into the manufacturing class
, they become more intelligent, more
, concious of what is due them as
men and more jealous of their
, rights. And captains of industy
; are being developed who are lead.
, ing a new middle class against the
, oppression of an aris tocrat c,
, bureaucratic govern m n t. A
, struggle of the new Russia against
the great land owners and almost
unmovable conservatism Of ole
Russia.
The second great result of thil
commercial expansion is war. Wha
: a colossal mistake for nation riff
g with internal strife, with only 13t
( million people and 81 billion dol
i lars of debt. But the same com
q mercial expansion that is causing
b the internal disturbances of Russi
a has brought her into competition
I, with other nations. Japan mus
e be put out of the way because sh
" blocks the further expansion 0
K Russia, and the control of Man
: churia and Korea is desirable TO
|e Russia. But Japan will not SUE
70 cumb without struggle and cor
siders the control of Korea vital fo
herself, and the holding of Mar
churia breach Of promise by Rus
sia not to be endured. If eth
,e Great White Gar" recognize
It these results and deals wisely wit
rs the situation he may yet becom
D. "The Little Father OF His People.