Evening star., 1904-03-12

hdd needed none under the old regime when
their owners had provided them with every
thing they needed, and there was no means
of buying anything, they could have gotten
into this state, was matter which at first
quite puzzled themselves. 1t was easily eX-
planned. 1t had cost England and America
millions of dollars to free their slaves, but
the Russian state merely paid To the land
lords sum equal to the capitalization of
the dues the landlords had extorted and
charged the sum, plus interest. amortisa-
ton and cost of collection, to the unfortu-
nate peasants.
But Little Difference.
The Russian peasant is just as closely at
tached to his landlords community as he
was while serf, not being allowed to
leave it without his former owners perms
sion, under penalty of fine and imprissn-
ment, and being sent back again The eX-
serf was given a small piece CT land in his
more his own than the piece of ground
which he had planted in his owners estate.
Neither the individual peasant nor the
commune possessed the land assigned, but
held only the common right to cultivate
it, and neither may relinquish this right or
dispose of it; may not sell the land or for
fe1t 1t in any way, and yet they must pay
their regular heavy taxes. Not only this
the commune must pay a,certain sum, and
II the crops of some of the peasants have
been so bad as to prevent their paying their
snare, then others must work doubly hard
on their more productive plots to make up
the proper sum.
In spite of this oppression the higher
classes look upon the peasant as the people
OF Russia. They are regarded as the means
or bringing about developments which VIII
make Russia even greater than it is, and
help the Slav race to success in the world
struggle for supremacy. Even the church
and the government have respect for the
peasant power. and both priests and Off
Gals are careful to avoid situations where
they would be in a position of antago-
niSm to it.
Ignorant of His Power
Yet in spite of this, the peasant remains
dull, stupid. uneducated. uninstructed and
ignorant of the power he possesses. He
remains the same slave. of his surround
ings and conditions as in old Muscovy; it
is the aspect of others toward him that
has changed.
There could be no more striking contrast
between two nations than between those
two eastern countries now at war with
each other.
The brightness and charm, the cleanli-
ness and attractiveness of the little peo-
pie of the mikado's empire and of their
towns and homes. is painfully lacking
among 1.-The people" of Russia. Low,
clumsy houses. with rarely an attempt at
anything like architecture, some with shin
they are not made more attractive by their
inmates. Few of the houses are made
with more than one story. unless it be the
space under the roof. which is never used
for anything but a lumber room. Mother,
father, children. and unmarr ed
daughters. for the brides are always taken
TO their husbands parents to live, daugil-
ters-in-law and grandchildren, all are
crowded into one little hut. and the dirt
and squalor coupled with poverty are ap-
palling The small piece of land attached
to the house is worked by the men, and
the women. when the opportunity offers
and PERMISSION is granted, hire themselves
cut to larger farmers to work in the fields
along with the men. than whom they are
no less able workers.
The Village Workers.
Lately. with a broadening of idels in the
country it has been found that village
workers are considered more able than
those of the towns, and find employment in
all the large cities Field labor is under
taken in this way and gangs of peasant
women may be seen wedding the market
gardens in the neghtorhood of the capitals.
Too often labor of this kind is contracted
for by a middleman, who advances the
railway fares, feeds and sometimes lodges
his gang of laborers, and pays them a
lower wage than he receives for their hire.
But though the peasant Ives n misery
and squalor. and at certain seasons may
be in actual want, ordinarily, though he
grumpes and objects TO his taxes and
church expressions he would be m Chilly
offended if you wee TO suggest that. in
comparison with the lower classes OF other
countries. he was paupcr,
In his eyes the fact that in the western
countries the laborers do not possess land,
nor cows. nor even a horse, indicates the
most abject poverty. Every peasant in