The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-10
THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
DEFINED BY A RUSSIAN
A Former NobIemans Review of the Situation
Up to De Whites Appearance on the
Stage--Preeeding Causes.

called Nihilists, began to infuse ter
roristic methods into their mode of ac-
ton. Up to 1861, the bureaucracy, al
! though always numerous, possessed
i but little real power. The nobility was
the ruling class, and was, to a certain
extent, Independent of the government
system; it's members occupied all the
| highest government positions, and look
| ed down upon the link souls,'' as the
lower officers were called in derision
But the abolition of slavery ruined the
nobility ffnancially-the great majority
I of them were unprepared to earn their
living by private enterprise, and neces-
sarily flocked to the protecting arm OF
] the government, monopolizing all civil
positions at it's disposal-becoming in
/ their turn, the heretofore despised link
souls"
; CREATION OF THE BUREAUCRACY
/ Thus, in the course of time, was Gre
ated the all powerful bureaucracy of
today, class of people living upon
the country regardless of their worth,
existing only by the help of the gov
eminent, whose staunchest supports
they necessarily became. Favoritism,
relationship, often WomenS charms,
and bribery, control all appointments
The civil service in all its branches
consists exclusively Of them. They are
appointed and promoted by the crown,
regardless of the wishes and sympa-
thies of the pOpulace, and their greed
is limitless They care only for their
salary, their other emoluments, promo
ton, rewards; they are not interested
in the work, do it in a slipshod man
ner, but are absolutely unassailable,
Ia al Ia hpinkS that n Off
Ger of the government, whether big
or little. can be prosecuted for any mall
feasance in his official duties without
the sanction of his superiors, which
sanction, of course. is practically un-
obtainable. The smallest constable in
some remote village. the humblest post
man or messenger, is an officer of the
government, protected by his superiors
as long as he suits them.
The whole government machine
throughout the empire is run on this
system; the judiciary. the police, the
mail, railroad and telegraph, the edu-
cational departments, the state do
mains finances. tax assessors and col
lectors, the customs-in fact, every
branch of the administration.
RULE WITH RULE OF IRON.
There are about 5000, 900 of these Off
GERS, from ministers to messengers, and
they rule Russia with an iron rod and
without the population having any
voice whatever. An order from such
an officer, no matter how vile or non
sensical, must be obeyeG-there is no
redress The law of the country is q
dead letter, applied according to the
whim of the officer in the case.
Il am the law is the usual answer
to all requests OF a citizen. OF course,
feeling themselves absolutely secure in
their positions, these officers, in their
relations with the people, are almost
always domineering, very often inso-
lent and even brutality cruel.
Personal enmity, gossip, children's
quarrels are often at the bottom of
fierce official prosecutions. 1t is unsafe
even to show resentment. The omnipo-
tent bureaucracy helps and white
washes it's guilty members, and pro-
tects them from the ''outside"-from
the. Rus people.
Doubtless, there always have been
and are, some really conscientious men
among them, but the whole system is
such that they must conform to the
prevailing usages, otherwise they will
not be tolerated by their coworkers
and superiors. And the feeling of the
people toward them is exactly the same
the people of the South had toward the
carpet baggers'' after the Civil War
in this country. They are looked upon
as host of strangers sent to rule re-
CARELESS of the law, and incidentally
to enrich themselves at the expense OF
the ruled.
EDUCATION THE BONE OF con-
TENTION.
I always believed, and still believe,
hat the question which has most en-
differed both sides, and called forth
such extreme measures on the part of
he bureaucracy, is that of public edu-
;ation. Up to 1856, there was no public
education in the interior of Russia. In
he large cities, there were fine univer-
stiles, high schools, military and va
ious professional schools of high
standing as any in Western Europe,
)ut there were no schools for the peo-
lie. The nobility and the rich city pop
llation could educate their children
he people, or 80 per cent. of the pop
llation could not. In the budget for
S66 less than 500, 600 rubles were as
igned for the rural schools of the en-
ire empire. In the province of Tver,
where 1 served, with population Of
'ver two and one-half millions. 1856,