Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-27
zEMSTVO IN POLITICS
Part Played by 1t in De-
velopment of Russia.
NOTED WRITER'S VIEWS
GREAT IMPORTANCE ATTACHED
TO GROWTH OF MOVEMENT.
Its Efforts for National Education
Conflict Now on Against Usurpa-
ton of Nations Functions.

/
ST. PETERSBURG, February 4.-Another
review of the present political situation in
| Russia is contributed to the Associated
| Press by prominent Russian writer, Alex
| ander Stolypin, who has made special
| study of questions of local self-government
! and has himself taken conspicuous part In
| the work of the zemstvo Mr.. Stolypin
was formerly editor of Prince Ouktomsky' s
paper. the Petersburg Viedomosti, and Is
! now political editor of the Novoe Vremya
| Mr. Stolypin attaches the greatest impor-
| lance to 1.-The part played by the zemstvo
! in the political development OF Russia
under which heading he writes as follows:
IN discussing the political development
of Russia with especial reference to SELL
government, 1 propose to devote myself ex-
clusively to the zemstvo Qand counc1D,
since the political significance of the douma
town counciD is with rare exceptions, prac-
tically nil, and 1t is only lately that tne
town councils of certain large cities nave
joined In the general movement ana nave
even assumed prominent part.
Such for instance. was the recent decfsion
of the Moscow Douma, demanding poiitlcal
rights for the whole country ana oecialihs
that in the absence of such rights the IN
terests of such a large municipal center as
Moscow must suffer.
But even If the political Importance VI
Russian cities should at any time develop
we shall witness only it's beginning: Whlfe
the Significance of the provincial lnstitu-
tons or zemstovs as factors OF great Po-
litcal importance 1t proved by 1orty year
Of struggle for predominance winch the
state has never been willing to grant.
Establishment Of the zemstvo.
AS matter Of fact, the establishment
of the zemstvo on January l Q3th). 1864,
brought the germ of conflict in the vague
ness of the organic legislation, which, lear
ing 'unrealizable expectations and Hpefai
tendencies among the various classes hh-
tied the zemstvo to an agricultural sphere
of activity, but, at the same tlme yleloins
TO the spirit of the time, allowed the
zemstvo almost unlimited independence IN
this sphere. ,
"Such liberty, placed in artificial frames
such complete competency to a certain
limit where began complete negation OF
rights such an attitude toward the people,
now treating them as grown-up men, no"
as children all this bore the stamp OF I'M
nrecedented disregard of practical conSlo-
erations.
1.-The inevitable consequence was that the
administration and the free zemstvo, placed
side by side, began to trespass on eacn
| others ground. 1t was not to be expected
| that the administration would voluntarily
surrender a part of its political rights 10
the zemstvo and thereby extend TINS iat-
ters powers, and it was equally difncult 10
administration a free hand in the matters
which had been placed within Its full con-
troll.
And the event justified these apprehen-
sions; no sooner had the zemstvo begun
its work than accusations came from al
! sides that it was arrogating to itself
political character; on the other hand. the
zemstvo retorted with sincerity and Justice
that it's work was being interfered with.
Efforts for National Education.
1.-THE most striking example of this was
given in connection with It's efforts for ma
tional education. The zemstvo had been
| empowered to deal with this question, but
under the foggy, bureaucratic proviso.
| within the limits defined by law Now,
| the law not having been drafted with
| prophetic provision Of the newly created in
| stitution, was mute on the subject of lin
| it's
But when the zemstvos began to build
schools and seminarieS, organize libraries,
| etc, the satisfaction which the ministry of
| public instruction should have felt on see
| ing great share Of It's work assumed by
other shoulders quickly gave place to dread
| might be disregarded and chiefly lest such
| a powerful weapon for political evolution
| as the education Of the younger generation
| might fall into other hands.
"ReStrictionS followed. With the aid of
| legislative measures and circulars public
| and secret, the ministry of public inStruc
| ton brought matters to such pass that
! the zemstvos after voting the money and
| der them to the ministry. AS slight con-
| cession they were. however, permitted to
| conduct primary schools. including not
more than two classes (standards), provid-
| ing the teaching adhered strictly to thu
government program, using only school
! books authorized by the ministry and I'M
der the most stringent control of the gov
| eminent. all of which involved enormous
ny,I
Zemtsvo Demands Modest.
But the zemstvo budget is modest. 1t
could pay TIE teacher not more than an
average of twenty, sometimes thirty, fifty,
more often fifteen roubles a month
For this sum the teacher was content
| to live in a remote village, often In a cold
| lodging, and give lessons under the most
| trying conditions, in small class rooms
crowded to suffocation and with few or
any class books.
The mortality among the teachers is
enormous. still more become incurable in
valids. They receive no pensions. Yet
there is never vacancy open. Students
both in the capitals and in the provinces.
consider 1T an honor and a sacred duty to
| take the places of those who drop out of
| the ranks, and enthusiastically forsake
| their chances of brilliant career in order
| to teach the children of Russia to pre-
pare the coming generation for better
times than the present
TT is natural that these seIf-imposed
| martyrs are not prone to bend the knee
before their administrative superiOrs. In
deed 1t may be said that the government
| does not find in them the pliable material
| it seeks for its purposes. Latterly their
efforts to unite themselves into Or
ganization have caused great apprehension
| to the government and, it may be added
| the apprehension was not unfounded. I'm
prisonment, exile, police surveillance and
| the widest encouragement to informers
have been resorted to, but have only served
| to Intensity the fanaticism of a class
| which is likely to figure in Russian
history.
Misrepresented for Years.
"panic-stricken provincial authorities and
| the reactionary press had for years been
| trumpeting the intelligence that the zem-
styo teacher was a goddess revolutionary
who was demoralizing the people. till at
| last they succeeded in frightening all-pow-
erful Petersburg The priesthood through
the mouthpiece of the strong bureaucratic
organization of which Pebedonostzer is
chief procurator. took up the cry, declar-
ing that the parish priest was powerless to
| cope with the goddess teacher since the
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