The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-27

nor Draeonian laws could discourage
| the villagers from attending school,
| Plenty of devoted schoolmasters AMI
| SchoolmistreSseS. unable to endure the
government yoke. were willing to serve
the zemtsvos. however humble and
| narrow might be the sphere of the
/ zemstVO school. But the zenstvo bud
! get is .aodest. 1t could pay tho teacher
| not more than an average OF 90 some
| times 90. 50. more often Is roubless n
| month. For this sum the teacher was
! content to live in a remote village.
/ often in a cold lodging. and give les
sons under the most trying conditions.
/ IN small classroOns crowded to suffo-
| cation. and few or any class books
The mortality among the teachers is
enormous, still more become incura bic
invaiids- They receive no pensions
! y ct there is never vacancy oDen.
Students, both in the capitals and in
the provinces, consider II an honor and
a sacred duty TO take the places of
| those who d9'op out of the ranks. and
enthusiastically fOrsake their chances
or a brilliant career in order to teach
the chlldren of Russia to prepare the
coming generate for better times
than the present. 1t is natural that
these self-imposed martyrs are not
prone to bend the knee before their
administrative superiors. Indeed. il
may be said that the government does
not hnd in them the pliable material il
seeks for its purposes I.atterIv their
enorts TO unite themselves into an or
Sdhization have caused great appre-
nehslon to the government, and it may
De added the apprehension was not
untounded. Imprisonment, exile. police
surveillance and the widest encourag e-
hent TO informers have been resortei
TO- but have only served to intensity
the fanaticism Of a class which is likely
TO figure in Russian history.
ParochiaI Schools.
Judging by results ard ignorant of
the causes, bureaucracy resorted to
every means OF offense and defense.
among these being an attempt to offset
parochfal against village schools This
mas nothing in common with the con-
met between religion and state educa-
tlon IN France, for instance Law
SCHOOLS in Russia are all compelled by
the established programme to devote
considerable time to religious instrllc-
tlon, and. moreover, the Russian peo-
pie are so devout that a school with
out religion would be foredooned to
nature So the government had to re-
sort to purely religious schools in it's
nsht against schools that were three
iourths religious. This strange idea
would be inexplicable if we did not re-
MEMBER that it germed within the bu-
fea ucracy of st. Petersburg. which is
totally unacquainted with the people |
or their lives and draws its conclusions |
from official reports.
Activity of Priests.
'Panic-stricken provincial authorities |
and the reactionary press had for years !
been trumpeting the intelligence that /
the zemstVo teacher was a goddess re- |
volutionaTy, who was demoralizing !
the people. till at last they succeeded |
IN frightening all-pOwerful Petersburg !
The priesthood. through the mouth /
piece OF the strong bureaucratic organ
lzaton Of which Pebedonostzeff is
chief proeuFator, took up the cry de-
cIarlng that the parish priest was
poWerless to cope with the goddess
teacher since the latter was in touch
with the children. and urging the !
transfer of the village schools to the
church. But here arose a difficulty !
Inc schools belonged to the zemstVO 1
rms three-cornered conflict between !
me ministry, the church and the zemst--
70 went on for years; so long indeed. !
mat It's petty departmental origin was
loSt sight Of; the idea was spread
ABROAD that the zemstvo schools were
notbeds of atheism and that 15opular
must be entrusted TO other
laIds capable of upholding the ideals
ana spiritual requirements of the peo-
pie. But there was no way of dispos
NNNiiiS me ZeitlSlNO OF It's schools. if |
vas finally decided to establish q large
NUMBER of rival institutions entirely
lnder the control of the church. Rus
ia being terribly deficient in the most
Elementary means of education. this
enterprise would certainly have proved
ilshIy oenefcent had ii been properly
,arfled out. But instead of opening
ehoolS where none existed, the church |
ievoted all it's energies to COMPLETING
Win the zen1stvO schools in villa ges
Vhlch were already we'll endowed |
completely neglecting others where
ne peasants had no school whatever
ne result was distinctly unfavor5 biz,
or the church. Its schools We're placed !
Ihder a disadvantage from the outset. ,
hey were hastily organized and con-
lUcted by the parish priest who had
hurch services, weddings. funerals and :
many other duties to attend to. vet
ad to conduct school single-handed
men ne did much against his will and ,
'lthout any real desire to promote its J
uccess- ON the other hand. the zenlst :
o establishment was well organized
No conducted by enthusiastic teach !,
RS The chul Oh school experiment was ,
oredoomed to failure. and the govern !
leht has now greatly cooled towards
he enterprise ;
Not Against Monarchy.