Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-02
Ml;<ral&&za
WHAT RUSSIANS SUFFER

WHAT RUSSIANS SUFFER
1t is difficult tor an American to i'm
agine the conditions under which the
people of Russia who do not happen
| to be of the official class or members
of the Romanhoff family are compell-
| ed to live says writer In the New
York Tribune. They are in constant
danger of molestation from the secret
police, either for purposes of blackmail,
revenge or because of some suspicious
action which might be construed as Sc
ditious.
The following is a composite picture
of actual experiences:
| A well-to-do Russian is seen on the
street with a person who for some rea-
son is under police surveillance. Natur-
alyy he does not know this From that
moment he is also under suspicion. The
official zeal of the whole, widely RAM
| flied police organization is exerted in
an effort to find reason for taking
him into custody Letters directed to
him do not reach him. If some do,
they bear mark showing that by a
remarkable accident they We're found
open in the letter box and had to be
sealed up officially. Some night he is
surprised by the visit of an officer ac-
companied by dozen surly police
officials. They drag his children from
their beds and seach the house from
garnet to cellar. II there should hap
pen to be found in his possession a
German translation of novel of Toll
stoy's or any book or newspaper which
is on the police list, unknown of
course, to him, he goes to prison with
the agents of the law. An investiga-
ton follows. This lasts from three
days to six months, as the case
may be, according to his popular
ity, or to the influence which his
friends are able to bring to bear. He
| may be a we'll known householder, a
busy physician or a lawyer, not likely
to run away, but that makes no differ
ence To prevent the danger OF collu-
sion, so that he may not hide the traces
| of his crime, he may remain to the end
under lock and key with the invaluable
right to maintain himself at his own
expense He will endure this little in
convenience calmly as becomes a man,
| hoping that his friends will take care
of his wife and children during this
| time and not permit them actually to
starve. 1t is certainly unpleasant If his
pretty daughter attracts the eye of the
officials and is carried off some night as
political suspect, and he can find by
no pleading in what prison she is kept
pending investigation. 1t is still more
veXatious for him to know that his
| young son, a student, is in the hands
of the police, since this young man has
| not yet learned self control and may
| possibly come to blows with his tor
mentors 1t does not add to the COM
fort of Imprisonment to learn that in
order to put an end to his sufferings
the son has set himself on fire with his
own kerosene lamp and ended his life.
The father, according to the degree OF
his offense, is expelled for several
years from the place of his abode where
he may have built up practice as a
professional man. Possibly he may be
exiled to Archangel or Siberia. In order
| to accomplish this crime on his part
is not necessary. 1t is sufficient that
| he is not found loyal and respectful to
the police.
Even the judges cannot be depended
upon to deal out justice. In fact, 1t
| is not expected of them. This is one
of the reasons why the ignorant Rus
sian peasantry endeavor to present their
grievances directly to the car. 1t is
| said that not long ago seven Russian
| judges were promoted by the minister
of justice because of the support they
gave to some Moscow millionaires who
were in the wrong and perhaps bought
protection against the Bank of Khar-
kov. 1t is said that those responsible
for the kishineff massacre would have
| suffered different fate if the judges
| had been independent.
| The Jews show great aptitude for
learning, but only three in each hum
dred students in the universities of st.
Petersburg and Moscow may be Jews.
Jews may not own land or even man
age an estate for another person. They
are forbidden to engage in certain oc-
equations, Jews, with certain excep-
| tions, were for a long time compelled
to live within Poland, or in towns with
| in the adjoining provinces known as
the pale of Jewish Settlement" They
could not live within about thirty-three
miles of the frontier. Under certain
decisions of the senate, Jews settled
In villages before 1882 had the right
| Of remaining there, but only provided
they did not remove therefrom. Many
were driven out who had settled there
because their names had not been en-
rolled as villagers, or because they had
| temporarily left the village, in some
cases to perform military duty. Sub
urbs of towns and some small towns
have been in many cases declared
villages, and Jews have been expelled
from them under the regulations pres
| cribed for villages. Skilled artisans
and merchants of the first guild, men
paying at least 1000 rubles taxation
annually, who We're supposed to have
greater freedom than other Jews, have
even been expelled. In all cases of ex-
pulsion to the Pale" Jews have to find
the means of removal by selling oft
their goods and chattels, as they can
not collect debts when it is known that
they are under orders to depart. I'm
der one condition Jewesses may re-
main. That condition is that they APP
ply for yellow ticket. indicating their
right to ply their vocation and become
enrolled as prostitutes. In this way
does Russia break down the morals OF
her own people.
| Strange as 1t may seem the subter-
fuge OF becoming a prostitute has been
adopted by innocent Jewish girls to Sc
cure an education. 1t Is told Of one
girl that so anxious was she to study
in St Petersburg that she had herself
registered as a prostitute SO that she