New-York tribune., 1905-02-05

cities and towns of Poland, 70 q peOPiO
fate has always excited in very HaiAeN %
gree the interest of Americans. From the u,"0
when Thaddeus Kosciusko fought for the mae
pendence OF the United States as aloe-oe-ea"H
TO George Washington. his services Deihs So''i-
Tnemorated by means of monument on 'Ne
hanks of the Hudson at West Point ana Dy 'he
Kosciusko school for Negroes, which Ffesloellt
Thomas Jefferson founded at Newarh' IOi'i'N
lot has always appealed to American sS
pathy. Her struggle for the recovery OF her
Independence which has continued IN many u'A
ferent forms and phases almost witho"' i'.0
r,,ntion for more than one hundred years. mas
been signalizod by so many romah'lc ep
has furnished such wonderful examples OF
bravery. patriotism and Of chivalrous self-sacri-
fee. that anything which affects the Wetare OF
the Poles meets with keener appreciation over
here than anywhere else in the world
While there is no prospect whatsoever OF 'iii9
struggle being crowned with success since
r,ony, and Austria Hungary, which in the eish-
teenth century participated In the division Oh
poland with Russia. are bound together with the
latter to prevent any restoration OF Foilsh liiuG
nandence vet the situation in the Polish
provinces of the Czar Just at present Is eNceeu
inglv grave, and a matter Of more serious con-
carn m +ba Muscovite government than at any
time in the last fifty years. In the former lnsur
rscttons and especially in the one or loOS, a
wide gulf existed between the peas2ntry ana the
sducated. well to do and patrician classes IN
Poland, the peasantry being badly treated Oy
tbo landowners. who exacted from them LABOR
without pay. and regarded them much In the
same light that the Russian Barine looked upon
his serf Indeed. It only the influence OF the
Roman Catholic clergy. then. now, strongly
inbued with nationalist sentipents. which Ied
the peasantry TO lend their assistance to the
oi,74fO
which was essentially one of the classes. And
an,onr the most effcacious means adopted by
the Russian government to wean the masses
from the insurgent cause were the promises or
the liberation Of the peasants from the servitude
TO their landlords and the investment OF the
tenants with the ownership OF their holdings.
Immense estates. belonging to members OF the
nobility implicated in the rebellion, were thus
distributed among the peasantry. while others
were either presented to Russian of1ctals or
sold TO them for a mere song.
To-day the situation has changed The for
nner gulf between the educated Poles and the
psasantry is almost completely bridged over, for
the mobiles have come to the conclusion that
they are powerless to recover their independence
without the support OF the nearly two million
peasants IN Poland and are therefore endeavor-
ing by every means in their power to Concthate
their good will. and TO educate them in what
they describe as patriotic sense. This Is not
difficult, for the peasant ownership OF land
owing to the laws Of succession, which compel
the division OF a dead mans land, no matter
how small its area. IN equal parts among all his
heirs has proved terrible failure resulting IN
widespread distress. Moreover the Russian
mobiles who obtained Polish castles twoscore
years ago. either by grant from the imperial
government, which had conhscated them, or
merely at a nominal price at the compul-
sorry saisx are now In such state OF financial
distress and insolvency that they are glad to
dispose OF their lands In Poland TO the former
owners OF the estates. The Russian govern
ment, In the hope OF winning over the Polish
nobility far from opposing, has encouraged this.
and In consequence thereof there has for the
last ten years or been steady flow east
ward OF the Polish aristocracy. and the Potockts,
the Zamoyskis the Czartoriskis. the Poninskis
and hundreds of other bearers OF equally illus
trious names are once more in possession OF
those castles and domains with which their fam
flies have been identified since time immemOriaI.
Taught by past experience. they are now show
ing themselves more generous, careful and
kindly landlords than in days of yore. and the
consequence is that at present the relations be-
tween the Polish nobility and the peasantry ara
characterized by a good will that the latter do
not entertain toward the Russian government.
forced TO adopt harsh measures in order to
secure the payment of the onerous taxes and is
unable to do anything toward the relief OF the
destItutlon and distress OF the peasants who. Of
course. resent bitterly the endeavOrs made by
incompetent, brutal and tactless officials to Rus
sianize them. both regards language and
creed no matter at what cost or by what means.
Another feature of the actual crisis in Poland
is the condition of the working classes. Poland
has a large number Of manufacturing industries
within its borders, and consequently q great
Iaboring population. Now. the chief characters
tic of the Polish workmen is their affinity with
the worl1nen Of Western Europe. Unfortunate
Iy the labor laws that exist In Poland were de-
vised by Russians to meet the requirements of
labor in Russia proper which are entirely dis
tinct and different from those in Poland In
Western Europe. In this country. the rights
OF labor. even to the extent OF strikes that
paralyze entire industries. are not only recog-
nized. but even protected by law, while every
thing in connection Herewith can be done OPEN
ly and aboveboard. In Russia matters are en-
tirely different in this respect. Strikes consti-
tute crime. and concerted action on the part
of labor against capital IS construed as con-
spiracy. Labor unions such as We understand
them here. compelled by the nature OF Rus
slas labor laws TO take the form Of secret
that is to say, illegal-societies, and these nat
urally develop revolutionary leanings that are
carefully fostered by the socialist element Of the
labor party in Western Europe. In fact the
relations between labor in Western Europe and
in Poland have become SO close that the work.
ing classes in the former kingdom OF Sobleski
are firmly resolved TO submit no longer to what
they describe the intolerable tyranny OF Rus
sia's labor laws. which leave them completely