The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-01-28
The Russian People
(By Trumbull WhiteJ

slender young man of gentle dis.
position, rather dull mentally and Of
limited information. At the bottom,
'1GO-OOU,OOO million OF ilhterate peas
ants, suffering from physical, mental,
spiritual aud social malnulrition. Be-
tween, an imperteotly sIratifed macs
of varying types, some labOring to up
lift those below and pull down down
those above them in the pyramid,
others trampling heavily on the ones
who support them, and bearing upon
their uplifted arms those who are
nearer the summit. 1t Is not pretty
picture, but it is faithful to the facts.
II must be remembered that, broad
ly speaking, there is universal illIteracy
10 Russia; that there is no free press
tor the dissemination Of fact and
opinion; that there is no free speech
or assemblage for discussion; that there
is no shift OF the population from prov
ince to province or from village 10
village. The exceptions to TINS state
ment are inconsequential. or course.
therefore, no such thing as public
opinion can exist, Ia the sense we
know it, because there IL no common
public knowledge on public questions.
Here enters the service Of the SOL
der Each year every village OF the
empire contributes its quota of young
men to the armies of the czar. They
are assembled and scattered across TWO
con inents. In one year they march
with an International force to the
relief Of PekiDg. In another they fight
Japanese soldiers, whom they b We
been taught to scorn, and 6nd them
foes worthy Of respect and then of
friendship. 10 time of peace they see
the Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia or
the far east of the empire. They learn
more of the world, more of what other
nations are, more of themselves and
their comrades, from dozen provinces
IN one year with the colors then IN ten
years or twenty at their little village
north or south. When their little term
of active service ends and they return
home to be enrolled In the reserve
they carry with them the knowledge
that they have gained; meager per.
haps, but more than their neIghbor'
have, to become in many lnslancel
: village oracles and leSders.
: And perhaps while they are.yet witt
the colors, as yesterday in St. Peters
burg, they find themselves facing at
unarmed multitude Of their brother
peasants, doing no violence, but ask
ing patarnal emperor to hear them
Then, II they have learned enough
they know that such petitioners havi
rights and they throw down thei
arms rather than destroy their fellows
So the army Is becoming the leavel
Of liberallty that will leaven the wh ol
lump of the Russian people. Asl
is today, the Whole mass o
d of Russian peasantry is an embodt
ment OF Mlllet's figure and Markham
n poem. "The Man with the Hoe"
d this peasant IS now beginning to rous
himself with questioning and 10 loo
upward, beyond the czar and th
ls priest, wonderful changes will com
d to him and to his wretched country.
E. But when the infantry failed to ODE
Ie the firing order another force can
" forward that did not fall. In was
has been said the Lossacks are not
be reckoned. Freebooters and sue
fugitiyes from justice in the beginning
as their name implies, they develope
!, into military communities and wei
= ultimately enlisted in the service OF Il
7. czar as the cheapest way Of stoppir
their depredalIons This IS she eXa
story of the Rurales, that finest boz
of irregular cavalry in the Mexc'
army. Bred as soldiers, as the Go
ed sacks are, with no other association
o. but their own military settlement
they have no hampering friendship
is, trouble them when they ride down
'r- NIB of his subjects from another wa
'r, OF life. So We may fairly exp ct I
el, Cossacks to oe warriors to the end.
\ The Hepburn Bill.
,.s Representative Hepburn introduc