New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-11
THE DOUKHOBORS.
Their Cooperative Autocracy an
Canada.

BY AyImer Maude. With two maps and fifteen
illustrations from photographs. Small Svo, PIP.
xii, 33S. Funk & Wagnalls Company.
Mr.. Maude. who was prominently and effici-
entity identified with the philanthropic enter
prosecuted Russian Doukhob0rs on unoffending
Canada. has written this book partly by way Of
apology and partly by way of explanation. He
apologies for the representations he made to the
Teople who furnished the money, and to the Ca
hadan government, which furnished the land
representations which he now finds were based
upon imperfect knowledge of the past history
and present character of this quite peculiar
people'-and then he proceeds to explain not
only his own motives at the time but what he
has since learned about his whlom proteges
and their motives. The result is a volume which
throws much light on what has hitherto been
little understood religious and sociological
movement incidentally Mr. Maude takes occa-
sion to repudiate his former Tolstoyan views
which fail to work out effectively as a practical
scheme Of life, and takes dialectic fail ont or
MS old master in a manner of revenge for the
unpleasant prediCament in which a too literal
acceptance of the Russian prince-peasant's
teachings have involved him.
Mr.. Maude has delved deeply into the history
of the Doul1hob6rs a somewhat difficult task
with a people who have practically no written
record and are, besides, extraordinarily secre.
tive Tracing their beginning to the same gen.
eral impulse that gave rise to the Lollards.
Anabaptists, Quakers and similar sects, he
shows how. by a curious development, their
original theocracy has become partly by custom
and partly by superstition, one-man power
more absolute than most monarchies. It was
no longer ago than 1895 that the world first
began to hear Of the Doukhobors, through the
breaking up Of their communal settlements by
Russia because Of their rejection of the rites
and tents Of the Greek Church and their
refusal, through principle, to submit to military
CONSUMPTION. Sympathy at once went out TO
these oppressed peasants who appeared,
through the accounts received from Tolstoy and
his adherents. to be ansideally peaceful people,
full Of charity even for their enemies. Submits
sive to all exactions yet acknowledging no
authority but that Of reason and conscience, and
in practical matters voluntarily following the
advice Of their wisest and best members they
seemed a folk who had wellngh realized the
Christian ideal There was a feeling, as Mr..
Maude puts it, that it was incumbent on us not
only TO sympathize with and to help them but
also to assinilate our own lives and customs
to theirs, as much inferior moral devel-
Opment would allow"
Closer inspection. when, by means Of gener-
ously given assistance. three large colonies had
been brought from Russia, in 1892 and distrib
uted among fertile tracts in Assiniboia and Sas-
katchewan failed to reveal them in the light of
an inspiring moral object lesson The immi-
grants objected to every regulation of the Ca
madam authorities, however simple or necessary,
and refused to obey the laws in regard to regis
try OF vital statistics to take the first steps to
secure citizenship, without which they cannot
retain their land They were not harmonious
on the subject OF communal operation Of their
holdings, and, in fact. showed themselves as in
consistent in their professions as people Of in
ferior moral development" The climax was
reached when in 1902 large bodies of them,
moved by a strange psychic religious mania,
turned loose their cattle, abandoned the use of
metal and set out amessly pilgrimages ito
meet Jesus" In many instances they discard
ed all clothing in an effort to return nearly
as possible to q state of nature. They were
finally rounded up by the mounted police ana
returned to their homes. but not before many
of them had succumbed to hunger and exposure.
Affairs were very much improved by the
rival shortly after. OF their leader, Peter Nerl-
gin It is now believed that he was the Christ"
the pilgrims had gone to seek, as it appears
from Mr Maude's Investigations that the Dou-
khobors are convinced that the spirit Of the
Saviour is actually reincarnated in the persons
I
been in exile for many years. and 1t was doubt
less due to the lack of his directing control
that much of the trouble that had occurred
arose A man Of some education. he had become
imbued with the Tolstoyan doctrines and the
letters which he had written for the guidance
of the colonists were often contradictory and
unsettling. No sooner had he appeared upon
the scene, however than he showed himself an
eminently practical business manager and a
political autocrat Of the first water His orders
reconstituting the communal system were
promptly obeyed. The and women went
back TO work. and the community is pros
perng, though there is still some hitch the
subject OF citizenship, a matter that must
speedily be decided If the experiment is to be
permanently successful. AS. result Of his
study and observations of the Doukhobors, the
author has come to the conclusion that
| operative movement is successful only when
there is an able man at the head of It, and pre-
cisely in proportion to his power and discretion.
/ He sums up his opinions of the colonists in
| these words:
| have no hesitation in saying that 1t would be
| hard TO fnd community consisting OF equal
and more industry honesty and hospitality, oT
R old peobe ah ie ehre aa S sne
o and b a11 there Is no p
matters) among them. Compared with the fancy
pictures drawn by some enthusiasts they are dis
beings they are worthy and estimable folk. in
sspiciousness and HEIR toe eeat s.
a very failble authority. %
Mr.. Maude. consequently. does not consider
that those who have given time, energy or
money TO helping the Doukhobors should grudge
IT. "A peasant folk" he says. ARE not less in
need of help If. besides the material oppression