Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1905-05-26
FATHER G)PDNS MOTIVE
1t Would Have Been lmpossi-
bic Ten Years Ago.
THE RUSSIAN INDUSTRIES

SiaiS NGSSsSdfJ 1SfclC TSitiiA
Can Be Obtained TO Start in BusI.
ness-Trade Unions Unlawful
The Sale Of Liquor.
Ten years ago. even five years ago,
ouch a powerful movement as that
headed by Father Gopon would have
been impossible In Russia" said Or.
Maurice Fishberg. one OF the leaders
of the Russian Social Democratic
Party in New York. which believes in
peaceful: educational work as oppos@
Ell to the violent measures of the So
cial Revolutionists. or 'Terrorists.
II doubt whether in all history any
country has changed so suddenly as
Russia has done in the past few years.
The Industrial progress of the nation
has led to the sudden concentration of
large numbers of workmen In particu-
lar districts of few large towns.
where they are open to trade union
and revolutionist propaganda.
I'm order to understand properly the
present uprising it is necessary to have
some idea of the Industrial system OF
Russia. which is decidedly different
from that of America and other ad-
vanced countries. Here the govern
ment is neutral, or is supposed to be
neutral. in the struggle between cap
ital and labor, but in Russia 1t is heart
and soul with the employer.
Sin the first place. every factory
owner has to obtain permit from the
government before he can start in bus
mess, even If he is only going to open
small workshop with dozen or
twenty men employed. This provision
OF the law excites widespread tiiscon-
tent throughout Russia. for It has a
powerful effect in preventing a man
from getting on in the world.
"In order to obtain the permit the
payment of graft to numerous Off
Gals is necessary. They fix their
bribes so high in many cases that a
workman who has saved up enough
money to start small factory of his
own Is unable to do SO, simply because
he cannot satisfy these greedy Off
Gals. Then. too, they may take brides
from factories already in operation to
refVe him his permit. And II he hap
pens to be man who is suspected by
the secret police of revolutionary SEN
timents II is safe to say that he will
not be allowed to obtain a permit on
any terms. The authorities know that
the factory and the workshop are the
forcing beds of the movement for free
dom, and they therefore do all in their
power to prevent them from falling
Under the control of persons who sym
pathize with the cause Of liberty.
TRADE unions and strikes are still
unlawful in Russia. Less than fifteen
years ago there were no labor organ
izations in that country, and the men
who first started them were treated
as traitors by the government, and
were sent to jail or to Siberia.
"A most serious factor in the situ-
alton is the government encourage
ment of the sale Of liquor. Vodka, of
course Is one of the greatest curses
of Russia, and has much 10 do with
the misery of the people. The govern
ment has a monopoly of the sale of
spirits, and 1t encourages their use as
widely as possible. because IT wants to
make all the revenue it can. Not many
years ago the public advocacy of abb
stinence. or even temperance, was re-
garded as treason.
The working classes in the Russian
towns are mostly drawn from the
country districts. They are not town
bred. The system of employment is
rather like the Italian 'padroni' system
here. When an employer wants. say,
500 men. he sends agents to villages
to pick up here dozen peasants and
there score, until the required num-
Der is made up.
During the past few years there has
been a great campaign of education
among these workmen, and also
among the soldiers. IT is impossible
TO say how far the troops are disaf
fected. but we have reason to believe
that disaffection has spread very far.
Unfortunately about 95 per cent of the
soldiers cannot read That obstacle to
our work is. however. being removed
by the government itself. which has
established schools in all the regi-
ments.
You cannot judge Of the loyalty OF
the whole army by the action Of the
troops in st. Petersburg 1t Is true
that, with few exceptions. they fired
on the mob. but they are the most
loyal Of all the cars soldiers. There
is great disaffection. too. among an
other large class of government en-
ployes--the railroad workers. Nearly
all the railroads in Russia are govern
ment property, and the repressive
measures adopted toward the workers
have enraged them bitterly"