Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-09
FAMINE IN RUSSIA.

FdmlDe mas Deon auueu 10 the many
misfortunes OF the Russian empire.
a correspondent from Samara says
that twenty-seven provinces are af-
fected. Tho entire volga valley has
yielded but a scanty harvest on ac-
count of drought, and the result Is
scarcity OF food among the lnhablt-
ants, and the government seems 10
be unable to render effective assist
ance According to the estimates
made, about thirty million people are
doomed TO pass through n Russian
winter with Understandable sufferings.
To give some Idea of the situation,
written by q priest in an outlying
| village: Our peasants are already
| reduced 10 one meal day. Parents.
overwhelmed by their misery. are
| ing off, that they may not see them
die" In an appeal to the Red Cross
society. II is stated that there Is no
bread for the people, nor fodder for
over the hay they have gathered for
their horses and are extracting for
their own use spears of grass. but in
a few weeks even this will be gone.
II seems almost Incredible, but the
writer claims that there are people
hardhearted enough to take undue adj
vantage Of prevailing distress. The
farmers are said to be selling their
plows and their wagons. and even
their labor for years ahead, thereby
becoming virtually serfs. An In
stance Is related in which six peasants
forN the paltry sum of fifty dollars
borrowed from a clergyman, gave him
the use of six acres of land for six
teen years Here and there, II is
said, a priest who happens TO have q
supply Of this worlds goods, lends
money to the starving members Of hls
flock at rates Of Interest amounting
TO from two TO three hundred per
cent. All the money that can be SCI
cured In this way is going for tho Inn
vision is being made for seeds for
next year, or for the replacing OF farm
implements. To make things worse,
diseases have made their appearance
among the victims OF famine, ard
it Is predicted that the misery will
greatly increase before the winter Is
over.
Charity, II seems. Is very little known
In Russia. The poor people are willing
enough 10 help their fellow-sufrere
and the government distributes the
taxes gathered In provinces not touched
by famine, but the rich landlords In
the stricken districts are said TO do
very little for the relief OF the people
In their vicinity. Many OF these
wealthy mon live outside the country,
so as TO avoid the sights OF distress
The grand dukes seem TO prefer to
stay abroad, where they are not an
noyed with the tales Of suffering at
home. Even the Emperor, though he
Is one OF me wealthiest men IN Eu-
rope, is said TO do very little person.
ally for the relief OF his suffering sub
jects
Misfortune very seldom comes alone.
Russia, already brought ia the verge OF
ruin by war rebellion and anarchy, is
now brought, II POSSIBLE, still lower,
by lack Of food In large areas OF the
country 1t is impossible to escape
the conclusion that the government, or
rather the entire absence OF govern
ment, in the modern meaning of that
word, II responsible for this deplor~
able condition. With the means OF
communication between different parts
OF the world now IN daily operation, II
should he possible for a paternal gov
eminent like that OF which the Rus
sian rulers boast to be the divlnely
the people against a year OF drought
and short crops IN any particular dis-
trict OF the empire. III the government
had had any foresight az all, the wants
of the people I'm the voga valley could
have been more than supplied from the
abundance Of other districts. Joseph In
Egypt has In vain demonstrated what
paternal government even In an age
long ago past, can DO for an entire peo-
pie, II seems that there must have
been almost criminal negligence on the
part of the Russian government, and
IL the peasants turn against their rul-
ers In rage, they certainly have reason
for so doing, The experience OF Russia
shows the necessity Of good govern
ment Government officials who have
only their own interests at heart can
do Immense injury to the general pub
lie. The Russians are not responsible /
for their rulers, having no voice In
their appointment But the distress
under which they are now suffering,
win undoubtedly teach them the neces-
sity Of stripping those rulers OF auto
cratic power and assuming authority /
IN the affairs In which they themselves I
are so vitality Interested