Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-30
WORSE zSVAN ISLAM
Inhaf ~ Caucasus Look on Russian
~ Rule with Dread
3 AGED coSSACKS THE ScoURGE
soldiers Of the Gar Menace People in
Quiet Little Villages.
ELECTION DAY INCIDENTS SUGGESTIVE
Spirit Of the Inhabitants is Ripe fer
Revolt Against Rulers
PASSIVE RESISTANCE DESPERATE REMEDY
Peasants show Plainly Their Attitude
Toward the Government at st.
Petersburg that Knows So
Little of Them.

! Nov. z6.-(Special Correspondence of The
| Bee)-It is Sunday, and the villagers of
| the Caucasus have spent the morning in
! electing the first graue for next years
| Duma.
As you know, the representatives of Rus
sian peasants are like cousins, three times
removed. They have acquaintance with
only a very small part of the constituents.
! The peasants choose large number of
their own people the first grade, These
combine with other villages to appoint a
smaller board out of their own number, and
these in turn finally select the one member
of the Duma.
Like the whole method of Russian suf-
frage it is a cumbersome and undemocratic
system, but it has it's advantages, espe-
cially for the member himself. He need
neither address public meetings-which are
forbidden-nor canvass from door to door,
nor kiss the baby If British member Of
Parliament we're elected like that he would
be relieved of many burdens even, think
of his subscription to the cricket club.
For many reasons it is better not to give
the exact name of the place where l am.
The authorities only desire excuse for
persecution, and already they act on the
fiimsiest suspicion.
Men disappear from the villages and are
! no more heard Of. l know organizers of
cooperative societies exiled as disturbers of
the peace, apparently because they were
making the peasants too prosperous.
Case of Military Misuse.
Equally characteristic is the case of a
man who was commanded to leave Russia
at once, and meekly went to Batoum to
take ship for France There the police
seized him for not having foreign pass
port giving permission to cross the from
tier.
; But the government has already ordered
me across the frontier" he pleaded.
That made no difference. He was sent
back to Tihis under guard. In the train
the soldiers robbed him of all he had, even
of his clothes. and now he lies in the Tidis
jail, expecting Siberia.
For the cause any Russian or Georgian
would suffer these things without com
plant, but this man, unhappily, had taken
no part i'll the movement, and felt no par
ticular interest in politics.
So for the sake of the villagers and my
other friends 1 will only say that am In
one of the beautiful and ancient towns that
hang like eagles nests high over the broad
valley of the Alazan. and look across it
, northward to the unbroken barrier Of the
central Caucasus.
Behind that snowy rampant lies Daghes-
tan; with its wild population Of ancient
Mohammedan tribes, famous even in the
Caucasus for their skill In metal work But
both sides of the valley are occupied by
Georgians, who in fortified towns like this
withstood for centuries the onsets Of Per
SLAMS and other hosts Of Islam.
COssacks Now "a Menace.
On lighting days they still wear coats
of mail like crusaders But an enemy al
most as terrible as Islam and more
treacherous now stands in their midst
In every town and many villages COM
panies of Cossacks and other Russian troops
are stationed. Their barracks glare red,
new and hideous among the picturesque
old streets
Flat faced soldiers with the innocent but
- stupid look of central Russian peasants,
' move about like men forbid, among a race
n that have the features and bearing of wild
falcons You come upon them drilling
in little black lines. like the Irish constabu-
. larry in that country's worst days, and the
8 government seems to be only waiting its
a opportunity to loose them upon this fertile
valley as It loosed them at the beginning
I of this year upon the province further west
e Their orders were to kill and destroy, and
to violate as many women as possible be-
e cause, as one Of the officers said the Tsar
n has need Of loyal subjects
village on Election Day.
: Going down early this morning from the
: height Of this town into largish village upor
: the edge of the valley l found the whole
male population gathered on a kind of vii.
lage green in front of the church. The
= village shop was there, and in the center
- stood an immemorial tree, hung round with
- bits of carcasses that were to be cooked
later on for Sundays dinner.
| nh he
by subscriptions of the villagers them
. selves, but now closed because the govern
a ment will not allow teaching In Georgian
= the only language that the children under
- stand and rather than give up their ancien
tongue the people have rightly determined
to do without a school. There too, stooC
r the shed called the town hall-the outward
! symbol of the Russian power. Nettles grew
. round it, the walks were falling in. tn,
- roof gaped with holes and not a vilagei
could be found to stick on another tile.
The peasants themselves were gathered
in an eager and excited grouping, wild
eyed men, shaggy in hairy capes and sheep
:. skin coats. At the girdle OF each hung tn,
: two-foot dagger in the sheath OF Leather
- and silver work. The government has for
bldden its use. Let the government com,
and take IL then!
- The meeting was excited. Seventeen rem
resentatives had to be chosen from tht
village alone as members OF the FIRST grade
!. l am not sure whether the candidates mad
speeches on their own behalf but certainl,
all their friends spoke for them and al
= spoke at once.
This is not in accordance with Fnelisl
o custom, but 1t has great advantage in say
40 ing time. At our own election meetings
~ for instance, every one present is aImos
- always agreed upon the choice OF candi
y date. and II all the speakers on the plat
= form spoke together the meetings would b
ls sooner over and the result just the same.
20 In Georgia there is the further difficult
sn added that IN each case the voting mus
60 be unanimous or no one can be elected
IN Yet they manage II somehow
sh After ali. Il Is only ike an English club
IConunusd On Second PaEel