Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-05
GROUP OF PEASANT MEMBERS OF THE DONNA.

was described to me as being one of the
most intelligent of the farmer members. /
could not get him to talk about anything
but the land question. He frankly admitted
that he did not know care about other
questions before the douma When / asked
his views concerning woman suffrage he
replied that it didn't make any difference
whether women voted or not, so long as
they got the land.
l asked another peasant member about
the causes of the massacres of the Jews and
the reasons for the universal persecution
of that race In Russia. He replied that the
Jews were all right, but the trouble In Rus
STA was all due to the refusal of the min
listers TO give the peasants more land If
the government would confiscate the lands
belonging to the monasterieS and rich
mobiles and give it to the peasants every
body would be satisfied and there would be
no longer any revolution. His mind was
not able to comprehend any other PROPOSE
zion; his vision is limited to his own local
interests.
Eighty millions of people are land hungry
and it is impossible to feed them.
The other day after a long, prosy speech
in the douma was finished, an honest farm
er named Oniplxo arose and asked the pres
was wasted by speeches that We're not de-
sired He said il was important to fix up
the land question. so that the members Of
the douma could go home
An Amusing Suggestion.
While Count De White was prime min
lister he was waited upon by a deputation
of some of the most intelligent peasants,
who asked that something be done for their
relief The premier asked what they had
to suggest, whereupon the deputation con-
ferred among themselves for a few mo-
ments, and then their spokesman explained
that in their opinion the best way to
compel the landlords to hand over their es-
tates to the peasants, the government pay
ing them whatever was right Count De
cd
without increasing the taxes to raise the
money. The deputation replied that the
taxes were already too high, that the peas
ants were even now unable TO pay them,
and that there would be intense discomfort
II there was any increase.
How, then can we raise the money TO
pay for the lands2n asked the prime min
ister.
Tax the land" was the reply They
have plenty of money"
The peasants are LITTLE mixed in their.
minds ahout taxation. When the serfs were
emancipated sixty years ago the govern
ment applied the principle that the soil went
with the men who titled it. and each family
was given certain amount of land SO far
as possible that which he had cultivated
and the owner, his former master, was paid
for 1t by the government. The peasant
agreed to reimburse the government in
small instatments extending over forty-fve
years He paid promptly without grum-
bling as long he lived. but when a new
generation came into possession they could
not understand the obligation clearly. ana
for the last quarter of century the in
staIlmeuts which amount 10 only q few
dollars a year, have been regarded as SO
much additional taxes. They are collected
hy the same officials whe collect the other
taxes, and they are not demanded OF the
landlords but only of the peasants. For
TINT reas n they are convinced that they
are the victims OF a great Injustice. and for
several years Il has been difficult ana in
some districts impossible to collect the IN
A.. ftaa has
Generosity of the Gear.
Last November. In order to mollify the
restless farmers and stop the uprisings the
car issued manifesto reducing BY one
half the payments still ,iue on the land.