Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-30
MUJIKS MUST WAIT
Russian Government Finds Itself Unable to
Garry Out Reforms Generally Desired,
LAND LAWS ONLY TO Be MADE BY DUMA
Promise Of ezar More Binding Than Desire
Of All Subjects,
PEASANTS STILL LONG TO OWN HOMES
At Present They Can Only Dispose of Soils
Production.
TIME FOR PARLIAMENT NOT FINED
Law 60 Govern jews Causes COnsid-
PEASANTS STILL LONG TO OWN HOME
TIME FOR PARLIAMENT NOT FINED
Law 60 Govern jews Causes COnSid-
erabIe Appreciation, as Court
Party Fights IL Through
Secret Society.

Secret Society.
ST PETERSBURG, Dec. 29.-(Specisl)-
AT first sight the attitude Of the Russian
state towards the agrarlan question strikes
one as tragical. The czar's advisers are
aware Of the land hunger of the rural
MASSES and are yet willing and able to
partially satisfy it. Still they must waive
their intention because of a one-sided en-
gagement taken by the crown. According
to that promise no permanent law shah
ever again be made without the assent
of the nations representatives, and, con-
gruously with the program of these repre-
sentatives, the agricultural class shall not
be relieved by any cabinet but one com
posed of their own members. Thus the
crown and the deputies are fired by zeal
20 shower boons upon the horny-handed
tilers of the soil, but neither OF the two
can carry out the laudable scheme without
the good will of the other, and that good
will is not to be hoped for. On the one
hand the peasants, impoverished, are
clamoring for land asking that It should
be their own TO TILL improve, mortgage.
sell; on the other hand the government
has laborlously scraped together a large
quantity of arabic soil and is willing to
let the husbandman possess 1t, not merely
as heretofore Jointly with others, but fully.
But the dead letter of badly worded
law forbids the reform. Heretofore the
mujik could dispose of the harvest but
not of the soil that produced IT, whereas
to this, too, he has a right, because he has
paid the redemption tax for over a genera
ton and therefore the farm which he cul-
tivates has really been bought by him,
and the government has hitherto assented
20 these claims, but did nothing to grant
them. Neither side seems able to get any
further than talk.
One Suggestion.
~ Why one may inquire, does not the en-
peror issue law. as one OF the cleverest
of his officials more than once proposed,
proclaiming that the land now actually
cultivated by the peasants shall ipso facto
become the property of those who are till
ing It without more ado? That would be
the shortest and the straighest way to the
goal. 1t might be clumsy and to some ex-
tent unfair, but it would put an end to a
secular grievance and win over a powerful
ally. But the premier always retorts that
this is impossible because the state is
bound by its promise not to make any
permanent law without the consent OF tho
duma, and that innovation once introduced
would by it's nature be permanent and
irrevocable. Therefore 1t must be en-
forced.
The czar's promise that in the future no
law should be enacted without the consent
of the nations representatives assembled
in the duma was given for the benefit of
his people Afterwards It was used to their
detriment. Every political party in Rus
sia is at one that the peasants ought to
become the full proprietors of the
which tbaV NOW cultivate and
should in many cases receive an addi-
tlonal slice of land That Is a political
dogma in Russia. But If the government
frames a law embodying this dogma these
parties will cry out that the constitution
is being violated. The duma, they argue
and only the duma, has the right OF strilS-
ing off the fetters of the peasant. Con-
stitutionally, perhaps, that plea is un-
answerable. But 1T is on the cards thai
the duma is not to convene for a Ions
time TO come. Meanwhile, 1t is asked
must the peasant go sinking deeper anC
deeper into the slough of despond in sigh
and almost within reach OF the help whict
his democratic friends refuse to let hin
have? 1t is also being asked II this is
after all. not high price to pay for thu
constitution.
Famine Scandal Grows.
Disclosures are daily coming to lgh
which aggravate the fateful significance o
the blunder made by the assistant minlste
of the interior, NJ. Gurko, in advancing
100000 to some sanitary plumbers, wh,
contracted to supply some 100000 pOod
(about 10000 tons) of corn to the famine
stricken population. 1t is now rumore'
that the head of the firm has disappeared
leaving 70 address; that he was being sue
for petty sums when his tender was ac
hot II.r I{v,,Fv, ,-ga
in the way of inquiries had been attends
TO, no State department would have give
him the contract.
In the meantime reports OF other scandal
are finding their way TO the courts and tn
government Is engaged in houseeleanine
one scandal involves the embezzlement o
. 10000 roubles. Reactionaries affirm that n
Gurko is the victim of a plot, hatched b
the Jews and democrats, who first laid
trap for him, inducing him to give tn
contract TO an unqualified person and the
bribing this person TO abscond this motiv
being intense hatred OF some of the rer
resentatives OF the government
The Jewish relief bill is also causing ez
treme apprehension to the friends of tn
government, because the chiefs of the couI
party, instead of openly vetoing III
measure, are encouraging the Reactionar
League Of Genuine Russian People 20 ag
tate against II. The leader OF the leagu
has addressed an open letter to the govern
ment, declaring that no Russian cabins
can carry the measure and retain ohic
and sharply criticising an article in a sem
official journal as the handwork OF II
Jewish spokesmen, whereas II is known
have, been written by the premier himsel
BY these expedients the reactionaries hoI
TO intimidate NJ Stolypin, and it is impos
sible TO even venture a guess as to whl
will be the ultimate results Of this pa
ticular line OF action.
CERF and Witte.
The recent visit OF Count Witte 70 Tsa
koe-selo is still an absorbing topic for al
eussion In Russian officialdom. In COZ
formity with traditional customs high o
hclals have an audience after recovery frc.
illness or return from prolonged al
sence. Count witte wrote asking the en-
peror 70 receive him. The prolonged silen,
Of the court in conjunction with the violei