The National tribune., 1906-07-05
THE REAL ISSUE RUSSIA.

we people or the western world, and
particularly of America, are so accus-
toned to questions involving personal
rights, liberties and justice that we fail
to comprehend what is the real question
and issue in Russia. Those people, who
are centuries behind the rest of Europe
in all essentials of civilization, are not
bothered at all about purely theoretical
questions regarding the rights of men
such as are Of extreme Importance to
US. The reaI:question before them. and
the one which is not brought to the
front in the news from Russia, is that
of the tenure sof land. This has been
the absorbing Gquestion with humanity
for centuries, But we in America settled
it in the beginning in the simplest and
most just eway-our system of private
ownership fof Small tracts sufficient for
the support of5a family. 1t will prob
ably take the Russians century more
to come to 7thesstandard of private land
ownership! 50 far the land has been
owned by the Government or by great
Dobles. and the people have had its
occupancy portioned out among them.
They have been taught this way of do
ing things and cannot understand any
other. Therefore. they are discussing in
the Duma various schemes for the con-
tinuance of this system under various
notifications. They will never be able
to make 1t practical and helpful in the
development of the country, for the
reason that man who simply holds
piece of land for cultivation will never
improve 1t like one who absolutely owns
it, and is therefore encouraged to make
permanent improvements upon it with
the assurance that he not only can keep
it all his life. but transmit 1t to his heirs.
The Romans, the great lawgivers and
civiiizers of the world, tried and tested
this occupancy of land to its utmost,
and it was one Of the failures of that
magnificent system of law and civiliza-
ton. 1t was what brought about the
constant agrarian wars which disturbed
the Empire and helped much to hasten
its downfall. In Rome and CONSTANT
nople proper the people had a form of
ownership, and consequently. those cities
were built up and developed; but out
side of the cities the land was held by
an uncertain tenure. and there were
constant struggles for its redivision
among the people. In Russia certain
amount of land has been allotted to the
Mir or Community for the support of
the people in that community. and the
Council of the Mir has allotted 1t from
time to time to the various members.
The evils Of this system are that no
man feels secure In the holding of his
homestead, and there is constant strife
and contention for redivision. The
stronger men in the Mir are perpetually|
seeking to exchange the lands which
they have worn out for others that have
not been exhausted. They want to turn
their worn-out lands over to the poorer
and weaker members of the community,
and take up those which are new and
more fertile. This was the fatal weak
ness of the Henry George theory of
ownership of lands. Human experience
teaches that private ownership is the
only safety s;and stability for country,
and that where primogeniture is pro-
hibited death may be relied upon to
continually redistribute the land to the
people in TIE most just and satisfactory
way. Russia can never have any per-
system is adopted. but it will require a
long educstiqh91 before the people are
ready for IT, ss