The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-28
RUSSIAN STUDENT DEBATES.
Politics Now The sole Topic Of Discussion
In University Clubs.

ST. PETERSBURG, Oct. live have come
around again to the season Of early darkness,
to the long winter evenings spent indoors.
The season falls in with the gathering OF the
students from the provinces for the reopened
university session: and il II among the stu
dents that you see most wildly how the Rus
sian temperament attacks the problem of
finding social distraction for six months when
outdoor games are not practicable. %
The permanent resident who has his circle
of family acdHalntHnces manages 10 mase
card playing and theatregolng take up a good
deal of his time. The student cannot afford
much for either of these diversions; and the
cheaper kinds Of variety entertainment are
few and bad. His pastime between the
hours. given to studying for his examinations
is of the kind called tea and conversation.
His friends In the capital are generally con-
fined to his classmates. and their social gath
erlngs In each others rooms constitute a sort
as significant as any Of the workings in the
present Russian upheawl. They cannot dis
cuss football heroes, because they have no
sports. The contents of their newspapers
are rarely worth discussing. Their future
careers are too uncertain in these times, 20
Debates dslS ON some philosophic question which
they turned inside out and upside down all
through the night With appallpE nuenGy;
of questions for debate.
Three winters sEo 4 q visitor found Sr him;
INHIBITED weak tea from a samovar and
smoking. mild cigarettes an zach long, with
two inches OF cardboard mouthptece, ne
The im RsST sRpnu Of tie aoai, There was no
greater attraction than the philosophy q
forth for uitra-individualism as the tru6arelig-
ion, and who himself had eventually to, be
strapped into q strait waistcoat and died y
Of students went on strike that year because
the Government's. Education Minister, would
mot ALLOW heir sie'1s eisss Pt e,iaS5opey q Sie Ss SSs
threatened to become an epidemic; and the
Holy Synod had him put on the mden erpnL-
the Government could lay hands on was
seized and destroyed: and the censor pro-
hibited his books from entering the country.
The Russian student was furious at this new
infiction Of tyranny. But that was three
UT was j,ipt twelve mouths ago that the
great change Of heart and mind came over
the student life OF st. Petersburg. The ma
tionai strike Tor a representative fSssmSiy
By the will Of General Trepor. who held that
il was better to have them agitating In public
ths use Of their classrooms every evening
throughout the strike From their own ranks
they Furnished G9orEssps5s and hS1r mas %ss
for stone masons or clerks. Since those won
derful days they have never let their i'm
p pSpttIo SSe" mr. G SeDs.S' pSSHDSs sfS 20 The
master attraction now IL political or2aniza-
tion. To the Rnssian university student the
Immediate future Of Russian politics IL OF
enormous consequence.
The university system. ls 50 framed a. to
contribute 10 per cent. Of The students to the
Resentment system. The great majority
have had IN be content with humble careers.
Every public department ia congested with
undprpaid and underworked clerks, whose
mechanical copying NJ documents gives their
university t~ralnine no scope. but who have
heenrtaken' Into the machiTe 10 keep thcm
out of politics. n they can overturn the
present racine this army Of students and
Junior EMPLOYEES may come into n great IN
beritance, FOR any administrative system that
Is 10 exist in Russia will need a great number
OF educated men. ~.
Young army in It's long winter evenings. are
az directed ms to help the Extreme Left OF the
electoral vote. They are against the ConSti-
ttticnaI Democratic party; largely because
ia Leaders are too old. To them revolt
tionarv success Ia an end In itself quite apart
frop any legislative programme Of the
Cadets; and they do not expect evolutionary
s"ccesE FROM leaders who are all in their
Mites aud sixties.
| can really defeat thls element for long. VI
,,'av forbid them to vote: II nav count. out
their votes. IL may refuse IN summcn them
Iben elected. But thsre thew remain. con.
stantIv Increasing. Their very livelihood
comDeIs them IN make the Dclitical situation
mo serious business OF their lives.