The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1906-03-10

| ineI are treated by Oy rSeerS. recent
trip down the Mississippi upon a river
steamboat revealed scenes of hard
heartedness anG cruelty on the part
or the overseers who were driving
negro stevedOres to the utmost limit
OF human endurance, shocking every
sentiment of humanity. The harsh and
rasping tones, the terrible profanity,
and the repeated blows upon the backs
or the overwOrked negroes, contrasted
In forcible manner with the patience
observed everywhere here The Anglo
| saxon overseer Is brute compared
| with Russian. These feelings of SYM
| pathy found expression i'm striking
scene which l once witnessed in a
group of children who had come out
to slide upon some newly frozen ice,
Mt the beginning of winter. A number
or children were barefooted, but those
who had shoes, instead of monopoliz-
ing them entirely to their own bene-
MT, at intervals took them off and lent
them to tneir less fortunate compan-
ions.
THE VILLAGE GOVERNMENT.
Paradoxical as 1t nay seem, one of
the greatest hindraEces to progress
among the Russian peasantry is the
amount Of liberty retained by the vii
lige commune of Mir. Admirable in
many respects as an organization is,
1t Is looked upon by The most enlight-
ened friends of Russia as one of the
main OBSTACLES to progress IN tie So
cial and political condition of the EN-
pire. The Mir either owns or rents
the lands which its individual mem
bers cultivate. Annually, by universal
suffrage l.. which the women who are
widows, or whose husbands are abb
sent, take part, elders are elected
whose duty 1t Is to see that each fam
lily has its proper proportion of the
land assigned to it. But. II there is
any dissatisfaction. each individual has
the right to call public meeting and
make a final appeal to the whole body
Of voters.
But every house has its garden well
stocked with cabbages and cucumbers
and other vegetables. while the house
Itself. built Of logs and covered with
thatch, s admirably adapted to the con-
ditions Of life to which the peasant
has become ATTACHED. 1t IL warm In
winter and cool in summer, and provid-
ed with a large brick oven I'm the prin-
cipal room. which well con3erves the
heat furnished by the scanty supply
NJ fuaI Tho furniturn 10 ,,,,,In .n,,
sisting of few eIches and rough
bedsteads and a table. The oven it.
self also often serves the purpose OF
afording facilities for the weekly
steam bath which every Russian is
careful to take. In the winter the top
of the oven is fayorite sleeping
place for the aged members Of the fam
lily. After driving over a level and
treeless prairie for many miles with
out seeing a single habitation, as one
is ordinarily compelled to do, 1t is
pleasant experience to come suddenly
upon a village of such houses, snugly
ensconced beside SON little stream
which furnishes convenient water
supply. Life in these villages is GER
tainly much less lonely than in the
scattered habltations Of our own West
ern prairies.
The Mir, again. has the right and
responsibility of dealing with infrac-
tons both Of the civil and criminal
laws up to certain degree, and is per-
mitted, as the ancient Greek commu-
mites were, to ostracise objectional
members. More than fifty per cent.
of all the exiles to Siberia have been
sent there by vote Of the village com
munlties in which they lived. When
such a vote Is taken, the unfortunate
member Is turned over to the general
Government and put under police sur
Vigilance in Siberia. Nor is a criminal
who hes been sentenced by the courts
permitted to return to his commune
except by general permission.
The Mir has certain common re-
sponslbilities which every individual
shares. 1t owes to the gneeral Gov
eminent taxes and military service.
This is essential to the maintenance
of the unity of the Empire and to the
fulfillment of all the higher aspira-
tions of the Slavic race. Hence it
comes about that the individual mem
Der of the Mir Is not permitted TO go
and come as he likes; but. upon leav-
Ing home. he must give pledge to
his fellow members that he will con-
tinue TO bear his share of the common
burdens, at least until the next cen
sus is ,aken. lie must, therefore se-
cure leave of absence from them. This
Is the reason for that internal pass
port system which to outsiders seems
so meddlesome and onerous, while,
viewed in the light of the real equities
OF the case. 1t Is perfectly fair and
just, and is so considered by the mass
OF the Russian people. The great
commercial and manufacturing centres
OF Russia are filled with peasants who
have obtained ten porary leave of alb
sence from their Mrs 70. the purpose
OF improving their condition In these
broader fields Of activity. Often they
continue for the rest of their lives
to reside In the cities, while cheer
fully paying their annual tax to the
Mir This bnwpVnr is not rpOar.laI