Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1906-08-13

doufna.
Nkhty-six Of the peasant members
OF the dounia who belong to the IN
Ion have refused To Join the labor |
group. and are taking a very consery-
alive stand. They adhere to the |
peasant manner OF dress; they live
in a very modest way, and are thus
able to save great part Of the IS
a day which is the compensation of
the members of the Russian parlia-
ment. They look with distrust upon
the socialists and other members OF
the labor group. "They go too far"
Is the reason they give. I'VE want
land and freedom" they say, "but
freedom will be of no use to us I'M
less we have more land. And we
must be taught how to use the land
and now to use the freedom when
we get them"
This is the way they talk. Mr.
Nazeranko, one of the peasant mem
bers. expressed this idea very sue
entity in conversation the other day,
but would not discuss any OF the 9TH
er subjects before the douma. He
seemed to be conscious of his lack
of information concerning them, ana
was shrewd enough not to give him
| self away" He showed me copies
OF resolutions passed at peasant I'M
| H., 1T liz tot foil
me that they expressed the senti-
| ments of the entire people when they
instructed him to do nothing to COM
| promise himself or them until the
douma had settled the land question.
| Mr. Nazeranko is a genuine farmer
and still has soil on his boots. He
wears the typical peasant dress, his
hands are calloused and show evil
dences Of labor, but he has had con-
siderable experience in legislative af-
fairs as a member of local organiza-
lions and delegate to several con-
crosses. He is thoroughly loyal to
the czar and attributes the mistakes
Of the government to the stupidity OF
the ministry. | endeavored to draw
ont his ideas concerning the splend-
or OF the imperial palaces and the
extravaganza and dissipation OF the
grand dukes and other members of
the court, but could not get him to
express an opinion on any of these
subjects, although he was perfectly
willing to testify to his confidence in
the Intentions OF "the little father
1t is apparent that as soon as the land
question is settled the peasants will
desert their revolutionary allies and
Join the conservatives.
| 1t was difficult to draw out the
peasants Ideas of freedom and po
lltical equality. was unable to in
duce any Of them to explain to me
what their people need to make them
happy. asked every one of the
peasant members OF the douma thai
I was able to reach how they would
change the government II they had
the power; and what laws they
would pass If they controlled that
body; but got no reply. They would
usually look at me with a stupid, puz
lied expression upon their faces and
begin to talk again about the neces
sity of having more land. Some OF
them went so far as to express an
opinion as to the necessity OF edu
L
Dcation, and discovered that the word
freedom" to them means relief from
taxation and the exactions of the
land captains" as they call the Off
Gals who collect the money for the
| government and exercise general
supervision over peasant affairs
These land captains are their near
est enemies,' as they put 1t. and are
the representatives Of the tyranny.
I'VE were all right until the land
captains came In 1885, said one OF
the older peasant members. "Thsy
have been put over us to rule us and
Cypress us. They are a bad lot: all
of them. They will not confirm the
election OF village elders whom we
choose, but force upon us men who
are their tools. If want to repair
my house / must get the land cap
tain's permission. and in our village
we had to go to the extent of build
ing house for him to stop in when
he makes mis- monthly visit"