The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-03-02
CUSTOMS OF THE RUSSIANS.
Few Important Changes Have Ta'
ken Place In Twenty-Five Years

The Russia of thirty years ago
with all its primitive ways and ira
ditions, Is the Russia OF to-day, II II
true that there has been progress
but II has been on the old lines
There has been a continuity and
evolution, but nowhere radica
changes and new DEF artures,
"The marriages of the Russia
peasantry are arranged under the
influence OF economic rather than
sentimental considerations" saws
Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace, I'm
this. as in other respects, the Rus
sian peasantry arc, as a class. oX-
tremcly practical ana Eatter-o'-
fact in their conceptions oad habits
and are not inclined 10 indulge In
sublime, ethereal sentiments OF any
kind. The wife is taken as help
mate. or In plain language a worker,
rather than companion. aud tire
mother-in law leaves her but very
little time for idle dreaming.
"ln the primitive system of agri-
culture in Russia, the natural labor
unit consists of a man. woman and
q horse Therefore, when a boy be-
comes an able-hodied laborcr, he
ought TO be provided with the two
accesso ries necessary TO complete
the labor unit. To procure the horse
is the duty of the head OF the hoase,
and 1t is the duty OF the female big
nnn' 10 sarurp tho wife
when a youth arrives at the
age OF IS he Is informed that he
should marry at once and a wife is
selected for him The horses and
brides are not selected because OF
their beauty, but for their physical
strength and capacity for work The
bride takes nothing with her as a
dowry except her trousseau, but she
brings with her pair OF strong
arms.
AS a rule the peasants do not re-
spect the priests. While they have a
great reverence for the religious
ceremonies, they do not respect the
priests, This is due to the fact that
many of the priests eXtort money
from the peasants, refusing TO per-
form the rites, baptism or burial.
One can hear them saying: The
priest takes from the living and the
dead
THE peasant household is
primitive labor association. Of
which the members have all things
in common. When a home is bro
ken all the adult male members
share equally
THE Mir. or Village Community, Is
very much as the peasant household
Ia labor association on a larger
scale. In both cases there is a COM
mon responsibility lin one case for
all the debts. and In the other for all
the taxes and communal obligations.
There Is a Village Elder, who Is the
ruler, and all important communal
affairs are regulated by the Village
Assembly. The households compos-
ing a commune farm independently
pay into the common treasury GER
tain fixed sums.
the field until the Village Assembly
has passed a resolution on the sub
Ject II a peasant becomes a drunk
ard, every family In the village has
right to complain. A peasant cannot
permanently leave the village with
out the consent OF the Commune.
and this consent will not be given
until the applicant gives satisfactory
security for his actual and future
liabilities. which includes taxes and
dues for passport while he is away.
If a peasant wishes to go away to
work he cannot do so until he has
permission. which serves as a pass
port during his absence, and he may
be recalled at any moment by COM
decree.
Until in 1903 there was a com
mon responsibility for taxes, but this
was abolished by the Emperor on
the advice of NJ Witte. The allot- |
ment Of land is one of the most I'm |
portant events in the Commune. and |
often the allotment proves to be a
Duihtuf iuSltdu VI bltHSluSs ut- /
cause 1t entails responsibilities and |
obligations.
Woman, as woman, does not re- |
reive much consideration among the |
peasants, but a particular woman. |
such as the head of a household. is
entitled TO speak. and speak freely /
On all subjects directly affecting the
under her care.
The towns of Russia. as a rule.
are insignificant. This is to be at
.ributed mainly to two cause.-the
abundance Of land tended to prevent
he development Of industry, and the
peasants who learn trades are not
permitted to settle in towns perma-
len,ly.
Russian commercial morality Is
carried on very much on the same
principle as English horse trading
II a man wishes TO buy or sell he
must trust his own knowledge and
and If he gets the worst
" a bargain or lets himself be de-
,eived he has no one but himself to
blame.
The majority OF the people OF
Russia belong 10 the Russian Ortho-
lox Church. II has played an i'm
loTiant part in the national history
n relation to the Orthodox Church. |
IL whpip tho Eu1uere.r Of Russia L.