The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-26

noted that agriculture has been more
progressive and prosperous in the
southern than in the northern central
provinces. and possibly that was one
among Stolypin's motives for breaking
up the traditional institution. The
bureaucracy. 1t seems, was for the most
part opposed to the change, which 1t
has not administered sympathetically.
In some instances a peasant has taken
the earliest opportunity to ALLEVIATE the
land i-,dividnally allotted to him and
to drink up the proceeds. But the new
system has the great advantage Of
liberating agriculture. insomuch that an
enterprising and progressive peasant
has no longer to convince all his stupid
neighbors OF the superiority of a new
method Of tillage before putting II into
practice on his own land. In other
words. the new system releases indi-
vidual enterprise. The results In the
village here selected for illustration
have been altogether favorable. The
matter Is OF course of the utmost i'm
portanCe In the most exclusively agri-
cultural OF all great countries q country
so exclusively agricultural that =, : its
l64,OO0,000 over l20,000,0O0 are en-
gagged In filling the soil. Modern
methnds OF Intensive culture will en-
able far more peasants to live on q
given area than has been possible here
tOfore. This also Is @ matter OF high
importance. for although We figure the
great plain of European Russia as prac-
tically boundless in extent II IL q fact
that In many districts the agricultural
population finds itself cramped and
crowded. The one recourse Ia emigrl-
ton' we ourselves nave no need to ep-
preheno an INVASION OF RUSSIAN peas
ants. Our author points out that really
husslah enileratlon TO the United
STATES mas untll recently been trifing
ana that the bulK OF emigrants so
classlhed nave heen Jews, Poles and
'hi'hianS' Sloera Is IN tact the
RUSSIAN America. the emigration to
the Asat'c possessions or the empire
Is encouraged oy the Government. II
mas gone on SO rapidly tnat cities nave
sprung up IN Sineria with almost the
rapldlty WIN wh'ch they nave sprung
up on tne American prairies. The Rus-
sian iarrhers' IL IL NOT SURPRISING 10
note are not welcomed oy the wander
ing trlnes' VINO nave heretofore mao
possession or the domain OF colonial
ton ana VINO nave employed II Tor
pastoral ana not Tor agricultural uses.
Ihere is another and more serious race
problem coming In siberia. Tor the Rus
sian emlgrant nnds himself In compcfl-
tion IN the laoor market with China-
men whose labor Is more productive
ana cheaper than his own.
Another change which ls coming over
rural Russia Is the approaching trans
formation OF the landed gentry, the class
which would he "lairds" In Scotland,
though its members are frequently
princes IN Russia or the Russian
country gentleman Mr.. Williams says:
He Is neither country squire nor a
woman farmer. though he may have
FEATURES characteristic OF BOTH" He Is
apt 10 De one or the most attractive and
cultivated or Russians. Both Turgeniev
ana To'stov belonged to this class who's"
manners and customs may be traced In
the writings of the former In particular.
but the emancipation OF the serfs and
the new economic conditions are tending
10 convert the country gentleman into
something quite different from the type
so recognizable In fiction or tradition.
the church In Russia is so completely
tne handmaid OF the stale. or, as Mr..
Williams, puts It, OF the bureaucracy,
that neither politics nor religion can be
explained without continual reference to
the other. II is Interesting to have the
theory or the institution expounded by
writer who knows from observation
Just now II works out in practice. one
OF the anomalies OF the Russian church
is that the parochial priests are OF the
white clergy men and citizens and
Fathers or families. while the h!shoprics
and other high places are flied from
the 'black clergy the monks. Thus
the married clergy are supervised and
disciplined bv celihatcs. But above the
ceibate dign!taries again is the Holy
synod, OF which the me.ropo,tans and
oishops are indeed members, but Of
Whlch the chief officer. the so-callcd
procurator, - not Clergyman at all
Out a iaymnn. politician and member
OF the CABINET. Pobiedor ostseff, who
held this Office for many years. was the
aD'est and the most uncompromising OF
all the react!onaries in Russia, ana the
spirit winch he represented was that OF
the Russian church. Il Is the state of
mlnd that might be expected to prevail
III an established church which is the
organ OF an absolute monarchy and
whlch indeed Is apt to be that of an
established church OF any kind. one re-