Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-06-03

pTdClICc, particularly WAcu thC opCioa
ton of communism came home to
them.
For time those peasants who had
a surplus sold their product to the
government. For it they received
questionable paper money with a
doubtful value Then began the hoard
ing of farm products. The peasants de-
handed manufactured things which
they needed in exchange for their
farm products. The government did
not have the manufactured articles
the peasants needed and wanted. The
proletariat of the cities was hungry.
It was up to the bolshevik government
to feed them, or fall Raiding par
ties were sent out The "Red'' army
was used. The peasants stood together
to protect their property. The sOc1al1-
zatiOn of land failed. Production on
the farms fell. General poverty re-
suited The problem Of the bolshevik
government to provide food for the
cities still remained. With the failure
of communism Of the land, the govern
ment set to work to cultivate the great
proprietary estates on cooperative
plan. Graft, inefficiency of administra-
ton, and the unwillingness Of the
peasants to work. caused this plan to
fail.
Kerzhenstey in the "1zvestia" OF the
provincial executive committees Of
January %, 1919, gives a picture Of
the situation: "The facts describing
the village soviet Of the Uran borough
present a shocking picture which is
no doubt typical Of all other corners
of our provincial soviet life. The chair
man of this village soviet, Rekhalev,
and his nearest cO-WorkerS, have done
all in their power to antagoniZe the
population against the soviet rule.
Rekhalev, himself, has often been
found in an intoxicated condition and
he has frequently assaulted the local
inhabitants. The beating up Of visit
ors to the soviet office was an ordinary
occurrence. In the village Of Biere-
Zovka the peasants have been thrash
ed, not only with fists, but have been
assaulted with sticks, robbed of their
footwear and cast into damp cellars,
on bare earthen floors. The members
Of the executive committee, GlalIhOv,
Morev Makhov, and others, have gone
even further They have organized
"requisition parties" which were moth
ing else but organized pillagings, in
the course of which they have used
wire-wrapped sticks on the recalci-
trants. The abundant testimony, veri-
fed by the soviet commission, pOr-
trays a very striking picture Of viO-
1ence. When these members of the eX-
ship of SadOmOvo they commenced to
assault the population and to rob them
of foodstuffs and Of their household
belongings, such as quilts, clothing,
harness, etc. No receipts for the re-
QUESTIONED goods were given and no
money paid. They even resold to 9TH
ers on the spot some Of the bread
stuffs which they had requisitioned."
This is the testimony of well-known
loyal bolshevik leader.
Reports FIogsing of Peasants.
The bolshevik, Latzis, reported in
the "Izvestia' of January Is, 1919,
that sin the Velizsh county of the
province of Vitebsk they are fogging
the peasants by the authority Of the
local soviet committee"
The bolshevik, Krivoshayev, re-
marks in the "Severnaya Commune"
of May 10, 1919: "The soviet workers
are taking from the peasants chickens,
geese, bread and butter, without pay
ing for it, In some households of these
poverty-stricken folk they are confis-
eating even the pillows and the samO-
vars, and everything they can lay
their hands on. The peasants natural
ly feel very bitterly against the soviet
rule"
The peasants borough meetings of
the province of Kostroma forwarded
a resolution to Lenine published in
the "Izvestia," in which they say:
Inc members OI lI0 SONl0lS are Iul-
ing us; they are violating our will and
are tantalizing us as if we were dumb
CATTLE"
The peasants are hiding their
rubles, holding them for day when
they hope that the blight of COM
munism will pass and sane democratic
government will reorganiZe Russia,
bring order out of chaos, establish
freedom. Their safety-deposit boxes
are empty bottles into which the peas
ants stuff the paper rubles and then
bury the bottles. They look for day
when a stable government will re-
deem these paper promises called
money, which today are of little value.
1t shows their lack of trust in the
government and it's banking system.
It also points to the interest they have
in the passing of the bolshevik gov
eminent, and the hope they hold for
the coming Of a new state.
Many of the peasants who seized
land are conscious Of the dishonesty
Of their title and of tha Insecurity Of