Reaction in Russia.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9479, 5 February 1907, Page 4

Reaction in Russia.

iliv Samuel Harper in the World 10-day.l The present Prime Minister «f Kiissia, Mr Stoiypin, Ls acciis.xl by ibe op|*t>iiioii o: being reactionary. because ho is resorting 10 tin- metlio.Lsot tin- old bureaucrat:police regime, to restore order before introducing literal reforms. Order is being restored by drum-head courts martial, by confiscation of newspapers, by searches and summary arrests, by the forbidding oi public gatherings and meetings. Hut tins is not the kind of reactionary that I wish to deseril>e. Mr Stolvpin. in his "declaration of policy," stated ejnphatically that he was going to maintain those constitutional principles which the Ktnprror. in his uka=e of dissolution of the Duma, declared should lie preserved inviolate. There is in Husda a genuinely rcaclioii-

arv idea, op]>ose<l to those- coiiuessioi*-* which haw already teen made in the direction of reform. It is lb p:ogr:it.im. <>. these reactionaries that 1 shall try : . analyse. The reactionary idea :u I'.i.-i.i s s "' development of a former Siavophih-m. which was verv strong in the nineteenth ctnf.:rv as a form of reaction nuaiiist the inwi :<>:• of wosi-.ni ideas. Tiu- S;nv::j>!itl • idea'.i-:td the ihree institutions of aiiiueracv, orthodoxy, and an aitricultur.il |<m pie" as distinctly Russian iivslrtuti. ».,. '.-■ le cherished and carefully preserved. Jlie react : o:v.irv"s cu-.-c has liarrawcd to "iiiiss:a for Russians." The 11:1:1:1 aof the liarties or groujs wiii-;h sup) on this nlUei.ilnathtialistie idea indicate this came creed. They are the "ruion of Russian Peoule, "I'n'ion of True Russian Men.*" "I'liion of Patriotic Russians." There are nruiv more Mh-li "i-:.u]>s. Thcv seem to spring 111. for some 'specific - : <-ce .)f work, and then disappear. Only this last year it hccaii! • apparent that all th'vic grouiis rcptvoeiit an organised tendency. In general pnnciplos the programme., of all these groups aiv the same. The resictioti has its official orpins: the Russian Flag, and the Mos:-<.w lla/vite. edited by Mr ("ringiinith. The various groups publish leallets and "ap|>eals." send letters and telegrams to the Kmperor. and these are usually reprinted in the ollieial Government pa|ier. There arc congre-ses which pass resolutions. During the firs: electoral campaign these react •onaries showed considerable zeal, though few of their candidates were elected. It is therefore ik/i difficult to learn what reactionaries stand for. though, as we shall see. it is impossible to estimate with any accuracy their numerical strength. In referring to a reactionary man lb.Russians often use. instead of the l.orrowed word "r<-:i:-! : on." a linssian expns sion. He is called a "lilac!: Cang.-r." that is. a im-mter of the Hlack Can-.' or Ulack liundrrd organisation. The "Hlack Gang" organisation has existed for many years. General Trep.jff. when police master of Moscow, used to hire the dreg element of the city to ma'-e patriotic deiwmstratiors. These "patriots" were, like our sandwich m.-ii. paid so much an hoar to walk down the street singing the national liyinu. and were rewarded for their patriotic enthusiasm by a glass of whisky. 'I hese deinonstratio-is were organised on the occasion of a visit, from some high personage. A detailed report of these expressions of patriotism was always .sent to the Minister. That these "ISlack Gangers." or "Hoidi gans.'" as they are often termed, played an important role in the Jewish massacre? has been established 1 eyor.d all doubt. And it i; liccaii.se the react'..nine-, have cm li a tabid ami-Semitic feeling that thev are often lefcrr.d to as "Il!.n-k t'a'.ig.t-" ..nd "tlrganl-er.- of Pogroms." 1 -':ai: nit di-cu.-r> the chaige so often

made liiai these iii;u-;n and pogrom.-; are tie-ii.erateiy oiganii-ed. i!u: t!— reicti-.H ari:-» urcai-h quite imeiiiy th.it ;lit- Jews ;:.'.• re-potiiih.e iur a':i the dii-.order ailJ anaivhy v.'iiicii :xi=t in Ituttia under t!ie liai! e of :: nath.-na! iimv. mem for lilvratio and emaiu-ipatiiai. "Tiky have ;,taitid '.!:':> ivv.j'iir.'n.ii in m;l-r to jjet their own J-.-w'.'ii fi. :doiii. -.vh:< n will m.-an turning

!'.;.- j:, into a Jee.i.Oi Lin-don, i:n<!er a .J-w (Var. A kiv tiait..r have I:re11 i;iiu!lt liV tile Jew.-. Dl oilier collll trius. 'She Japanese wre induced to at t:„-k lliih, : .! and were heiued l.v Jew-ill in-try. Tiie Jews an- de iherateiy worici;is» lor lit. - minpiele ruin of l'.u.--!a." Tiii'ie are .-ome oi the .-rateinent.-. made in the "appeal"' whi.ii the reactionary parties puliiish. imiy a !::•: wceU a_"i I!- retai iJuhioviu. pi-vd-.nt of tiie I'nion of liu.-ciiiii I'-. op!c. addrcfM-d a smaii fo! I-iwi'.ij; :n Kiev, and fiauhiy MiL'i;e=le<l l<-th.-m th.- m-ed of "inaiiiijf tip tie- .I-".vn." A iiarly pa.-t»d r« Mi.miou.-> <?<■■ tiie reitrietiiis; of tiie rights of J.-ws ar.d their tolalion from the eelitrai province.; of liu.-.sia. Village jirierit» re i-.-:«. e instruction* to pleach ill this same ;.-.:.e. and thti.-. help to im ite the people tile JvKi. Th • pr:-.-id-.-m of in ihe lr.oie modeiat-,- iea< tionarv groups t..:<! me of a rumor whieh lie had heard ita... widely spu-ad run.mi; the to the effect'that tlie Jew.s were cor.cpiriuj.' to .•!/..■ tiie Kmpcr.ir :in<! cru-.ifv him jiiron: -.: the Winter Ta.aee. Mli c.m».' lie cxiiiainc-d. •'this is onlv a foolish rumor l.,ai ;.o:iiel,odv ha- Marled." iiiu ii- the

• ::n: ■ i >mv: I'-ation in n-iciring i<» :1»" Dnina. then ill gi-ssioii. In- used a liu.-.-i m \v«i<l which com.=pomls exactly in meaning and i;si- to our word "sheeny." MV (Jrinmuth in discussing the Jewish que tion told me tiiat ii could nut Ins'eh :-d : that it could only 1m- handled by mal.Kaiirng the restrictions, now inipo.-ed in tho Jewish Herniation and l.y applying :he,n vigorously. I trail.-'.ate a part of a pilitlon reciinly pr.sentid to the Km-jjt-ror: "In order to avoid the 1,-petition ..f tinsiic. .•.-•fill election.-; for the ,-ceond Duma, we beg thee. Czar. to make ;i law by wlmli thi- righ; to patti-.ipait- in thief "lions wii.' l.i' taken away from all a!ieii> a,::i j«j, who aif striving to put oh

.-.tac'e.-. in the way of the true Uus.-ians ill tho election of those must worthy to serve tin >■ and the country." Tii.- •inl.'.Hg:iiii"'!..'iiicale.l cia-*-.--si and I.ib:-ials. are attacked because of their support of a "Fuli-I'.ights ior Jews" movement. I t;iw a map. publish<-d liy .Mr Ciingmuth, to show what the I.ibcral.were goin,? to do with Ku.-sla in support-

itig the demand*, oi l'oks for autonomy and of the ./:ws lor full rights. Theiv wav a small territoiy grouped around Mosiow <!;-;igiiai-.-d as liussia and hedged in by a. I'oland. a Finland, a Lilt!-.- liiie-sia. etc. Tiuse "countries," wcie dc-.ignatv-d in the same tiiz.- of type as Ueriiian.-, Fiance. and Kng and. L'nder the n,a]< wvro a few words of explanation : "The .lews arc- to be givtn full rights. Thai meaiia that even -ii this little piece oi liussia which the traitors wish to leave to us, KiL'sians wii'.

not Ik- allowed to live peaci-fully. They wiii 1.-e ]n .scented by Jewish master.-, and <l:i\-.n ou: of their liussia."

The r.a iionaries attempt to fan the !!aii!i.> of cia;S jealousy, attaching tlu- "In-t--i igeiuv" in tiie most shame'.i-So way. Mr like l'obixlonoitj.-rf, sees only t-vii resulting from education. In his "leaders" iie dwells on ihe <langer of ai-

io.-.ing the Kussiaii youtii to learn ilu- hL.-:-.;ry of other countiics. whi-h can be no guide f:-r Huniia. Itusisia, he claims, is a lountry apart, with a more perfect form of gov<riiiiient than anything found in the r-.tt-nniss of the Wesi. These "accursed . -iiiiei-.ts" and "Intelligence." with iht-ir iVesiern ileas. should not be tolerated.

Tin- Duma was systematically attacked i.y the icactlonaiie-s as being run by the .lews. It !i> true, tiiere was an abnormal number of .K-ws among tiie Deputies, and they were very prominent and a- tive in

:1k- debates. 1 have mciitiomd bow the Duma iva; referral to as a "oheony" Par iiamrnt. When tin- Duma set aside Saturday as one of the days of recres. a shout of piotcst went up jrom the reactionary i amp. 'Why. this was done because <jf the Jews. Hut there are to be meetings on Sunday." This last statement was not true. Hut the reactionaries did not stop :.t a little exaggeration to make capita! of • '.is incident.

Aii during the session of the Duma the ofliciai gazette printed k-tt-ers addressed to the ICmpetor from peasants, workmen and £o:d:c-i=. in which they begged that the insolent rebels, posing as the representatives of the people, "be sent home." The style of many of these letters was suspiciously like that of come bureaucratic chicanery. The Duma addressed an interpellation to the Minister, protesting against this deliberate falsifying of public opinion. In the Duma itself there was a kind of reactionary group. It was the group of "non-party'' peasants, the Deputies who did not associate themselves either with the radical Lal>or group or the Constitutional Democrats. A certain Deputy. Kroctailed some hundred peasant Deputies in an. apartment which, as was later learned, was supported by "outside" funds. An attempt was made to get these peasants to a counter answer to the throne speech, denying the answer made by the whole Duma. These peasants were in Teality ierv conservative: but they were not reactionary. Toward the end of the session tliis "non-party"' group had dwindled down to only 30 or 40 members. This group was k-d by two priests and a peasant Hin. It contained the least progressive of the

peasant Deputi.*, arxl even -*• ;l ~l* 'n ' v ;"' in? body liad HitJe iiiflueno.' in :1k- A.-.-setnbiy. Sine.- li>- dißv/iiiiioti •■•» ' ! "* |,u!l; ' i; ' iva.tionary jui!i<* iiav«- l—M ■•!>:->" - with j-.-m-v.-d /«! in ,-r.H.ill.r • !,-, I-.1-. Hl.-V at.- !«l!w..n:l:- ■ .- Kn;pefur l« )•'••■* *>y »'"» "•*• "«•"•'" ; lir>: experiment «f ami uko iiuasute* l» prev.-JM tl»«- i« !; ti<,n of .'IK" a M-atida!. ••'<■>' "'-"•■•'•' •' change of the electoral Jaw. ~.»u..i .. i-haiu-e would be i-ontrary to u:<- :uii>>a-im-mal law*. but tlw Kimiwjw vvaa .:; v«-i"'<<! ii'.K' jrrauliiu - ; that iinn!ar.i:i *>'■'■ ■■■■- ,iito>-:ati>- pi.-r.<.tiv TO by ll"' J.« K.u.- .: Witle." Tii.-y a»k thai milv .i-r:a.:i r'i.:=f-s •'! ll'**" i«t]iu]atJ*'H I"' J ! '■• vole, those who h"!!i»>!]y haw- tiie :n----tcr.aU of !«t- couulrv :i! ii.au. 'i i*-y ,vi-:-. l.'le Km-vi *li«»v .......*a k -.- a::d :irm:i«-». In a la;k with Mr llriiuiiujh. 1 Iji.ra; .5 .:•> :" - .-!.";<-i-: of di-w m-i*ia»r.*. "It .- .■ i'itfii.l-.' <:>• -.Jioiiie.l vehemently, "and ". , . < ■.:...»-ni that i» io liiaiiiv- :••: i.. e '.»£. i. . I waa itarprifced. slid ivo'i .ier. i':! I v.3.1 to hear lixlii his iijtf. tSie i-hnrgi- made .o often by tin- «<;<}.>■ »iixii ha: :hi" <'..vom:ii.-i!: ha- -i <:«!:»» ;n :»■■•• n-ieie.. " W-re there ma:-a<-i.-j. mid. J >..::«..:•* I. <r .t .-xa:«3.r lil.. \o. ie-;-iu-..' ti.-.-n we ha.i a a iir.<u£ tiovt-ui'iKUl. it iul tvi- :.ed ll <-". 1.- a r.-ui .'ltl! .i.ui'.y. uhich v.i.i .i!!.i v'ij.i." A slrx:!;; auto- u:.V austerity, the mun- •jnLimt.d tii— 3*:irr. f. -.vii i: liui'i" i<a<liu:uir:i-« a:«- i. i: lint who av i»!•«.• i.aili-«-»:>:x;. vJm art- aijilalin i»r a n-tuni !<■ li»- oM u' TJk- pojiuJar iclva «.l" lh<- l-.url i-,:iiu<- ;■■« a •.-•.•> t'eiiniic- •«!.-. Ct.iu.l |liiii<«a.- Mit- oi l!i«- jil"<]'ijiiiii:ui! :si flu -:«.. i.l <-.»ri .lining lii.% iif«-. ««Ji.ia. Tr.-;:..1f w:i.i m".I i«. »-• l:i- n-ai r»" • i I Nil rain llniiiovjn. IJajJ.iatnivj:. ii an.i Duh-iHid ar.- naiiml a.» ilir a.lit.tv.irk. i-> in lii«- jiiv.ii;i>raiiiis; aiiJ ..I'jraiiJj.iic ol :ln- i. a. li.Hiarv :<:«-a. l\'.- 3i.n.- !.<-..i.l .KH'UKtiuiiif rtfii li»- hi|;JH">i ;> i .sonagr.i that lia-y ln»Jii«.h.-<i j.t01.-i 1 urn ai»J },M\.- ri-v.ai.L-. I«i linev who i-iio-.v.ii «-.-]..- c;ai "ji..lri'ii:iin.'' Ii in mori- diifiiUl •■• lijHviiy [in- rank an.l fii<- of this ji-a. tj.-nan Uml.ntv. Tii<- llJaii: lianji* lio-> a"i»-.-i«iy In-c <li*.-*nU<l. Thvy an- liu- "«ln„••-." ■: I soi-ii-ty, v.-iy oit.-n j»-uy « ritiiiij.li. •'•••■• havt- fivrvrd th-.-ir H-im an.l an- on: o: work. I Jritv often ha.i poiiilt-J «ui i■• ni<- ih< ti:il<x.ii wih-n- i!k- T.iack (Jjiijj. „• :i-

li:i-r !o wait i..i in.iiriiclion>. Tii<- ]iol!cv. tin- p'ii(]ii'iik%i. lh.- twi.iv'. piiJi.t- an.l a great many of th«- jJ.-lty r.: tants ol tin- l.'overniiunt .an In- i:ar.-«-.i a.-. liatikiy le.u tionary. t!f llie (jr.-ai army of l>ii!vai-< rau. many hVinjiathii-- tvilli. if •.hey <lo nut aitua.iy belong to. r.a.linn-iiy jiaiiin-. llin hy no means ar.- aii Cot.ni mrjit etii]ih>y«ti reaetitniary. a >in ««*n inoniy In-lievv-J. far they aiv jii ii.m.v itne.-." foriis.T uiii\vr&ity .-tu.l.-ir.;. an.i :u.-

.-imply cHbmiltiiig to the iucvitahi. r«.-.~:i.i.-> of h-.-.iig "in the service."" Tin- peasants. aiin<»l 90 per <«•«!. -'f i3j«totai population, are liu- • -inrc lor wim..-*-vctc ami support the rcaciioiiaHcs. as well as the revolutionists an<l reformcra, are h:d<iing. 'Jin- peasants ar.» r.ip:diy hc.om ing poiiti. aiiy "vuisr-ouii." For they «-• that their demands lor -land ami 3iU-rty" wiil he .-ati-fied l<y those who are slrog for political "emancipation. If their own demands w-re granted I hey might In.on:.- Conservative again. But in every district lucre arc a iVw peasant.*, csj-o-ciallv tli>' more prosperous, who an- under lii»- iliumli of ilk- local govcrume:ii official, an- always ready to obey iiieiiuclioiis. sign ■petitions ironj tilt- Kussiaii people," etc During the Duma sessions Ui<ve re actionary peasants were keeping wry j.ii.-:. I was t»id in oin- ]h.-asai:i district Uiai oil.- 1:11 ioniji-r feared to talk ojjeiiiy l.efoie anyiicdy. If there happened lo l.c a "iJiaok" IJanjjt-r" piesciit in- would no: "report." .us he would haw don.- a \vj»ago. I Ku ai»o to.'d that ihoec reactionary peasants haw no convictions, thai lin-j arc- such .-.imply tor profit. They, of (oiir.-c. receive iituumerahjc facis and privileges fioni the ioi-ai administrative and police authorities. 'I iio i.iot month til.- reactionaries are filing ijoider and louder in their tpc.-, hia> and writings. Tin- i.owriiin.-jii. in spi:.of its declaration thai ii i-. i..r a r<-!«rui ami not a leactioiiary policy, taknv few or mi steps :o moderate tin- /rai aiid ciilhu siasui of iliki! "patriots." For. a* «uc iiiali nllicitii lu'd im-. 1h..«- luvii art- .1: cast patriotic, and it is not i-.n-y in 11 jirjinand them, even though there i» 1:0 ..cnv.ng that they are going ton far. Tiie iea< I'onari.s, thetcfoic. may 110: I*Diippoiled liy tin- Government, though they are probably materially encouraged by high ollicials, as the Opposition <-jajin». i Tiio reactionaries t«-ri:i:niy enjoy ix rtain j privilege*.. They can !ioj<i and I meetings. Their newspapers aie n«.t 1 luithered l>y the (.eiwir. j The reactionaries coant on ail <«.verii | nv-11: oHuials to tupiiort or at least syin- 1 pattiiso with them. The jom ejetuuus j iiiowed how far these symi.alilies went. Hut. liy these im-th.jds of control.iiyr the voting, of having aii t.oveniiiicM <-m jiioyees tiiieateii.d with dismiosaj if limy are found 10 have voted vvjongiy. the re actionarie.s h<ij>- to return a true rejijv Duma .1! the coming ai'.d liu-v wish tiiis lluiua, to J«- oiijv a

• ..nsiiitaiivv i.o<ly. which vviii in no way .ltrtaij the authority of an autocratic O-ir. the Kind of authority whiih. ihcy liaim. is lilo one lk-.-t fil!<-<l "to I'usMa and I'usr-iau lonuitions.