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diff --git a/old/ancim10.txt b/old/ancim10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ed222f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/ancim10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,901 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Article on The Moscow Census, by Lyof N. Tolstoi +#11 in our series by Lyof N. Tolstoi + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. +Do not change or edit it without written permission. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.05/20/01*END* +[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + + + +Please be advised that David sent the two Moscow Census pieces to me +as one file, and that I split it into two, since some people have a +bit of trouble when we put two titles in one file. However, I did NOT +change the numbering of the footnotes, so they all appear at the end +of each file. + + + + + +This etext was produced by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk, +from the 1887 Thomas Y. Crowell edition. + + + + + +THE MOSCOW CENSUS--FROM "WHAT TO DO?" +by Count Lyof N. Tolstoi + + + + +Translated from the Russian by +Isabel F. Hapgood + + + + +ARTICLE ON THE CENSUS IN MOSCOW. [1882.] + + + +The object of a census is scientific. A census is a sociological +investigation. And the object of the science of sociology is the +happiness of the people. This science and its methods differ sharply +from all other sciences. + +Its peculiarity lies in this, that sociological investigations are +not conducted by learned men in their cabinets, observatories and +laboratories, but by two thousand people from the community. A +second peculiarity is this, that the investigations of other sciences +are not conducted on living people, but here living people are the +subjects. A third peculiarity is, that the aim of every other +science is simply knowledge, while here it is the good of the people. +One man may investigate a nebula, but for the investigation of +Moscow, two thousand persons are necessary. The object of the study +of nebulae is merely that we may know about nebulae; the object of +the study of inhabitants is that sociological laws may be deduced, +and that, on the foundation of these laws, a better life for the +people may be established. It makes no difference to the nebula +whether it is studied or not, and it has waited long, and is ready to +wait a great while longer; but it is not a matter of indifference to +the inhabitants of Moscow, especially to those unfortunates who +constitute the most interesting subjects of the science of sociology. + +The census-taker enters a night lodging-house; in the basement he +finds a man dying of hunger, and he politely inquires his profession, +his name, his native place, the character of his occupation, and +after a little hesitation as to whether he is to be entered in the +list as alive, he writes him in and goes his way. + +And thus will the two thousand young men proceed. This is not as it +should be. + +Science does its work, and the community, summoned in the persons of +these two thousand young men to aid science, must do its work. A +statistician drawing his deductions from figures may feel indifferent +towards people, but we census-takers, who see these people and who +have no scientific prepossessions, cannot conduct ourselves towards +them in an inhuman manner. Science fulfils its task, and its work is +for its objects and in the distant future, both useful and necessary +to us. For men of science, we can calmly say, that in 1882 there +were so many beggars, so many prostitutes, and so many uncared-for +children. Science may say this with composure and with pride, +because it knows that the confirmation of this fact conduces to the +elucidation of the laws of sociology, and that the elucidation of the +laws of sociology leads to a better constitution of society. But +what if we, the unscientific people, say: "You are perishing in +vice, you are dying of hunger, you are pining away, and killing each +other; so do not grieve about this; when you shall have all perished, +and hundreds of thousands more like you, then, possibly, science may +be able to arrange everything in an excellent manner." For men of +science, the census has its interest; and for us also, it possesses +an interest of a wholly different significance. The interest and +significance of the census for the community lie in this, that it +furnishes it with a mirror into which, willy nilly, the whole +community, and each one of us, gaze. + +The figures and deductions will be the mirror. It is possible to +refrain from reading them, as it is possible to turn away from the +looking-glass. It is possible to glance cursorily at both figures +and mirror, and it is also possible to scrutinize them narrowly. To +go about in connection with the census as thousands of people are now +about to do, is to scrutinize one's self closely in the mirror. + +What does this census, that is about to be made, mean for us people +of Moscow, who are not men of science? It means two things. In the +first place, this, that we may learn with certainty, that among us +tens of thousands who live in ease, there dwell tens of thousands of +people who lack bread, clothing and shelter; in the second place, +this, that our brothers and sons will go and view this and will +calmly set down according to the schedules, how many have died of +hunger and cold. + +And both these things are very bad. + +All cry out upon the instability of our social organization, about +the exceptional situation, about revolutionary tendencies. Where +lies the root of all this? To what do the revolutionists point? To +poverty, to inequality in the distribution of wealth. To what do the +conservatives point? To the decline in moral principle. If the +opinion of the revolutionists is correct, what must be done? Poverty +and the inequality of wealth must be lessened. How is this to be +effected? The rich must share with the poor. If the opinion of the +conservatives is correct, that the whole evil arises from the decline +in moral principle, what can be more immoral and vicious than the +consciously indifferent survey of popular sufferings, with the sole +object of cataloguing them? What must be done? To the census we +must add the work of affectionate intercourse of the idle and +cultivated rich, with the oppressed and unenlightened poor. + +Science will do its work, let us perform ours also. Let us do this. +In the first place, let all of us who are occupied with the census, +superintendents and census-takers, make it perfectly clear to +ourselves what we are to investigate and why. It is the people, and +the object is that they may be happy. Whatever may be one's view of +life, every one will agree that there is nothing more important than +human life, and that there is no more weighty task than to remove the +obstacles to the development of this life, and to assist it. + +This idea, that the relations of men to poverty are at the foundation +of all popular suffering, is expressed in the Gospels with striking +harshness, but at the same time, with decision and clearness for all. + +"He who has clothed the naked, fed the hungry, visited the prisoner, +that man has clothed Me, fed Me, visited Me," that is, has done the +deed for that which is the most important thing in the world. + +However a man may look upon things, every one knows that this is more +important than all else on earth. + +And this must not be forgotten, and we must not permit any other +consideration to veil from us the most weighty fact of our existence. +Let us inscribe, and reckon, but let us not forget that if we +encounter a man who is hungry and without clothes, it is of more +moment to succor him than to make all possible investigations, than +to discover all possible sciences. Perish the whole census if we may +but feed an old woman. The census will be longer and more difficult, +but we cannot pass by people in the poorer quarters and merely note +them down without taking any heed of them and without endeavoring, +according to the measure of our strength and moral sensitiveness, to +aid them. This in the first place. In the second, this is what must +be done: All of us, who are to take part in the census, must refrain +from irritation because we are annoyed; let us understand that this +census is very useful for us; that if this is not cure, it is at +least an effort to study the disease, for which we should be +thankful; that we must seize this occasion, and, in connection with +it, we must seek to recover our health, in some small degree. Let +all of us, then, who are connected with the census, endeavor to take +advantage of this solitary opportunity in ten years to purify +ourselves somewhat; let us not strive against, but assist the census, +and assist it especially in this sense, that it may not have merely +the harsh character of the investigation of a hopelessly sick person, +but may have the character of healing and restoration to health. For +the occasion is unique: eighty energetic, cultivated men, having +under their orders two thousand young men of the same stamp, are to +make their way over the whole of Moscow, and not leave a single man +in Moscow with whom they have not entered into personal relations. +All the wounds of society, the wounds of poverty, of vice, of +ignorance--all will be laid bare. Is there not something re-assuring +in this? The census-takers will go about Moscow, they will set down +in their lists, without distinction, those insolent with prosperity, +the satisfied, the calm, those who are on the way to ruin, and those +who are ruined, and the curtain will fall. The census-takers, our +sons and brothers, these young men will behold all this. They will +say: "Yes, our life is very terrible and incurable," and with this +admission they will live on like the rest of us, awaiting a remedy +for the evil from this or that extraneous force. But those who are +perishing will go on dying, in their ruin, and those on the road to +ruin will continue in their course. No, let us rather grasp the idea +that science has its task, and that we, on the occasion of this +census, have our task, and let us not allow the curtain once lifted +to be dropped, but let us profit by the opportunity in order to +remove the immense evil of the separation existing between us and the +poor, and to establish intercourse and the work of redressing the +evil of unhappiness and ignorance, and our still greater misfortune,- +-the indifference and aimlessness of our life. + +I already hear the customary remark: "All this is very fine, these +are sounding phrases; but do you tell us what to do and how to do +it?" Before I say what is to be done, it is indispensable that I +should say what is not to be done. It is indispensable, first of +all, in my opinion, in order that something practical may come of +this activity, that no society should be formed, that there should be +no publicity, that there should be no collection of money by balls, +bazaars or theatres; that there should be no announcement that Prince +A. has contributed one thousand rubles, and the honorable citizen B. +three thousand; that there shall be no collection, no calling to +account, no writing up,--most of all, no writing up, so that there +may not be the least shadow of any institution, either governmental +or philanthropic. + +But in my opinion, this is what should be done instantly: Firstly, +All those who agree with me should go to the directors, and ask for +their shares the poorest sections, the poorest dwellings; and in +company with the census-takers, twenty-three, twenty-four or twenty- +five in number, they should go to these quarters, enter into +relations with the people who are in need of assistance, and labor +for them. + +Secondly: We should direct the attention of the superintendents and +census-takers to the inhabitants in need of assistance, and work for +them personally, and point them out to those who wish to work over +them. But I am asked: What do you mean by WORKING OVER THEM? I +reply; Doing good to people. The words "doing good" are usually +understood to mean, giving money. But, in my opinion, doing good and +giving money are not only not the same thing, but two different and +generally opposite things. Money, in itself, is evil. And therefore +he who gives money gives evil. This error of thinking that the +giving of money means doing good, arose from the fact, that +generally, when a man does good, he frees himself from evil, and from +money among other evils. And therefore, to give money is only a sign +that a man is beginning to rid himself of evil. To do good, +signifies to do that which is good for man. But, in order to know +what is good for man, it is necessary to be on humane, i.e., on +friendly terms with him. And therefore, in order to do good, it is +not money that is necessary, but, first of all, a capacity for +detaching ourselves, for a time at least, from the conditions of our +own life. It is necessary that we should not be afraid to soil our +boots and clothing, that we should not fear lice and bedbugs, that we +should not fear typhus fever, diphtheria, and small-pox. It is +necessary that we should be in a condition to seat ourselves by the +bunk of a tatterdemalion and converse earnestly with him in such a +manner, that he may feel that the man who is talking with him +respects and loves him, and is not putting on airs and admiring +himself. And in order that this may be so, it is necessary that a +man should find the meaning of life outside himself. This is what is +requisite in order that good should be done, and this is what it is +difficult to find. + +When the idea of assisting through the medium of the census occurred +to me, I discussed the matter with divers of the wealthy, and I saw +how glad the rich were of this opportunity of decently getting rid of +their money, that extraneous sin which they cherish in their hearts. +"Take three hundred--five hundred rubles, if you like," they said to +me, "but I cannot go into those dens myself." There was no lack of +money. Remember Zaccheus, the chief of the Publicans in the Gospel. +Remember how he, because he was small of stature, climbed into a tree +to see Christ, and how when Christ announced that he was going to his +house, having understood but one thing, that the Master did not +approve of riches, he leaped headlong from the tree, ran home and +arranged his feast. And how, as soon as Christ entered, Zaccheus +instantly declared that he gave the half of his goods to the poor, +and if he had wronged any man, to him he would restore fourfold. And +remember how all of us, when we read the Gospel, set but little store +on this Zaccheus, and involuntarily look with scorn on this half of +his goods, and fourfold restitution. And our feeling is correct. +Zaccheus, according to his lights, performed a great deed. He had +not even begun to do good. He had only begun in some small measure +to purify himself from evil, and so Christ told him. + +He merely said to him: "To-day is salvation come nigh unto this +house." + +What if the Moscow Zaccheuses were to do the same that he did? +Assuredly, more than one milliard could be collected. Well, and what +of that? Nothing. There would be still greater sin if we were to +think of distributing this money among the poor. Money is not +needed. What is needed is self-sacrificing action; what is needed +are people who would like to do good, not by giving extraneous sin- +money, but by giving their own labor, themselves, their lives. Where +are such people to be found? Here they are, walking about Moscow. +They are the student enumerators. I have seen how they write out +their charts. The student writes in the night lodging-house, by the +bedside of a sick man. "What is your disease?"--"Small-pox." And +the student does not make a wry face, but proceeds with his writing. +And this he does for the sake of some doubtful science. What would +he do if he were doing it for the sake of his own undoubted good and +the good of others? + +When children, in merry mood, feel a desire to laugh, they never +think of devising some reason for laughter, but they laugh without +any reason, because they are gay; and thus these charming youths +sacrifice themselves. They have not, as yet, contrived to devise any +means of sacrificing themselves, but they devote their attention, +their labor, their lives, in order to write out a chart, from which +something does or does not appear. What would it be if this labor +were something really worth their while? There is and there always +will be labor of this sort, which is worthy of the devotion of a +whole life, whatever the man's life may be. This labor is the loving +intercourse of man with man, and the breaking-down of the barriers +which men have erected between themselves, so that the enjoyment of +the rich man may not be disturbed by the wild howls of the men who +are reverting to beasts, and by the groans of helpless hunger, cold +and disease. + +This census will place before the eyes of us well-to-do and so-called +cultivated people, all the poverty and oppression which is lurking in +every corner of Moscow. Two thousand of our brothers, who stand on +the highest rung of the ladder, will come face to face with thousands +of people who stand on the lowest round of society. Let us not miss +this opportunity of communion. Let us, through these two thousand +men, preserve this communion, and let us make use of it to free +ourselves from the aimlessness and the deformity of our lives, and to +free the condemned from that indigence and misery which do not allow +the sensitive people in our ranks to enjoy our good fortune in peace. + +This is what I propose: (1) That all our directors and enumerators +should join to their business of the census a task of assistance,--of +work in the interest of the good of these people, who, in our +opinion, are in need of assistance, and with whom we shall come in +contact; (2) That all of us, directors and enumerators, not by +appointment of the committee of the City Council, but by the +appointment of our own hearts, shall remain in our posts,--that is, +in our relations to the inhabitants of the town who are in need of +assistance,--and that, at the conclusion of the work of the census, +we shall continue our work of aid. If I have succeeded in any degree +in expressing what I feel, I am sure that the only impossibility will +be getting the directors and enumerators to abandon this, and that +others will present themselves in the places of those who leave; (3) +That we should collect all those inhabitants of Moscow, who feel +themselves fit to work for the needy, into sections, and begin our +activity now, in accordance with the hints of the census-takers and +directors, and afterwards carry it on; (4) That all who, on account +of age, weakness, or other causes, cannot give their personal labor +among the needy, shall intrust the task to their young, strong, and +willing relatives. (Good consists not in the giving of money, it +consists in the loving intercourse of men. This alone is needed.) + +Whatever may be the outcome of this, any thing will be better than +the present state of things. + +Then let the final act of our enumerators and directors be to +distribute a hundred twenty-kopek pieces to those who have no food; +and this will be not a little, not so much because the hungry will +have food, but because the directors and enumerators will conduct +themselves in a humane manner towards a hundred poor people. How are +we to compute the possible results which will accrue to the balance +of public morality from the fact that, instead of the sentiments of +irritation, anger, and envy which we arouse by reckoning the hungry, +we shall awaken in a hundred instances a sentiment of good, which +will be communicated to a second and a third, and an endless wave +which will thus be set in motion and flow between men? And this is a +great deal. Let those of the two thousand enumerators who have never +comprehended this before, come to understand that, when going about +among the poor, it is impossible to say, "This is very interesting;" +that a man should not express himself with regard to another man's +wretchedness by interest only; and this will be a good thing. Then +let assistance be rendered to all those unfortunates, of whom there +are not so many as I at first supposed in Moscow, who can easily be +helped by money alone to a great extent. Then let those laborers who +have come to Moscow and have eaten their very clothing from their +backs, and who cannot return to the country, be despatched to their +homes; let the abandoned orphans receive supervision; let feeble old +men and indigent old women, who subsist on the charity of their +companions, be released from their half-famished and dying condition. +(And this is very possible. There are not very many of them.) And +this will also be a very, very great deal accomplished. But why not +think and hope that more and yet more will be done? Why not expect +that that real task will be partially carried out, or at least begun, +which is effected, not by money, but by labor; that weak drunkards +who have lost their health, unlucky thieves, and prostitutes who are +still capable of reformation, should be saved? All evil may not be +exterminated, but there will arise some understanding of it, and the +contest with it will not be police methods, but by inward modes,--by +the brotherly intercourse of the men who perceive the evil, with the +men who do not perceive it because they are a part of it. + +No matter what may be accomplished, it will be a great deal. But why +not hope that every thing will be accomplished? Why not hope that we +shall accomplish thus much, that there shall not exist in Moscow a +single person in want of clothing, a single hungry person, a single +human being sold for money, nor a single individual oppressed by the +judgment of man, who shall not know that there is fraternal aid for +him? It is not surprising that this should not be so, but it is +surprising that this should exist side by side with our superfluous +leisure and wealth, and that we can live on composedly, knowing that +these things are so. Let us forget that in great cities and in +London, there is a proletariat, and let us not say that so it must +needs be. It need not be this, and it should not, for this is +contrary to our reason and our heart, and it cannot be if we are +living people. Why not hope that we shall come to understand that +there is not a single duty incumbent upon us, not to mention personal +duty, for ourselves, nor our family, nor social, nor governmental, +nor scientific, which is more weighty than this? Why not think that +we shall at last come to apprehend this? Only because to do so would +be too great a happiness. Why not hope that some the people will +wake up, and will comprehend that every thing else is a delusion, but +that this is the only work in life? And why should not this "some +time" be now, and in Moscow? Why not hope that the same thing may +happen in society and humanity which suddenly takes place in a +diseased organism, when the moment of convalescence suddenly sets in? +The organism is diseased this means, that the cells cease to perform +their mysterious functions; some die, others become infected, others +still remain in perfect condition, and work on by themselves. But +all of a sudden the moment comes when every living cell enters upon +an independent and healthy activity: it crowds out the dead cells, +encloses the infected ones in a living wall, it communicates life to +that which was lifeless; and the body is restored, and lives with new +life. + +Why should we not think and expect that the cells of our society will +acquire fresh life and re-invigorate the organism? We know not in +what the power of the cells consists, but we do know that our life is +in our own power. We can show forth the light that is in us, or we +may extinguish it. + +Let one man approach the Lyapinsky house in the dusk, when a thousand +persons, naked and hungry, are waiting in the bitter cold for +admission, and let that one man attempt to help, and his heart will +ache till it bleeds, and he will flee thence with despair and anger +against men; but let a thousand men approach that other thousand with +a desire to help, and the task will prove easy and delightful. Let +the mechanicians invent a machine for lifting the weight that is +crushing us--that is a good thing; but until they shall have invented +it, let us bear down upon the people, like fools, like muzhiki, like +peasants, like Christians, and see whether we cannot raise them. + +And now, brothers, all together, and away it goes! + + + + +Footnotes: + +{1} The fine, tall members of a regiment, selected and placed +together to form a showy squad. + +{2} [] Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition printed in +Russia, in the set of Count Tolstoi's works. + +{3} Reaumur. + +{4} A drink made of water, honey, and laurel or salvia leaves, which +is drunk as tea, especially by the poorer classes. + +{5} [] Omitted by the censor from the authorized edition published +in Russia in the set of count Tolstoi's works. The omission is +indicated thus . . . + +{6} Kalatch, a kind of roll: baranki, cracknels of fine flour. + +{7} An arshin is twenty-eight inches. + +{8} A myeshchanin, or citizen, who pays only poll-tax and not a +guild tax. + +{9} Omitted in authorized edition. + +{10} Omitted by the censor in the authorized edition. + +{11} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{12} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{13} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{14} Omitted by the Censor from the authorized edition. + +{15} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{16} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition + +{17} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{18} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{19} A very complicated sort of whist. + +{20} The whole of this chapter is omitted by the Censor in the +authorized edition, and is there represented by the following +sentence: "And I felt that in money, in money itself, in the +possession of it, there was something immoral; and I asked myself, +What is money?" + +{21} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{22} Omitted by the Censor in the authorized edition. + +{23} The above passage is omitted in the authorized edition, and the +following is added: "I came to the simple and natural conclusion, +that, if I pity the tortured horse upon which I am riding, the first +thing for me to do is to alight, and to walk on my own feet." + +{24} Omitted in the authorized edition. + +{25} Omitted in the authorized edition. + +{26} "Into a worse state," in the authorized edition. + +{27} Omitted in the authorized edition. + +{28} Omitted in the authorized edition. + +{29} Reaumur. + +{30} In the Moscow edition (authorized by the Censor), the +concluding paragraph is replaced by the following: --"They say: The +action of a single man is but a drop in the sea. A drop in the sea! + +"There is an Indian legend relating how a man dropped a pearl into +the sea, and in order to recover it he took a bucket, and began to +bail out, and to pour the water on the shore. Thus he toiled without +intermission, and on the seventh day the spirit of the sea grew +alarmed lest the man should dip the sea dry, and so he brought him +his pearl. If our social evil of persecuting man were the sea, then +that pearl which we have lost is equivalent to devoting our lives to +bailing out the sea of that evil. The prince of this world will take +fright, he will succumb more promptly than did the spirit of the sea; +but this social evil is not the sea, but a foul cesspool, which we +assiduously fill with our own uncleanness. All that is required is +for us to come to our senses, and to comprehend what we are doing; to +fall out of love with our own uncleanness,--in order that that +imaginary sea should dry away, and that we should come into +possession of that priceless pearl,--fraternal, humane life." + +{31} An arshin is twenty-eight inches. + +{32} The fast extends from the 5th to the 30th of June, O.S. (June +27 to July 12, N.S.) + +{33} A pood is thirty-six pounds. + +{34} Robinson Crusoe. + +{35} Here something has been omitted by the Censor, which I am +unable to supply.--TRANS. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Article on The Moscow Census, by Lyof N. Tolstoi + diff --git a/old/ancim10.zip b/old/ancim10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1b2d950 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/ancim10.zip |