SCENES ON THE ROAD. 1 37 



the science of paternal government as it is understood 

 at St. Petersburg. 



The uriadnik first appeared on the stage in 1878; 

 and in the great Russian drama of " The Czar and his 

 Loyal Moujiks," plays the part of rural autocrat among 

 the latter. Commencing in this picturesque role, he 

 has succeeded in working his way up to the distin- 

 guished position of first villain in the Russian tchin. 

 His most critical and competent judges are the mou- 

 jiks, whom his existence and the exercise of his talents 

 mostly concern ; and from one end of Russia to the 

 other, the writer could get from them but one verdict, 

 which was that the uriadnik is the prettiest combina- 

 tion of police-tyrant, bribe-taker, blackmail-levier, and 

 all-round scourger of his children, that their amiable and 

 well-meaning father, the Czar, has allowed to be laid 

 on their backs. The very word " uriadnik," is indeed 

 likely to always remain in use among the Russian peas- 

 antry, even should they and the entire dramatis persona 

 of the paternal government one day disappear, and it 

 will be as the synonym of as many attributes of ras- 

 cality as could possibly be crowded into the character 

 of one person. The wearers of the title have become 

 a by-word among the moujiks, who have, since their 

 introduction among them, been brought into closer 

 touch with the governing body than they were before. 



As the Czar is autocrat of Russia, and a Governor- 

 General of his province, so is the uriadnik autocrat of 

 the village community. Prior to 1878, the moujiks 

 were left very much to the management of their own 

 village affairs, and if they paid their taxes promptly, 

 and allowed their minds to remain dormant on the 



