According to Román, the peasants were a rough mob, a rabble. And with the peasants in their present stage of development, nothing could be done. All efforts to raise the Russian people were like attempts to set a stone or a piece of ice alight. The people had to be educated and trained for solidarity, and only large industries, and the growth of a Socialistic organization based thereon, could accomplish this.
The land was not only unnecessary to the people, but it was just the land that, both in Russia and in the rest of Europe, made them Conservatives and slaves. And he quoted the opinion of various authorities and gave statistics, which he knew by heart. The people must be liberated from the land, and the sooner this is done the better. The more of them go into factories, and the more land the capitalists get into their hands, and the more they oppress the people, the better. Despotism—and especially capitalism—can only be brought to an end by the solidarity of the workers, and this can be attained only by trade-unions and corporations of working men— i.e. , only when the masses cease to own land, and become proletarians.
Mezhenétsky argued, and grew excited. A dark, rather good-looking brunette, with much hair and very brilliant eyes, irritated him particularly, as, sitting on the windowsill and hardly taking any direct part in the conversation, she occasionally put in a few words confirming Román’s arguments, or merely smiled contemptuously at Mezhenétsky’s remarks.
“Is it possible to change all the country labourers into factory hands?” said Mezhenétsky.
“Why not?” retorted Román. “It is a general economic law.”
“How do we know it to be general?” said Mezhenétsky.
“Read Kautsky!” remarked the dark woman, with a contemptuous smile.