Eurasia(优雷夏)

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EURASIA

Chris. Evans

EURASIA

PREFACE.

In "Eurasia" the author describes an ideal republic where many of the

problems that confront us are worked out. The book describes in an

interesting and readable way how government is administered in this ideal

republic. The government is one in which women take their full share of

responsibility, the school children are trained in the problems they will

meet in life, and more emphasis is laid on character building than on the

dead languages. The children of both sexes are taught useful trades. All

school children are taught to swim. The idle are employed in the

construction of roads, canals and irrigation works. The problems of

distribution are so arranged that the worker receives a more equitable

reward for his labor.

The author, Chris. Evans, speaks with a firsthand knowledge when he

discusses the army prison management and the administration of law. Mr.

Evans, who was born in Vermont, is an old cavalryman, having served in

the Civil War. After the war he served with the cavalry in the West,

fighting Indians.

EURASIA

CHAPTER I.

A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE.

One pleasant afternoon in the month of May, 19--, I launched my boat,

and after rowing about half a mile from shore I shipped my oars, stepped

the mast, hoisted sail and reclining on a cushioned seat at the stern with

my hand on the tiller, I waited for a breeze to spring up, and whilst so

doing I fell asleep. How long I slept I know not, for when I awoke my boat

was close to shore, and to my' astonishment I was in strange waters. I went

ashore, when I was accosted in English with a foreign accent by a

venerable looking man with the question: "Where did you come from?" I

replied: "From the United States of America, and what country is this?"

His answer was Eurasia, and beckoning to a man in uniform, who was

passing by and who immediately joined us, he told him that I was from the

United States of America and did not know what country I was in. The

official addressed me very kindly and invited me to accompany him, and

leaving the boat in charge of my first acquaintance, with instructions to

take good care of it, he escorted me into the city and left me at a hotel with

a request that I would permit him to call on me the next day at ten a. m.,

and he would show me all the principal buildings and introduce me to the

President, "who I have no doubt will be delighted to see you." At the

appointed time he arrived, and, taking my place by his side in an

automobile driven by electricity, we passed in succession the buildings

occupied by the different Departments of State, and stopped in front of a

modest building set back a short distance from the street, and at the gate

we were at once admitted by the officer on duty, who informed us that the

President was holding a Cabinet meeting and would receive

meimmediately. The President's private secretary met me at the door and

introduced me to the President, who shook my hand warmly, and

introduced me to his Cabinet in the following order:

Mr. __, the Minister of State. Mrs. __, the Minister of Justice. Mr. __,

the Minister of Railways. Mrs. __, the Minister of Education. Mr. __, the

Minister of Finance. Mrs. __, the Minister of Information. Mr. __, the

EURASIA

Minister of Agriculture. Mrs. __, the Minister of Health. Mr. __, the

Minister of Commerce. Mrs. __, the Minister of Manufactures. Mr. __, the

Minister of Mines. Mrs. __, the Minister of War. Mr. __, the Minister of

Foreign Affairs. Mrs. __, the Minister of Labor.

I informed the President that I wished to learn all I could about the

Government and Institutions of the country, to which he replied by

handing me the Official Directory, and added that he and his Cabinet

would assist me to the fullest extent. I expressed my heartfelt thanks for

their kindness, and, going back to my hotel, I opened the, Official

Directory. I found the country governed by a President elected directly by

the people for five years, but the law provided that if his government was

not satisfactory to the people, a petition signed by five per cent. of the

voters called for an election, and if a majority voted against him, he was

removed from office and the Minister of State assumed the Presidency for

the remainder of the term. The Cabinet was composed of fourteen

members-seven men and seven women-and were chosen by the Parliament,

who were free to select them from their own members or outsiders,

provided that the person chosen was a voter and twenty-five years of age.

When the Parliament met, which it did on the first day of January, and

adjourned on the first of March, sine die, the Ministers presented their

reports of their work for the previous two years, and if the Parliament

approved them, they continued in office; but if the Parliament by a

majority vote disapproved of any of them, then the Minister resigned and

the Parliament appointed another person to take his or her place. The

members of Parliament were elected for two years and to serve without

pay, but their expenses were paid by the Government and the amount

necessary was fixed by law and could not be raised or lowered, only by

two-thirds vote of the qualified voters of the Nation. The country was

divided into districts and every district elected a member for every

hundred thousand of population, provided that every other member from a

district should be a female, thus giving both sexes full representation in

the Government. Each district was governed by a Governor, elected for

two years, and a Court of Judges, consisting of a Chief Justice, a

Prosecuting Attorney, an Attorney for the Defense and twelve Justice

EURASIA

Jurors, who tried all felony cases and civil cases that could not be settled

by Arbitration, and who sat also as a Board of Equalization and as

Supervisors.

The law provided that eight Jurors or two-thirds of them (if any were

absent through sickness or any other reasonable cause), in every case

could bring in a verdict of guilty in criminal cases or for the Complainant

or Defendant in civil cases, and if eight did not find the Defendant guilty,

the case was dismissed-but if guilty the Defendant had only to say "I

appeal," and a copy of the evidence was sent immediately to the Supreme

Court, composed of Judges, elected by the people, one from each district,

to serve for five years.

The Court sat six days in each week, excepting four weeks inJuly-

August, when all the Courts were allowed by law four weeks' vacation.

They were required to work eight hours each day beginning at eight a. m.,

with one hour rest at noon, and ending at five p. m.; but they could work

longer if they so desired, but the law forbade any adjournment and to

prevent bribery the documents in every case-civil or criminal-arriving

daily were placed in a lottery wheel, and, on the Court assembling at eight

a. m., the wheel was revolved, and in the presence of the Minister of

Justice a blind boy and girl drew the documents out and handed them to

pages who delivered them to the Judges in alphabetical order. Three

Judges, forming a committee, decided every case that came into their

hands on the same day. There was no delay in Justice, and, if any Judge

misbehaved, the voters in his district could remove him under the same

law that applied to the President.

The law of recall applied to all officers of the Government elected by

the people. The salary of the Supreme Court Judges was fixed by law at

ten dollars per day and that of a Chief Justice of a district at five dollars

per day. That of the Prosecuting Attorney and Attorney for the Defense at

four dollars per day, and that of Justice and Jurors at three dollars per day

the year 'round.

No costs were charged to either complainant or defendant in any case,

either civil or criminal, but if a person brought complaint without just and

sufficient cause, the law provided that they should be examined by the

EURASIA

Court, and if found sane, they should be imprisoned for one year at hard

labor, and if insane, to be sent immediately to the Lunatic Asylum. In

every case the complainant was first warned by the Court of what would

happen if the charge proved to be unfounded.

I made inquiries among the people and was told that the law was a

great promoter of peace and good will.

EURASIA

CHAPTER II

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

During the following week I called on the Minister of Justice and

informed her of my desire to learn the workings of her Department. She

handed me a copy of the Penal Code, and I was astonished to find how

simple the course of procedure was compared with that of my own country.

Felonies ranked in the following order: Murder, Rape, Incest and crimes

against nature, Arson, Robbery, Assault to Murder, Manslaughter,

Mayhem, Bribery, Larceny and Perjury. The law held one degree of

murder and that was with malice aforethought, but where a person killed a

human being wantonly, without cause or malice, the homicide was

committed to the Lunatic Asylum, and, after one year's imprisonment,

deprived of the sexual organs, and if his or her conduct endangered the

peace or safety of the community, were to be chloroformed.

The penalty for murder was imprisonment for life, subject to parole

after ten years. Rape fiends were sentenced to twenty-five years, and after

one year's imprisonment to be desexualizcd and subject to parole after five

years.

Persons found guilty of Incest and crimes against nature received the

same punishment as Rape fiends and subject to parole after five years. The

penalty for Arson was twenty years, subject to parole after four years. For

Robbery fifteen years and subject to parole after three years. The same

penalty for Assault to Murder and subject to parole after three years.

Manslaughter, Mayhem and Bribery were punished by imprisonment for

ten years and subject to parole after two years. Larceny and Perjury were

punished by five years' imprisonment, and subject to parole after one year.

Public officials who embezzled public funds were committed for Perjury

as well as Larceny, and were debarred from ever holding office. The law

provided that in the course of the trial of any person charged with Felony,

if the evidence showed they had committed a felony, other than the one for

which they were being tried, then the Court could sentence them for the

crime that the evidence showed they had committed, even if there was not

EURASIA

sufficient evidence to convict them of the crime with which they were

charged.

Any person found guilty was remanded to the custody of the Governor

of the district to await the decision of the Supreme Court. If they appealed,

and the appeal was not confirmed, they were sent to the nearest State

Prison, of which there are at the present time twenty-five.

No fines were imposed for any crime and no confiscation of property

for any cause.

A Magistrate was elected in every sub-district, according to population.

One for every ten thousand inhabitants, at a salary of three dollars per day

the year 'round, and who tried all persons charged with Felony, and if

proven guilty, committed them to the District Court-but a charge of Felony

could be made before the District Court, and if probable cause was shown,

the case came up for trial. The Magistrate was authorized by law to release

any person charged with a misdemeanor on probation, or to sentence them

from one month to twelve months' imprisonment at hard labor within the

district, and the prisoners were paid for their work from five to twenty-five

cents per day, according to their ability and skill, and the money they

earned was sent to their wives and children, if they had any. If they were

single, what they earned was paid to them at the expiration of their

sentence. No handcuffs, balls or chains or Oregon Boots were permitted to

be used, but if the person in custody was violent, a jacket with straps at the

waist to secure the hands at the side was provided and no punishment was

inflicted for violation of the prison rules-but bread and water for three

days at any one time. If a prisoner committed sodomy or other infamous

crime against nature, while in custody, he was castrated, and if he still

persisted in committing crimes against nature, he was chloroformed. No

trial by jury was permitted in cases of misdemeanor-but an appeal to the

Governor was allowed by law and a copy of the evidence in the case was

sent to him and he had to decide according to the law and evidence within

thirty days and publish his reasons therefor in the District Newspaper. By

permission of the Minister of Justice I was granted authority to visit the

State Prison, carrying with me a letter instructing every prison official to

assist me and to furnish me all the information within their power. The

EURASIA

prison was located in the center of a Military Preserve, consisting of

ninety-two thousand one hundred and sixty acres, all in a high state of

cultivation. Railways traversed the reservation, but no trains but military

ones were permitted to stop within its limits.

EURASIA

CHAPTER III.

A VISIT TO A STATE PRISON.

The Minister of Justice placed an automobile at my service, and when

I arrived at the boundary of the reservation, I was stopped by a military

officer. I handed him my letter from the Minister of Justice, and, glancing

over it, he replied, "You are welcome," and, taking a seat by my side, we

drove to the prison grounds, where I was introduced to the Superintendent,

and invited by him to be his guest during my stay. I found the prisoners

garrisoned in company quarters. One hundred and thirty-five privates, nine

corporals, three sergeants and one company clerk constituted a company,

with a captain in command of them holding the same rank and pay as a

captain in the army, and who was chosen from the non-commissioned

officers in the army for distinguished services. The prisoners were

classified in twelve companies. Four companies formed the first grade,

consisting of Companies A, B, C and D; four companies formed the

second grade, consisting of Companies E, F, G and H, and four companies

formed the third grade, consisting of Companies I , K, L, and M. The first

grade received fifteen cents per day and the third grade five cents per day,

and no pay was forfeited for violation of prison rules and regulations, but

prisoners received no pay during the time they were on bread and water.

Corporals received fifty per cent. more pay than privates, and sergeants

and company clerks one hundred per cent. more. Prisoners were required

to work eight hours each day, Sundays excepted-commencing at eight a.

m., with one hour for dinner, and ending at five p. m., and to attend night

school from six p. m. until eight p. m. five nights in the week, and once a

week musicians and singers visited the prison and gave entertainments.

The company quarters were only one-story high, but were large and

well ventilated, being eighty feet square with wide verandas and furnished

with steam and hot water pipes for cold weather, and lighted throughout

by incandescent lamps.

The beds were all singly arranged in rows and well furnished with

mattresses, blankets, sheets and pillows, and the room had nine large wash

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摘要：

EURASIA1EURASIAChris.EvansEURASIA2PREFACE.In"Eurasia"theauthordescribesanidealrepublicwheremanyoftheproblemsthatconfrontusareworkedout.Thebookdescribesinaninterestingandreadablewayhowgovernmentisadministeredinthisidealrepublic.Thegovernmentisoneinwhichwomentaketheirfullshareofresponsibility,theschoo...

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