Because her government is absolute-and she must provide some place for political offenders. There has always been that reaction from violence, as a punishment for advanced social religions, and political thought, which has made it a dangerous weapon for tyranny to wield. The Russian government in full realization of this fact quietly removes the offender to Siberia 15 . Thus thought in all its advanced stages is crushed out. Education is neglected or wholly prohibited.
Internal improvements are few.
With all her vast area-and her hundred millions of people she has less railroad communication milage than the little state of Maryland 16 .She has fewer telegraph facilities than the state of Pennsylvania 17 . The arts-and the sciences of all kinds have had a very limited place in her civilization. This is Russia to-day. This is the great check which Despotism places upon enlightenment 18 . Russia cannot always remain thus.