The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-18
4 SAD STATE OF SOCIETY.

Oeunt T0lstoi Thinks That Things Are Bet.
ter In America Than Elsewhere.
In the London Standard is given an
admirable account of an interesting in
terview which a Russian journalist has
had with Count Leo Tolstoi.
The journalist had beforehand ap-
prised the count of his intention and
stated that the theme of conversation
he wished to start would be ''the vicious
tendency of society, or briefly, INBRED
sin, " and the count consented to give
his ideas ON the subject as follows:
Suppose for a moment" said he,
that six tigers had been brought in a
solid iron cage to some menagerie in
the government of Tula Go ON to sup
pose that the beasts had broken loose
and spread v the plains and forests,
attacking the inhabitants. Naturally,
if these six tigers were killed or caught
and shut up again in their cages, the
mischief would be at an end. Some peo-
pie seem to think that the case of vi
cious men is similar, in which they are
altogether mistaken. Initiated human
beings are not tigers in Tula, but wolves
wolves which regularly breed there
and have done 20 for generations, and
which it is absolutely impossible to ex-
terminate" co..
You propose, then, COUNT
ST declare that il I find that i'm my
own house fieas are breeding it would
be strange for me to try and catch these
Insects one by one. A much simpler
way is to clean out all the dust and
dirt from the house, and the f1eas will
disappear Of themselves.
"And what have you to say, count,
Of the rapid development of the vicious
tendency which is to be observed now
even in the most cultivated society?''
''It is due to the absence of good sense
and of love. I consider the cultured so
ciety OF today. as you call it, as some
thing abnormal. Common sense has lost
its footing there, and, as for love, it is
conspicuous by its absence. 1t is very
sad. Inbred sin tziaya volia) leads to
grewsome consequences, especially be-
cause it is never possible to define the
form in which it is likely to manifest
itself or the victims predestined for it.
IF a dying horse in the street lashes out
in spasms, any passerby may fall under
his hoof."
""You say a dying h~orse?'"
"A dying or raging or boiling, 1t
Is all the same. I mean an abnormal
animal, just in the same condition as
an abnormal man-of vicious tenden-
cy."
And which nation do you. consider
the most abnormal at the present time
Americans, French, English, Ger
mans?''
Eat any rate, not Americans! To
their credit must be put an immense
national self love which cannot exist in
an abnormal people. I one day wrote an
article on America and the Americans,
in which / did not particularly OVERLOAD
the latter with hattery. Nevertheless /
sent the MSS. over the ocean, thinking
it would be accepted by any paper as a
gerly as my other productions. Not a
bit of it. The translator took it to IA
different editors without it getting ac-
cepted and finally it had to be sent to
eff not America, count, Them"
why, France! Can anybody consid-
er France as normal where such things
as Panama occur, where men occupy
ing high positions in society are ready
10 commit any crime for gold? Is that
D normal state? A thousand times moi"