The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-22
MAY EXILE TOLSTOI.
The Young Gear Angry at the Great
Reformer

the Imperial government proposes u
Danish Count Leo Tolstoi shortly, prob
ably as a Christmas present to the
famous Russian. For months past the
minister of the interior has been col
lecting evidence against the novelist,
and it is believed that enough material
is at hand to condemn him according
to the Russian idea of justice.
Within the past year Tolstoi has been
particularly aggressive in his task OF
educating the Russian peasantry to his
unconventional ways of thinking. The
holy synod, body of immense import
ance in Russia, has been stirred to
deep wrath against the reformer be-
cause of his bitter criticisms. The
Russian army is against him because
of his intolerance of militarism, as 1t
exists in Russia, and royalty is more
than displeased because of his recent
condemnation Of the despotism of the
Russian system.
Tolstoi's resources in Russia are vast
the veneration of the common people
fer him is deep. but these can make
but feeble resistance when arrayed
against that trinity of powers-the
church. royalty and the military. 1t is
officially claimed that he has become
menace to the state by arraying class
against class. 1t only needs subStan
tiation of this claim to make him an
exile for life. It is not believed that
the government would have the temer-
ity TO Danish him to Siberia and kill
him by inches with hundreds of other
political prisoners That would raise
hue and cry all over the world. More
likely he would be banished from the
country, and would spend the remain
ing years of his life in Paris or Lon
don, both of which cities have great
colonies of exiled Russians.
THE YOUNG CARS DETERMINE
TON.
Tolstois threatened Punishment is
fresh example OF the determination OF
the young car to manage the affairs
of the Russian empire as he Dleases-
He is his own prime minister and his
own councillor of state. His father
tolerated Tolstoi, and his grandfather
not only tolerated but respected him,
and in their reigns the internal condi-
ton of Russia was much more danger
Gus to royalty than it is today In fact,
both of these sovereigns would have
regarded it as a loss if Tolstoi had
ceased his activity for the reform of
the nation.
Although an enemy to the govern
ment. Tolstoi was and is one of the
strongest bulwarks against Nihilism,
as his doctrine of non-resistance by
violence to evil has deferred hundreds
and thousands from joining the ranks
of the dynamiters and governmental
reformers of that ilk.
Pamphlets explaining his views on
this subject have been sent into nearly
every home in Russia, and their in
fiuence upon the minds of the .,1aders
has been great. In these he cNlimed
that the doctrine of non-resistance to
evil was in accordance with the teach
ings of Christ. He declared that vio-
lence as a means of redressing wrongs
is not only futile. but an aggravation
of the original evil. since ii is the ma
ture of violence TO multiply and re-
produce itself in all directions.
THE FUTILITY OF VIOLENCE.
In one of these pamphlets he said:
1.-The revolutionists whom you see in
Siberia undertook to resist evil by vio-
lence. and what has been the RESULT
Bitterness and misery, and hatred and
bloodshed. The evils against which
they took arms still exist, and to them
has been added mass of previously
sa-existent human suffering. 1t is
not in that way that the kingdom of
God is to be realized on earth"
Tolstois life has been equally d.
vided between -condemning the govern
ment and preaching the futility of VIC
lorce to reformers of more active
kind. He believes in combining resist
ance to the evils under which the peo-
pie of Russia live. to persuasion. pro-
test and argument. In the end he
hopes these will win.
Tolstoi will be SO years old on Aug. % I
next. and today he is as hale and
strong as man of so. He has a home
IN Moscow, but the greater part of his |
time is spent on his estate, Yasnaga |
Is miles from the city of Tul4 !
It was on this estate that he was born, |
and it is here that the picturesque side |
0f this forceful personality is most !
clearly brought. Here he labors with |
the peasants in the fields in the day |
and then does shoemaking at night
HIS PLAIN BRICK HOUSE.
The estate of Yasnaya Polyana is /
worth tU0. 600 rubles. but he lives like /
1 man who does not own six rubles. No /
line palace adorns his estate. Instead, |
hidden among the woods. with not a I
sign of ornamentation. is a terribly /
plain two-Story brick house. The main
entrance is considerably to one side of /
he center. giving the house a one
sided look. This main entrance does
not deserve. such a dignified title.
otfdISelS. III making tneir IrSt Visit 10 |
rolstoi, invariably take it for the
Kitchen door and go around to the
Jack of the house. only to find a still
ess Dretentious entrance place.
The interior cf the house is consist
mt with the exterior. Plainness almost
o the point of discomfort marks every
DOM. Chairs are few. and they are
II the simplest There are some pic
ures. but these are simply portraits of
nen whom the great reformer adnnires.
iany of the floors are guiltlsss of rugs
II carpets, and the tables are of plain
) hite wood.
Tolstoi's dress in the country is al
Ways the same 1t consists of heavy
shoes. loose. shapeless trous-
rs of coarse homespun linen. i white
otton undershirt without collar or
'ecktie, an old SLOUGH hat, a coarse
ray blouse or tunic. belted around the
waist with thick heavy strap.
HIS BEDROOM AND STUDY.
His own room contains an iron bed.
washstand and table. Here he
rrote Anna Karenina." THE Death
f Ivan Hitch ''Katia,'' THE Cos
acks, Peace and War;" THE
>reutzer' Sonata" "CnifdhOOd." "My|l