The evening times., 1900-04-13
Tolstoy i'm Chicago.

fore long, and he intends 10 invite loI-
stoy to pay visit to Chicago. and give a
/ course of lectures at Chicago University.
There is a certain incongruity in the
thought of Tolstoy in Chicago. The great
Russian reformer. in his peasant tunic,
peacefully cobbling shoes on his planta-
tion. seems as odd contrast TO the bust
ling. pushing life of the Windy City as
Pan in Wall Street He believes in the
New Testament. absolutely, implicitly, and
literally He breaches the doctrine that
men should not resist evil. In Chicago,
if the stranger does not look out. he viii
be knocked down and robbed, or cheated
out of his boots-at least. that is what
certain innocent rural citizens who have
been there will state. The business Of
big city is not done according TO the rules
laid down in the New Testament. and II
the Russian novelist wishes TO do mis-
sionary work he can find field almost
anywhere outside OF his own much-cen-
sored country He can preach 10 New
York San Francisco. Chicago, Washing
ton. or any town in England. France OF
Germany. to say nothing of other conti-
nents and the islands of the sea, and draw
his Illustrations and horrible warnings
from real life.
In Russia. when he wants to write a seF-
mon or dissertation on ethics. he some
times has to put it in the form Of
story. to escape the blue pencils of The
Government The story of Ivan the Fool
was originally written in the form OF an
4 III.
eviscerated it 50 that nobody in the world
could have told what it meant Then the
author took il and made the idea into fc-
tion. and the tale is circulated all over
Russia He Nn have no such difficulties
in this country. Ouce let it be known that
he is here. and he will be assailed by
armies of reporters all anxious 10 obtain
his opinions on socialism the single tax.
the Republican platform. modern litera-
ture. the theory ot evolution. dress -eform.
and American civilization He Will ind
pictures of himself in every paper he hap
pens TO pick up and he may put in his
Sundays reading all the interviews which
he gave 70 the yellow journals. including
numerous things which be never said lie
will fine himself character sketched by
eminent noyelists and done into German
dialect by Mr. Dinkelspiel He will not be
hlue-penciled a. all.
But what about his lectures al Chicago
University There seems 10 be d shadoWy
dubiousness in The situation there, II Viii
be RENE embered that this is The university
founded and to some extent still support
ed by Nj Rockefeller-the pet preserve
OF the Standard Oil Trust Tolstoy be
ieves shat labor Is honorable, So does
Mr.. Rockefeller The thing which the
Russian Socialist viii be directed 10 DO
is to arise and expatiate on the dignity OF
work. ana the necessity for men 10 work
hard pay their debts and buy as much
as possible of the goods which the trusts
have to sell communistically dividing
these necessaries with their poorer neigh
bors. 20 thar they may not become wicked
capitalists Money is the root of all evil
and work is the great reforming agency
of the world: these things 5he Count can
safely teach
But suupo-e he took il into ri- head
lecture on another text Sappose he BE-
gan to tell about his pc .uliar theory of he
dut, OF capitalist There j. s,o1y
about Young man who was ADVISED 10 su,i
all his goods aud give to the poor ad' ice
which Tolstoy himself has almost literally
followed He might read that story % The
students and preach about il. or aXpound
some of bi- ideas OF the proper government
Of a truly Christian and civilized society
which would not include trusts. Ana i, lie
did. The chances are that MIR Rockefeller
would appear like al avengiDg ghost in
that Iecture-rc and sternly o"ief r esi-
dent Harper 10 nave the lecture course
discontinued as injurious 10 the minds of
the young and uusaited 10 The practical
conditions Of life in d Republi, Shich Is
by the arrangement OF Provi ieDce. gov 4
erned largely by trusts. Then count Toll !
stoy would GO home 10 Russia convinced !
that we nave censurs aud czars ani bu- 1
methods OF govern neut in this |
nominally free country. after all: aud one
of these DAYS he would write a novel about 1
American life. with some local color - It
drawn from his personal experience.
The announcement that Lord Methuen.
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