The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-07-29

gressor. that she is trying to annex
Korea and that war was actually De
gun by her The facts are that Russia
had made no preparation for war
while japan desired 1t and has been
preparing for 1t for more than hNe
years. In the midst Of the negotiations
during which Russia conceded point
after point and yielded every demand
concerning Korea. Japan broke OFF ana
began war In the fear that Russi,
would cOncede all her demands ana
thus remove the cause for war.
Great stress Is always laid upon Rus
sias failure to keep her promise TO
Ievacuate Manchuria. The fact IS that
Russia never made an unconditional
promise to evacuate Manchura, but in
most of the discussions" these con-
ditions are always carefully overlooked.
How came Russia in Manchuria and
what are her rights and interests there
In the April number of the Review of
Reviews. Prof. G.. Frederick Wright has
an interesting and dispassionate article
on "Russia's Civlizing Work in Asia"
which should be read by every fair
minded person before he proceeds 10
| condemn Russia and everything Rus
sian to the japanese pe"dition. Prot.
Wright points out that the Russians
were the pioneers In Siberia ana Asia,
as the English and French were tn"
pioneers In America, and as in Amer
lea the highest civilization has fol-
lowed in their wake. That beginning
ns early AS the 18th century her post
roads In Siberia We're models, ana FOR
one hundred and fifty years she has
had the cheapest postage in the world
That in Siberia she has established
universities. Libraries, and museums
which the best IN Europe might coHet
That Ilkutz. 1000 miles east of st.
| Petersburg. Il city OF 10000 Inhabitants.
has n large museum. an elegant opera
| house. and public library and reading
room containing books and magazines
all the leading languages of Europe,
/ That TOnisk has three universities, two
libraries and n publishing house. That,
beginning in 1888 under the direction
of the government. scientific eNplora-
! tons and surveys In natural history
! geology and climato'OEy have been con-
Quoted throughout Siberia. accompany
| ing the building of the railroad, and the
results published by the government in
| finely Illustrated volumes.
In short he shows that the Russian
advance through Siberia is the old
story of the march Of civilization repeat
ing in Asia what is so familiar to Amer
leans in the West On the border of
the Russian settlements. established
two hundred years ago, which have
never cncrcached upon Chinese terri
tory, is Manchur!a. surrounded on three
| },
nominally to China but over which
China has never been able to exercise
control. How long would England. o.
even this country have waited before
finding an excuse for anneXng it? But
as the professor points out. Russia
made no attempt to enter by force or
intimidation. With the knowledge and
tacit approval of the European govern
ments and Japan, in time of profound
peace, by open treaty with China, she
built the railway through Manchuria
paying good prices for every concession
respecting at enormous expense to her
self the Chinese g-aveyards. spending
ESQ million dollars in building the roaG
: and other institutions of civilization
policing the country. establishing order
Transforming it from a wilderness In
tested by robber bands into prosper
GUS and peaceful country.
After the boxer war, Russia promised
to withdraw her troops upon condition
, that her rights and property were pro
tected. Who will say that these con
ditions We're not reasonable? Would
we have evacuated Cuba on any othe
l conditions? Ask England to get out o
Egypt and what would be her answer
On the date fixed for the evacuation
China was powerless to enforce orde
! or protect property. Japan armed t
" the teeth and backed up by England
, stood at the door, ready to step in, an
a Russia refused to CO. Prof. Wrgh
! concludes, Russia is in Manchuria i
e almost the same way that England is j
I Egypt" In the light of this informa
ton from such a reliable source. hoy
: foolish is the popular talk about Rus
> sias grab of Manchuria.
7 We hear much of Russian despotisn
y and 1t is true that the Russian centrf
e government is despotic in form. BIZ
= she has been fortunate in having &c
!, fifty years the most enlightened an
II progressive rulers in Europe. TIL
le may seem an extreme statement, b,
l. investigation will bear it out. w
y revere Lincoln as the great Emanc
T. pator. but Russia has her Alexander
lc the grandfather of the present empero
who, In 1851 under no pressure from
,e military necessity, liberated twent
&c million serfs. paid their owners #
t. them and provided them with land
70 houses and tools. The highest tax
III tax ridden Russia" Is for the paymel
Us OF these lands His successor, Alexai
5, der Ill, was n worthy son of such
~ father and carried on the work of r.
I'd generation to the day Of his death, al
, the character of Nicholas III. is be
le shown by his establishment OF Il
he Hague Peace Tribunal. In most
he the functions of government, Russ
IN has. in the Community or Mir, t
er most democratic institutions in Eurol