The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-19

trial, he composed a lengthy statement
which he intended to present to the
judges as a justification OF his act His
lawyer at the time informed the ASSO-
ciated Press that the document alone
proved Sasoneff was not only a man of
superior intellect, but a deep thinker.
Owing to the limited time allowed at
the trial, Sasoneff was unable to read
the document to the judges, being
Obliged to content himself with a brief
oral statement. The document which.
however, was made part of the record
in the case, has now fallen into the
hands of the Associated Press, and
aside from its remarkable character
proves especially interesting at this
time as it sets forth the views and
aims of the Fighting Organization of
the social revolutionary party which
has just brought about the death Of
the Grand Duke Sergius. 1t shows
clearly that acts of terror committed
by the Fighting Organization are in
the execution of sentences passed upon
officials and others held responsible for
fighting with cruel repression the
peaceful propaganda of the larger par
~. The acts for which Won Plehve was
condemned are given in detail. But per
haps the most interesting portion of the
statement is the pathetic personal bioS-
raphy Of Sasoneff and the analysis of
the mental process by which he gradu-
ally grew interested in political actions,
later being driven by sufferinEs in eX-
ile into the ranks of the terrOristS by
whom he was chosen to kill Won PIehve.
Answers the Charges.
Sasonef's statement follows:
4 am accused of playing an active
role in the fighting section of the social
democrats, which it is said has as its
aim to overthrow the present form of
government and the established laws
tons Of Russia
4 am accused of using explosives for
numbering officials of the state; and
I am accused Of having killed the
minister of interior, PIehve. to attain
the ends of the social democrats.
ITO these accusations can answer:
Yes. L was a. member of the social
revOlutioniSts, and had the honor of
being d member of the fighting section
of the social democrats, and by the
latter's orders killed PlehVe. l do not
consider either the society or myself
guilty OF the intentions of which we are
accused, viz, TO by force attempt the
overthrow OF the existing form of gov
eminent and the social conditions of
the country. The society has no such
large aims as to overthrow the form
of autocratic government in Russia.
First of all I must state that one
cannot say that the fighting section is
a secret society in the usual sense of
the word. The fighting organization
is not a separate body, but only a part
OF the big party of social revolution
lists. and the fighting organization fol-
lows out strictly the orders of the larg-
er society Therefore, it is not posi-
BILE TO talk about the fighting Organiza-
ton alone. but one must also include
the party of social reyOlutiOnists.
Violence for Violence.
Il cannot say that ii is by means
OF the activity of the fighting Organiza-
ton that the social TevOlutiOnists wish
70 do away with the autoCTatiC form of
government, or even the present social
conditions of Russia. nor is it by means
of terrOriStic acts that they intend to
gain their ends, but there is one thing
which the party meets by terrOriStic
acts carried out by members of the
fighting organization and that is TO
answer by armed attack those acts of
the government where the lives and
honor of Russian citizens are not
spared, not to speak of the life and
honor of the Russian revolutiOnists.
We are not a party of force. Our
party Is in principle against all forms
Of force and attaining their aims by
force The ideals of the party, as are
also the means by which they agitate
for their ideals, are all of peaceful
character. How much the ideals of the
social TevOlutiOniStS are peaceful is
SHOW II from the ldCL llldi the govern
ment laws do not forbid the entry into
the country of many books of social
istiC nature. 1t is not we who agitate
amongst the various classes Of society.
The agitation arises without our help.
IT is not we who made the classes and
they are not one whole and with one
interest. As many as there are in So
ciety different groups of inhabitants
with different means of existence. so
many are there different interests
which are in no way mutual.
Two Great Classes.
"The peasants and worImen have one
interest, the labor employers and land
owners have others. We social demo-
Gratis support the interests of the work
ing classes. 1t is our task to try to
learn the needs Of the people, and also
10 learn how they can be fulfilled. We
socialists find that in society there
ought not to exist any exploitation on
one part Of the population by the other,
and that all the means OF production,
such as workshops, factories and the
land, ought not TO belong TO individuals,
but TO society at large and should al
ways be under the control and man
agement of the people. Such is our
final ideal which means peace on the
face of the earth and for the peoples
thereof All the rest Of our tasks are in
strict accordance with this ideal 1t is
our leading star
"OuT present task we consider to be
20 arrange that the exploitation of the
wOrl0men by the employers and the in
habitants in general by the state should
be as small as possible. We come to
the people with our peace ideals and
present them in such a manner that
they can see their best interests, and
teach them to find for themselves the
best means OF fighting for those ideals.
Without us there were strikes accom-
panied by the breaking of machines
and also without us there existed dis
orders during which landlords were
killed We try as much as possible to
keep the Workmen and peasants from
using force, and to teach them to fight
for their ideals in a peaceful way. The
trouble does not come from what we
teach the people, but from the fact that
they are in totally different position
before the law TO the land owners and
labor employers The exploitation is
protected by the law, and the fighting
against exploitation is TO fight against
the laws We socialists do not insist
on the people taking our views. We
only want 10 tell them the truth. The
means by which we agitate are of a
peaceful character. We express our
views by means Of the press and by
means of speech. We hate and despise
all kinds of violence. We Nire certain