Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-13

mating in Paris, spread all over Ger many-was attracted by the tumult of a multitude of his subjects who had surged into his palace square. What do these people want?" asked the duke of one of his ministers who happened to be in at- tendance. They want constitution, your highness." "Oh. botheration," re- piled the duke; give them two, if they like"
 But Nicholas was not wise enough to initiate the policy of the serpent. and the result was that the snow-carpeted streets of his capital began to be exten- sively crimsoned with the blood of his subjects. whose only arms were their own desperatism and stubbornness.
 The March revolution, say, through out Germany was comparatively blood less one; yet 1t would have been far otherwise had the several rulers in the Fatherland decided to resist the de- mands of their subjects. But there was no concerted action between them, and the military power of the nation was still in it's infancy. On the other hand, the people had the means of obtaining or manufacturing arms. without which no successful revolution is possible; while their powers of cooperation and organization were also great in a coun- try so comparatively compact as Ger many. They could command most of Mir. GladstOne's resources of civiliza- tion" to combat their oppressors; but how many of these resources are at the disposal of the poor, downtrodden. des- perate Russians?
 Even in Paris the storming of the bas- tile and all its momentous consequences would have been impossible had Louis XVI. been served by such a crushing force of obedient soldiers as are now at the disposal of Nicholas II. and his uncle Vladimir. Militarism is at once the in- strument of foreign conquest and of do- nestle coercion. As long as the Russian people continue to be policed by the Rus sian army, their chances of rising suc- cessfully against their autocratic rulers are but small. Town after town" says the editor of Free Russia, will rise. un- til the troops become demoralized and fraternize with the people," but hith- erto there have been few signs of this fraternization. Against it is the great est virtue of the Russian soldier-fis blind obedience to his superiors. as we'll as his strong religious feeling. amount ing to superstition. which makes him shrink from violating his oath to his Little Father" no less than to his Father in Heaven.
 And then. as for the successive rising of separate towns. what would that avail if there were troops enough on the spot -as there always are at the great urban centers-to extinguish these revolts in blood? Isolated risings of this kind can be of no good unless there is cooperation between them: and the long distances in Russia are against this. The very vast ness of his half-civilized dominions is more thon half the battle.
 Without arms and organism this Rus bioh pcopiC. it6Htis SuueBIHS tO pc free" may enjoy our sympathy. but not our hopes as long as their soldiers remain true to their solemn oats and the principle once propounded by the pres ent kaiser in swearing in some recruits: "In view of the present socialist troubles if may come to this-that command you to shoot down your own relatives. brothers. and even parents in the streets. which Cod forbid: but then you must obey my orders without a murmur- If tl1ss be the fundamental maxim of miIi- tar;sm in Germany. what must it be in Russia! Quo vadis2 A very long way yet, it is to be feared-a path devious. disastrous and bloodstained-before the Russian people can fulfil their destiny of becoming as great as they are free.
 CHARLES LOWE