The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-11
America, France, Germany, Japan and England are in
 Hopeless Slavery
IN EVEN WORSE CONDITION
 THAN UNFORTUNATE RUSSIA
Says Government. Are alntrIoate In. stltutlons for Committing By Vio- Iencs the Most Dreadful
 Social Crimes"

London, March 1O.--Count Tolstoi in a letter to the Times of London which will be published tomorrow morning, Will say that he regards not only the Rus sian government but all governments as intricate institutions. sanctified by tra- dltion and custom, for the purpose of committing by violence and with impu- nifty the most dreadful social crimes.
 He therefore thinks the efforts of those who wish to improve social life should be directed to the liberation of them selves from the governments whose fu- tllity in these times is becoming more and more obvious This object could only be obtained by the unique means of religiously and morally perfecting St eparate individuals. The idea is preva- lent that the evil accomplished by the present particularly coarse, cruel, stu- pid and deceitful Russian government Is due to the fact that the Russian gov einment Is not organized on the model or other existing governments which are similar institutions for the eommittal of all kinds of crimes against their peo- pe.'
 Assert Rights They Do Not Have,
 For the purpose of correcting this the people had used all means at their dis posal, imagining that an alteration Of the external forms might alter the es- sence." Such activity Count Tolstoi says, is inexpedient and unreasonable in that the people assert rights which they do not have Violent strife by 'external means on the part of an insignificant handful of men against a powerful government defending it's life, is only comical from the point of view of the impossbility of suc- cess, and piteous as regards the unfor- tunate misled individuals who perish in the unequal strife.
 '.rhe Russian government has no right to claims which do not appeal to the great mass of the people. One hundred million of the peasantry need nothing of these demands, their one desire and e1- pectation being the liberation of the land from the law of property, or common ownership of land. matters which are en- tirely ignored in liberal positions. and speeches, and only incidentally alluded to in the revolutionary socialistic pro- gramme.'
 Concerning the Representation demands, Count Tolstoi says
 Still Believe in Autocracy.
 The people in great mass still believe fin autocracy. both by reason of inertia and because they think that only through autoracy and through the Czar, can they attain this communication of land The present activity is pernicious because 1t dlstracts the people from the moral per fectioning of separate individuals. where by only can be obtained the objects to- rx,ho fub government are striving.
 One cannot participate in political ac- ton which draws the people into intrigue subterfuge, strife and spite, extending to murder. Political action not only fails to contribute to the liberation of men from the violence of governments, but on the contrary renders the people more incapable of that vigcr which only can lberate them.
 "Light-minded people judge superficial ly especially. those upset by the butchery in St Petersburg. though the chief cause of those events lay in the despotism of the government; and if the autocratic monarchial form of the Russian govern ment is replaced by a constitutional or re- publican one. than such events could not be repeated
 Cruel War In Far East.
 But the chief calamity from which the Russian people are suffering is not St. Petersburg events, but the reckless, dis graceful. cruel war instigated by d score of immoral individuals. The war which al- ready has destroyed hundreds of thous- ands of Russians. imposes an enormous tax upon labor of future generations. That which took place in St. Petersburg on January p is nothing in comparison t. what is taking place in Manchuria."
 In conclusion Count StolstoI says that fin America. France. Germany, Japan and Er gland the pernicious character of the governments is so marked that those be- longing to these nations point to events in Russia and naively imagine what is done in Russia is done only in Russia. while they enjoy complete freedom and need no improvement of their positions.
 But" he adds. they are in the most hopeless state of slavery-ihe slavery of slaves who do not understand that they are slaves and pride thenselves on their position as slaves. The fact Is that every coercive government Is in the essence n great and unnecessary evil. Therefore the aim of both the Russians and of all men should not he to replace one form of L