The San Francisco call., 1905-03-11
ALL ARE BAD
As The RUSSIAN

LONDON, March 1O.-Count Tolstoy,
In letter to the Times of London,
which will be published Tomorrow
morning, says that he regards not only
the Russian Government but all Gov
ernments, as intricate institutions
sanctified by tradition and custom for
the purpose of committing by violence
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
futility in these times is becoming
more and more obvious" This object
could only be attained by the UNIQUE
means Of religiously and morally per-
fecting separate individuals. The idea
Is prevalent that the evil accomplished
by the present particularly coarse
cruel. stupid and deceitful Russian
Government is due to the fact that
the Russian Government is not organ
lied on the model of other existing
Governments, which ARE similar in
sututlons for the committal Of all
kinds Of crimes against their peoples. 8"
For the purpose Of correcting this the
people had used all the means at their
disposal, imagining that an alteration
OF the external forms might alter the
essence" Tolstoy says:
such activity is inexpedient and unreason-
aole IN that the people assert rights which
thsy 90 not have. Violent strife by external
means on the part of an insignificant handful
OF men against a powerful Government de-
tending It's life is only comical from the point
OF view Of the possibility of success and Mite
Gus as regards the unfortunate misled indi-
Yldual who perishes in the unequal strife The
Russian Government has no light TO claims
winch DO not appeal to the great mass of the
people. One hundred millions of the peasan-
try need nothing Of these demands their one
1esiIe S ana expectation being the liberation OF
the land from the law of property or common
ownership OF land. matters which entirely
ignored IN liberal positions and speeches. and
uonary socialstic programme.
Concerning the representation de-
mands, Count Tolstoy says:
The people in great mass stiil believe in an
tocracy, both by rNason OF inertia and because
they think thai only through autocracy and
through the Czar can they attain this com,
munalization OF land. The present ACTIVITY is
pernicious, because 1t distracts the people from
the moral perfecting of separate individuals
whereby only can be obtained the objects to-
ward which those who are fighting the Gov
eTnment are striving.
In conclusion Count Tolstoy SAYS
that in America, France GERMANY.
Japan and England the pernicious
character of the Governments is so
marked that those belonging to those
nations point to events in Russia and
naively imagine what is done in Russia
is done only in Russia, while they en-
joy complete freedom and need no i'm
provement Of their positions He adds:
They are in the most hopeless state OF slav-
ery-the slavery of slaves who do not under
stand tha. they are slaves, and pride them
selves on their position as slaves The fact IA
that every eoereive government is in the es-
sence great and unnecessary evil Therefore
the aim both of the Russians and of All
men schould not be to replace one form OF
government by another. but 10 free themselves
from every form Of government and abolish II.