Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-07-01
BY w. 7. Stead.
Famous English Economist and Ed
itor.

BY w. U. otcdu.
Famous English Economist and Ed
itor.
What would / do II I were czar?
When you ask me that question, l
feel profoundly gratful that | am not
the car. But I admit that the ques-
ton is one that ought to be asked OF
every one who ventures to express all
opinion upon the situation in Rus
sia.
1t is easy to dogmatise about what
the czar ought to do, especially as
most of the dogmatists confne them
selves to asserting that he ought to
cut and run from the post which has
been entrusted to his keeping. The
question is not what the car ought
to do, If he were as irresponsible as
an American newspaper editor, but
what would l do-which heaven for
bid-he changed places tonight with
me?
81 would not wish my worst enemy
to have the burden which l have to
bear" said the car to me, at Gar
koe Selo, in the piping times of peace
eve long years ago.
How much more unsupportable is
the burden today! But were it ten
times as heavy he cannot lay it down.
He must stagger on under it as best
he can until death. Desertion of his
post treachery to his trust, repudia-
ton of his coronation oath-these
things at least, need not be dis
cussed. For however weak Nicholas
ii may be in other respects, he Is as
immovable as a rock when he is quite
certain he is obeying the imperious
call of a plain duty.
What, then, would I do, If I found
myself in the cars skin, face to face
with the present pe.!!cds position
within and without the Russian from
tier? Abdication would mean deser-
ton; from such a towards crime no
good could arise. If the Eternal
providence that placed me on the
throne wished me to vacate 1t, vacat-
ed 1t will be; but abdication for an
emperor is what suicide is to the in
dividual, the voluntary abandonment
of a position of responsibility thrust
upon us without our consent by the
will of the higher powers.
If | were car | think l should re-
gard it as my first duty, not to de-
prive myself of the authority with
which l was invested on my corona
ton, but to render 1t possible for me
i~ntelligently aud usefully to exercise
it.
At present I am omnipotence with
out omniscence. | am an %autocrat
whose eyes see no further than a
monijik's and whose ears are no
keener than those of an isvostchik.
If by the will of God l am called
to be the gray matter of the brain
of Russia, then In Gods name, give
me eyes and ears which will see and
hear all that goes on in the remotest
provinces of my empire!
This being interpreted into the
plain, practical speech or early poll
tics, e that l would bring into ex-
istence as speedily as the wisdom OF
my ablest and most energetic advis.
ers could desire, a modernized equiva'
lent of the ancient zemski sobori, or
national consullaure assemblies, where
by in times of national peril Russia
has repeatedly found safety.
The zemsh sober would not be a
parliament; it would be an assem-
blage OF the ablest, most public spir'
tied Russians discernible to me and
my counselors, to whom should be
added in equal numbers the chosen
representatives Of the zemstvos, the
municipalities and the peasants.
With them | would take counsel,
from them | should receive informa.
tion, to them | would remit for con.
sideration and discussion the su
preme questions OF peace and war,