Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-11
COUNT TOLSTO|
ON GOVERNMENT.
Are Intricate Affairs Sanctified by
Tradition for Purpose of Commit
ting, Dreadful. Social Grimes
nuTY or PEOPLE IN PREMISES.
sh0old Llberate Themselves From It,
Whose Futllly is Becoming More
And More Obvious

tonAon. March l0.--Count Toilstoi, IN
letter to the Times of London, which
,ynl be published tomorrow morning,
,,vs that he regards not only the Rus
M, government, but all governments
40 ontrlcate institutions sanctifled by
tradition and custom for the purpose
NJ committing by violence the most
arsadful social crimes" He therefore
tbnks the efforts OF those who wish
IN improve social life should be direct
"a TO the liberation OF themselves
ofrom the governments, whose futility
IN these times IL becoming more and
more obvious
This object could only be attained
nv the unique means Of reigously and
morally perfectng separate individuals.
The idea is prevalent that the evil ac-
complished by the present particularly
coarse, cruel stupid and deCeltful Rus
san government" is due TO the fact
lbat the Russian government Is not
orFanlzed on the model OF other eX-
sting governments, which 'are similar
Institutions for the committal Of all
kinds Of crime against their peoples"
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
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 powerful
government defending It's life Is only
comica from the point OF view Of the
possibility Of success and piteous as
regards the unfortunate misled indivld-
aa who pershes in the unequal strife.
The Russian government has no right
10 claims which do not appeal to the
great mass Of the people, One hundred
millions Of the peasantry need nothing
of these demands, their one desire and
expectation being the liberation Of the
land from the law Of property, or com-
mon ownership Of land, matters which
are entirely ignored IN liberal discus
sons and speeches and only incident
ally alluded to In the revolutionary
socalstlc program"
Concerning the representation de-
nands Count Tolsto says. "rhe people
m great mass stll believe in autocracy
both by reason Of inertia and because
they think that only through autocracy
and through the ear can they attain
ths communication of land The
present activity is pernicious because
Il dstracts the people from the moral
pgiectng Of separate individuals,
Whereby only can be obtained the OBJ
Iecls toward which those who are fight
Dg The government are striving,
'one'rmnot participate in political
action which draws the people into IN
tFIgue, subterfuge, strife and spite, ex-
tending to murder Political action
not only fails to contribute to the lib
eratlon Of men from the violence of
government but ON the contrary,
renders the people more incapable OF
mat vlgor which only can liberate
them,
Llght-mlnded people, Judging super
lcIalIy, especially those upset by the
buichery In ST. Petersburg, thought the
chief cause Of those events lay In the
oePotlsm Of the government; and that
j. the autocratiC monarchical form OF
lhe Russian government were replaced
ny "a constitutional or republican one
lhen such events could not be repeated.
but the chief calamity from which
me Russian people are suffering is not
me ST. Petersburg events, b. the
reckless, disgraceful. cruel war insti-
ks'ed by score Of immoral individuals.
me war which has already destroyed
hundreds Of thousands OF Russians, i'm
POSES an enormous tax upon the labor
OF Iuture generations. That which
TOOK place In st. Petersburg on Jan. %
Is nothing IN comparison TO what is
'aNhg place TN Manchuria."
IN conclusion, Count Tolstoi says that
VI America, France, Germany, Japan
ana England the pernicious character
81 lhe governments Is so marked that
nose belonging to those nations point
10 events IN Russia and naively imagine
Wnal ls done In Russia Is done only I'm
russia, while they enjoy complete free
aou ana need no Improvement Of their
But he adds, they are In the
most hopeless state Of slayery-the
slavery OF slaves who do not understand
ulat 'hey are slaves, aud pride them
seyes on their position as slaves, The
'ac' Is mat every coerclve government