Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-11-15
RuSsaA's CONDITION.

The bondage q, the South African
negro by his master was In years gone
by, freedom In comparison with the
positive seryility demanded and the
royal espionage held even upon the
secret thought OF personal intention
of thu Russian by the autocracy OF
that nation. Freedom as we hold II
and flaant II 10 the breeez; freedom
as We lie II, breathe it's known n {.
where e,se under the blue canopy OF
the heavens. but the countries nearer
10 Russia than we are, are free In
comparis; and their Joy at Russia's
releare Il ~unbounded. Ration Range.
II Is easy 10 go into ecstacies on the
subject ~ freedom, eve 10 the extent
OF mixing up metaphors In a manner
az reckless as has BEEN done by the
Rarge in the article quoted above,
The greatest crimes In the history
Of nations have been committed In
the name OF liberty and freedom. The
people Of this country are only begin
ming 10 make a success OF the kind OF
freedom that according to the Range
we breath and at the same time flaunt
to the breeze. that we live and hold
and do sundry other surprising things
with. Yes. we have done a good deal
OF Haunting Of our freedom. regard
less Of the fact that In far away New
Zealand. in Australia. In Switzerland
are people who are freer than we.
Americans are waking up 10 the
painful fact that we are far from
reaching the high ideals Of freedom
that our forefathers set. The craze
for wealth has come near tn making
~shipwreck OF our high theories, Dis
honesty has crept into public and pri
vate life, graft has dominated our pol
itics, senators have bought their way
into the highest tribunal OF the land,
ring rule has taken the place Of gov
eminent OF the people, party caucuses
have defeated the will Of ma1orities.
But the people show a new sign Of
waking TO the fact that common hon
esty must be the underlying principle
Of republican government. The people
must be intelligent enough and wise
enough and honest enough TO act in
dividually and Independently. There
Is no reason for encouragement In
this country. We are passing the
crisis and the plain people are giving
evidence that they will yet vindicate
the wisdom Of the founders Of this
government.
But II we have so nearly failed,
what can be expected Of the barbarous.
blood thirsty masses Of Russia, who
have been welded into a powerful ma
ton only because Of the a%n'ocratic
oftentimes cruel. but nevertheless eli
fective regime Of ths despotic Rom.
anoffs?
Every one who has taken the trouble
to make a study Of Russian history
knows that only through an iron hand.
ed. despotic government could the mil
lions OF Russia ever have been brought
10 the present standard. Every student
OF history knows that at ONE stage
In their development the despotic rule
or the central power was essential IN
all nations, The Tudors were necessary
TO England. and the Charlemagnes
and Charles rs and the Peter the
Greats were necessary TO the develop
ment Of their peoples.
Russia has perhaps. reached the
stage when II can dispense with des
potism. hut II can afford to give no
very full measure Of government BY
the people. Given a full measure OF
freedom aud the eaDed .imRoraI
.savase millions. Of uAkHides e1alrt
would destroy each other al
they arp Destroying Ne jews
the p.opIe Of t6e 4 liode MOST III fc'
self-soveramentaAM V&tAiutlux q
the degraded masses Of Russia and
Hungary and othsN GYaSpasn nations
purchasable. dishonest law-defyins
that has made our own problem o
self-government 10 difficult.
Russia's hope OF the future Is nov
through constitutional government
hut there Il not an eminent authority
on international affairs who does not
say that unless the power OF tbs
people be greatly curtai,ed by a strong
centralized government In which ths
supreme law making power shall rest
Russia will within a year be divided
into a group Of fa%natical. waring states
that will horrify the world with theil
bloody deeds.
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