The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-16
Sergius Witte.

'NiSiuS VAtNVs
The appointment of NJ. WITTE in the
place of NJ. MURAvIEFF as Russia 8
chief representative in the international
negotiations which are about to take place
at Portsmouth will be generally accepted
as an assurance that the Gear is sincerely
DESTROYS of peace. On the one hand,
there is reason to believe that the Presi-
dent of the Committee of Ministers
would not have accepted the office
unless the powers delegated to him
were truly plenary while on the other
hand no Russian statesman is so we'll
qualified by native ability and by his
previous considerate attitude toward
the Toxic Government to obtain for
his country the most favorable terms
compatible with the vital interests of
| Japan. That success may attend him
in his present role and thus assure his
! restoration to the helm of State must
be the fervent wish of those patriots
who would fain see Russia attain liberty,
prosperity and enlightenment without
being forced, like France, topass through
bloody revolution. Hitherto the ex-
perience of Nj. WITTE has been Gu
riously analogous to that Of TURGoT;
but fate has been kinder to the Russian
reformer than to his French counter
part, for to the former it has given
second opportunity to save the mon
archy
| The charge has been made against
SERGIUs WITTE, as it was made against
| TURGoT, that he is Of alien origin, and
it is unquestionably true that the former
is Of Dutch, as the latter was of Scottish,
descent. Born in lS49, the son Of
tradesman at Tihis, WITTE began life
pretty near the bottom OF the ladder
as small railroad clerk, who sometimes
performed the functions of a porter.
By sheer merit he mounted the rungs
of the ladder, until great occasion
came in the last war with Turkey when
railway congestion threatened to para
lyze the Russian army before Plevna.
To the man who, under the eye of ALEX
AMBER H., had brought order out of
chaos promotion came swiftly until, as
Minister Of Ways and Communications,
IlO WdS dDlC W lltloduIS Il IlROIOuS
system into the Russian railways and
to transform them from channels of
expenditure into channels of revenue.
Having earned the distinction of being
not only Russia's chief railroad man,
but one of the worlds great captains
of the railroad industry, he was trans
ferred over the heads Of theoretical
fnanciers to the post Of Minister of
Finance, which in his hands presently
became, as it ought to be, the main
spring of the Government. The aim
to which his aspirations, energies and
practical experience were thenceforth
devoted was to make Russia, which
from many points of view was still
medieval, if not Oriental, truly modern
commonwealth, commercially and indus
trially; absolutely self-supporting, and
posses sed of fiscal resources common
surate with her vast popsis4Ah- and
natural capabilities.
From the beginning to the end of his
memorable career in the Ministry of
Finance WITTE showed himself pessi-
mist as to existing conditions and an
optimist as to possibilities. Like TURGoT,
he proved himself much more than
financier--a practical political econo-
mist. A list of his fiscal and admins
trative achievements would require
many a paragraph; they will be found
recorded at length in the most interest
ing chapter of Senator BEvERIDGE's
book on THE Russian Advance" While
he made himself the special champion
of Russian manufacturing interests, in
order that he might provide a field for
the surplus activities of the peasantry,
he discouraged rash enterprise and held
back investors from building great
plants without due attention to environ
ing and prospective conditions. He
caused the adoption of the gold standard
by the Russian Government, and thus
assured to the national currency the
stability without which an expansion
of industry and commerce would have
been artificial and dangerous. He ulti-
mately made the Government the owner
and operator Of the greater part of all
the railways in European Russia and
caused them to become, as we have
said, a source of income. He was the |
creator of the Siberian Railway. He |
prevailed upon the State to assume
a monopoly Of the manufacture and
sale of vodka, the Russian whisky,
whereby, although the profits are enor-
nous, the quality of the commodity
has been signally improved and the
national vice Of drunkenness materially
checked by restrictions as to the quantity
sold and place of consumption. Could
NJ. WrTrE have had his way the State
would also have undertaken to ponop-
olize tho importanan and sale Of tea. |