The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-04-21
WHITE is RUSSIA'S HOPE
THEORIES OF THE FINANCIAL
MINISTER WHO DoMI-
MATES THE GAR.

Know His Own Mind.
In the confusion surrounding tho
struggle for control in Russia looms
up the figure of Sergei Witte. His
temperance again illustrates the old
truth that a subordinate who knows
what he wants can dominate his mas
ter who knows not his own mind.
Probably the only point on which
Nicholas II. and all his relatives agree
is that they dislike Wittc intensely.
He has no manners, they say, which is
an unfortunate thing at a court.
HIS successful antagonist, Plehve,
was a very presentable figure of a
man. He combined bluffness and de-
ference in way that placed him high
In favor of the Cars mother, and he
had the lawyers readiness in speech.
The saturnine, plain featured financier
is wanting in all these ways, and so
little else seemed to recommend him
In the last two years that the official
caste, who develop to fine point the
art of knowing just when to desert
ltely done with-a fallen star
Yet he is without question an hon
est man. He has had absolute mastery
OF more millions than any financial
minister in the world-absolutely be-
cause no rival had the ability to main
tain a successful criticism of his 'sys-
Cen, and he lives in modest sized
White stone house on the unfashion-
l5le side of the Neva, a house that
y1uld be dwarfed among the palaces
~ the fifth avenue financiers.
He never tried to fill his private
account when all the taxation of Rus
STA was under his hands. In White
the ruling passion was finance for the
sake of finance.
1t was the fascination and delight
of proving himself a master in the
game that absorbs the sharpest and
strongest brains in the world. AS for
the winnings, he had no eagerness to
turn the counters into cash. 1t was
enough that he had proved he could
win.
And what is the system of this man
who knows what he wants?
1t is the practical all round appli-
cation of the ideas of the average Ger
man transcedental philosopher who
writes about the state with big s.
In his library, far away from the noise
of workaday mankind asserting all its
individual ambitions, the German
f~o 90 IN hn
works out his system of the states
relations to the individual He finds it
best to eliminate the disturbing ener-
sAes of the individual altogether-it
makes the solution of the problem so
Dhilsophically satisfying to absorb him
snto the state.
And this is the policy of Witte-
State ownership all along the line.
in his term as minister of Finance he
strove for the state ownership of all
the gold in the country. The individ-
ual capitalist had to go down before
him So thoroughly did he rake in
the gold to the imperial treasury that
he made the war with Japan, of
which he disapproved, financially pos
sible. To control the gold supply of
Russia was a condition precedent to
acquiring the industries of Russia.
A striking sequel to the application
of state ownership under White is the
government monopoly in the produc-
ton of alcohol. Previously there
were competing distilleries, which put
their various brands of vodka on the
market Just as different WHISTLES are
traded in abroad. Some were dear
and pure, some were cheap and adul
terated. Now there is a standard
price and a standard vodka.
The government decides the stand
ard purity, which-bad spirits being
cheaper than goods not high; but
there is q big revenue in it. The rev.
Gnue increases according to the con
aumption, which compels the ta1
1atherers to urge the peasants tt
spend their few kopeks on vodka
sney thereby contribute more to the
state than if they bought clothes Of
spades.
They have been SO universally anC
easily persuaded to drink vodka OF
every occasion as patriotic proceed
ing that when they are summoned on
as reservists for the war they hold |
an outrage that the vodka shops ar
closed. So long as it is their owl
earnings they are to spend the none.
NAV go for vodka and so return t.
the government money box; but whel
it is government pay it is otherwise
especially as vodka is not conduciv
tn soldiers walking straight.
This is the application OF Witte'
state ownership with which the pee
nile at large are most familiar. Fror
balancing advantage is that all thi
It they judge Whites policy.
He has completed the state owner
-. e tba railroads and advocate