The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-28
DEMENS ON
De WlTTE
Continued from Page IL

cial vitality of the people. and, doubling |
the taxation. ana the revenue kept the
whole country on the verge of starVa-
tion for more than a decade. II must
be remembered that all Russian fam
ines happened just during the admins
tratiOn of Mr.. Witte of Russian state
finances. The people are undoubtedly
overburdened with taxation-while the
bureaucracy increases in numbers and
hourishes as to it's emoluments. The
famous motto of some American monop-
olies. who are sure of their power,
: charge all the traffic will BEAR is
the only platform, the only policy
which is identified with the administra-
ton of Mr.. Witte of Russian finances.
Outside of that financial platform,
which in reality is nothing but whole
sale highway robbery of a defenseless
country, Mr.. White never represented
any definite program. He is an oppor-
tunist in politics as we'll as in pol
itico-economics, an OppOrtunist pure
and simple. When beaten and hui
inflated by Germany in 1S70-1S71,
France, then friendless and penniless,
adopted opportunism as her state policy
for the time being Mr. White became
a free follower of that hopeless policy
but because it suited his versatile per-
sonality. If he concluded peace, he I'M
doubtedlv was the man mostly to blame
for the war, for he is chiefly response
BILE for the whole Manchurian adven-
ture in Far Eastern Russian policy.
He provided the money for that ad-
venture, he built the 'dream city, of
Dalny, he backed the timber enterprises
of Balashoff & Co. on the Yalu river.
The intelligent Russian people count
many debts against him on their pres
ent state ledger. Those objectionable
failures, Vicerov Alexieff and Admiral
Stark. were his creatures-he fed their
ambitions, he provided the whole clique
with means.
For twelve long years, having sue
ceeded in providing the lettering
CARBON with money, he was really a
dictator in Russian internal affairs
Should he be a Liberal at heart should
he believe that freedom was indispensa-
bic for the happiness of the Russian
people, he surely ought to have been
able to make it felt in some way, as
his influence with the whole government
was undoubtedly very large during all
that time. He never gave the slightest
sign of any inclination in that direc-
ton. On the contrary, there were many
facts, which closely identified him with
the prevailing tendencies for reaction,
for suppression Even in his own i'm
mediate encourage, among the personnel
of his own department, he preferred
force to reasoning, dictation to com
promise. The records show many en-
forced designations, many promotions
against merit, all the wiles of the pre-
vailing bureaucratic system. He never
was trusted. even by his direct assist
ants in the Ministry-he was recognized
as an opportunist, who will bow to his
superiors without any resistance what
ever There is no moral or ethical
stamina in his personality-he will go
with the first wind, will act as circum-
stances will permit or dictate.
The great Liberal party of Russia
practically all her observation-disclosures
Mr.. Witte and hate him. He can not
depend on their faithful support-his
record is against him, and they will toll
crate him only as long as they have not
the power to throw him down. On the
other hand the Conservatives have no
use for him because they feel in the
moment of danger he will forsake them
if he will think their cause is lost. The
court and military circles are dissatis
fed with Mr.. Witte because of the
peace he concluded. They think that
Japan was on the verge of bankruptcy
and that a few more months of war
would turn the scale, and victory
would StaVe off the revolution. The
only chance to remain in power Mr..
Witte has is to balance cleveriy among
all these factions, to grab at every OPP
pOrtunitv. t. Utilize various bugabOos, !
which. unfortunately, still have some
power in modern Russia.
The events of the last year proved
conclusively that the Radicals are byI
far more numerous than they We're con-
sidered to be, and that they are fairly |
well organized in most of the cities. |
While they failed in many cases to con-
troll the mob, they have the power to
start it going at will. The terrible |
losses in life and property in Odessa, |
Baku, LODI, Cronstadt and many other |
places were undoubtedly inflicted by |
the Infatuated city rabble, started by |
Radicals for legitimate political pur-
poses. from a revolutionary point of
view. but over whom they lost all con-
troll very shortly after they were
started. The whole of Russia is more
or less in a state of moral and mental
turmoil. going rapidly from one stage
to another of a great revolutionary up
heaval. The Radicals will be gaining
in numbers and influence as long as it
lasts. and. I am inclined to think, will
not be satisfied now with purely politi
cal reforms, no matter how far they
may 90. The masses of Russian Radi
,als of today are extremely Socialistic
they will require economical reforms
before they viii stop their agitation,
and there is no telling how far they
nay succeed. I do not believe that Mr..
Nitte can check them. He has nothing
o check them with; only fragments of
factions. only the elements bewildered