The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-09
STAY WAS BRIEF.
Editor Morgan Had Nc Desire to
Linger in Russia.
Would Prefer Residence in In
fernO to st. Petersburg.
TOO MUCH sROYALTY."
Learns That the Car Really
Wants to Better the Nation.
Listens to Advice of AutOcracy
and Not the People.
TOO MUCH ssROYALTY. 2
St. Petersburg. July 20. 1905.

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had so much to say about the Rus
sian Bureaucracy that I supposed I
knew all about it. I didn't, but I have
been learning here and a knowledge
of the meaning Of the words will en-
able one to understand more clearly
what is going on in Russia and why
the car does not really have his own
way in politics. It goes back to Peter
the Great like nearly everything does
in this country. When Peter came to
the throne and started his improve
ments the old nobility lined up very
solidly against him. Up to that time
when the big mobiles did not like
ruler they removed him as quickly as
possible and without regard to his
screams. Peter was up against the
proposition of having a large con
servative party with nearly all of the
fighting men as members which might
al any time Kill him and would surely
oppose his plans and probably over
turn them at his death. Peter was
wise. There are several ways in which
to secure the allegiance and service or
men. You can appeal to the love OF
country and often get loyal support,
but the Russian mobiles had no SUCH
feeling then and were only looking out
for their own estates. You can hire
men, but Peter had comparatively lit
tie money and at any rate man VINO
can be bought by one side viii go 10
the other if the salary is raised But
men will work and fight for honor
and glory for themselves and posterity
and they would in Russia just as they
do anywhere. So Peter formed an or
ganizatiOn outside of the regular no.
bflity BY birth and called it mobility
by service" He organized about
twelve departments or bureaus
Theoretically any man, even peas
ants son. was eligible to the govern
ment service on any of these lines
One bureau was for war, another for
music. another for commerce, another
for education, etc. From the top
down to the bottom were about four
teen grades, and man in any grade
was given title and uniform. A
man of the lowest class might enter
the service and by work and ability ad-
vance. getting a higher rank and more
gilt on his clothes every time. The
graded ranks correspondent somewhat
to those in the army, but a man might
have just as fine a uniform, wear just
as many medals and have just as high
title if ne advanced along the line OF
finance or music as he would If he
were promoted in the military service.
And this is the reason why uniforms
are so numerous in Russia. and why
you can not tell from the quantity of
gilt braid and brass buttons whether
man has attained rank as breeder of
h Orses, a soldier a diplomat or by
leading the imperial orchestra. And
another provision was that If a man
reached a certain rank in any Of these
lines about three-fourths Of the way
up, his title became hereditary and
passed to his son.
Peter was wise. The scheme was
great success. The seni-barbaric
Russians of two centuries ago yearned
for glitter and titles. The bureaus
thus formed made a wonderful ma
chine which did the work Peter want
ed while the old nobility was sulking
bles could get into the chain easier
than the peasants but If they didn't
Peter found men who would and he
had an organization which would
make an American politician turn
green with envy Peter thus secured
not only support for himself, but a
sentiment of patriotism and Russian
ism. which had never before existed
and which centered in the heads Of
the bureaus and the car.
But after Peters death no car was
ever able to control the machine.
Many a Russian ruler has tried to
be the autocrat he claims to be. but
unless he followed the desires of the
bureaus he could not do 1t. and he
soon quit ruling or gave in to the ma
chine. The heads of the bureaus have
the support of their subordinates clear
down to the lowest, not only in the
army but in every branch of public
service. which includes about every
thing in Russia, where government
ownership is the rule Each cog in
the wheel has to respond to pressure
in order to prevent a demolition of the
entire machinery, which would cause
him to lose his job his uniform and
his title. all so dear to the Russian
heart
This is the Russian autocracy,
largely dominated by the old nobility
but not necessarily SO. and constitu-
ted in such a way that many a min
lister and many a general has risen
from the peasant class to the high est
places in the empire. This is the in
stitution. a we'll organized machine,
whose members are held together by
every tie Of self interest which is now
in a death struggle with the principle
Of representative government.
Russia has a kind of democracy
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