Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-13
T0LST0Y HEARD FROM.

Tolstoy the aged Russian philosopher,
occasionally, when great national issues
are involved, comes before the Russian
rulers, like Elijah OF old before Ahab
ana Jezebel with fiery denunclations OF
their conduct and soul-percng words
OF warning. More than once he has
taken his life In his hands and fearless.
~ told the truth, Again he has spoken
10 the Car and his advisers.--spoken as
only a man fully prepared for eternity,
can speak.
The occasion is the revival by the
government of terrorism. Tolstoy warns
those responsible for this policy TO be
think" themselves, while they are yet
appealed to In words. The question Of
life must, he says, at last, arise. even
to you. For to this alone, to this ques-
ton OF life. the voice OF the people is
now turned" This Is a solemn warn
ing, indeed. II Is rendered more so by
the fact that 1t comes, not from an agl-
tator but an apostle OF peace, who
speaks not threateningly but merely
interprets the signs Of the times.
Tolstoy traces the present rising to
It's original source. when he thus ar
raigns the rulers;
you have driven away the people
who turned TO you with a petition, You
have devastated villages that begged
you for land and freedom for bread
.s.l
full working people who came to you
with petition In their hands. You
have done everything to make curslng
and vengeance the watchwOrd Of the
entire land. You have been comforting
yourselves until all Russia was set on
fire by revolution. And you yourselves
have taught the people what language
TO use IN speaking to you. Statloning
yourselves openly on the ground Of
violence you yourselves have confed-
Grated the way OF violence. Sending
troops upon the people you have shown
that you are the enemies OF the people
and OF Russia And when the people
saw that It WAS necessary TO take from
you. not to ask-you, like a cornered
antagonist threw to the people kind
heartedly' one piece after another. lg-
norlng your orders the people held
permitted them To- discuss their most
urgent needs. Ignoring your laws the
working people have stopped the life Of
the entire great land You have signed
manifesto acknowledging that the
people should have the rights OF man,
Waiting III vain for an answer 70 their
demands. the peasants started TO plum
der the villages, Then YOU issued an
other ukasc to relnquish redeemahle
taxes The press seized the right OF
freedom By fore. Then YOU pretended
that you yourselves had wished ii long
ago. You have given all these rights
only when they were taken from You
by successful struggle But mere too,
you We're a dishonest foe, Here, too,
giving up your positions, one after an
other IN the course Of the battle, you
begin again your campaign, trusting
that innocent people viii believe your
promise OF peacel Now you again re-
cover courage. Now you want war
again. The highest circles again de-
maud new blood, new victims. The
black clique treacherously breaking
the promise, again starts its bloody
campaign
No one who has followed the develops
ment OF events In Russia can truthful
ly deny the charges here made, The
Russian people aid not want bloodshed.
They We're forced to struggle for lib
erty by the unspeakable oppression
prnctised by the rulers. And now the
hour " reckoning has come. Tolstoy
appeals with dIrectness and fervor TO
the bureaucracy to heed the last over