Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-24
.AUIOCRACY IS DOOMED.
Andrew D. White Says the Out
look in Russia Is Dark For
the Romanoffs
WILL NEVER REGAIN POWER
Stormy Period Likely to Continue for
Some Time, But Day of Liberty Is
Dawnns for Russian People, Says
the Former Ambassador-Witte 10
Russia's Hope.

with prospects for liberty in Rus
STA there must come long and
stormy period which would obey what
an American philosopher once spoke
of as tho 'oscillatory law of human
progress
This statement was recently made by
the former ambassador to Russia, DR..
Andrew D. White, the first president
of Cornell university, while speaking
before large assemblage of students
celebrating founders day at Cornell
university, says special dispatch from
Ithaca, n. Y, to the New York Her.
There are two great difficulties in *
way of anything like constitutional
freedom in Russia at present, Mi.
White said, the first being due to
complete change of view regarding
Russia and her needs from 1925 to
1855, resulting in lack Of education
which has brought about ignorance
among the masses of all that is desira-
BILE for men who take part in self gov
eminent
The second great hindrance of prog
ress toward freedom, he said, was the
repression Of all discussion Of political
and social questions, either in the press
or in public bodies.
Before there is freedom" continued
DR., White, there will be action and re-
action. Autocracy may from time to
time be restored by soldiery disgust
ed by demagogues, as was the case
with the Bourbons after the French
revolution, or 1t may be restored by
universal suffrage, as in the case of
Napoleon III. after the French revolu-
ton Of 1913, but such reservations OF
absolute despotism will be temporary.
"The old autocracy can never return
as q permanency, and 1t Is not 100
much to hope that progress toward
liberty will be made in Russia some
what like that in France, which after
century or more Of sterile revolu-
tions seems to have emerged into
peaceful and respected republic. A
permanent republic in Russia can hard
" come for centuries. The Idea OF
strong personal, centralized govern
ment is rooted in the ordinary ideas,
just as the idea Of republican and de-
centralized government IS rooted in
the ideas of every man. woman ana
child in the United States.
Count Witte, in my opinion, is the
only man who could stand any chance
Of carrying through reasonable plan
for new order Of things in Russia, of
staving off bankruptcy and Of checking
civil war On him rests the main. In
deed the only, chance for rational liber-
ty. He will undoubtedly at times have
to do some severe things to repress
not the aspirations for freedom, with
which he is evidently in sympathy, but
the mixture of wild fanaticism and OF
scoundrelism, which has caused the
massacre of the Hebrews at ODESSA
and elsewhere, the destruction OF great
factories at Moscow and in other parts
Of the great empire and the wholesale
burning and robbery of the landed
proprietors in the Baltic provinces.
Count Whites opponents are many.
On one side is the court and on the
other the fanatics of every sort, but 1t
is to be hoped that the terrible dangers
of the country may unite men Of all
parties in. giving him support. The
idea Of the nihifists is to make the
country mass of ruins on which they
shall stand supreme. The folly OF all
this Is proved by history.
eat the end of every such movement
comes in the man on horseback,
whether Caesar, or General Monk, OF
Napoleon, or Napoleon I'LL, or William
J., or Bismarck and Mortke, or Cavour.
AS between life and liberty men will
give life, as a rule, the place assigned
1t in the Declaration Of Independence,
where it speaks Of the three inalienable
rights as life, liberty and the pursuit
CT happiness A nation must live, and
as long as life lasts there Is always
hope that liberty may yet be achieved"
DR.. White expressed his sympathy
and good will, which, in his opinion, all
right minded Americans ought to feel
for Russia in her present crisis. He
continued:
1.-THE Russian people are great peo-
pie. They are in great trouble. They
are capable of noble future, and our
most heartfelt sympathies should go
out to them. Our own country is not
without great and grievous faults. The
corruption which has been engendered
by widespread devotion to money Is
known to the world. Fortunately we
have free institutions which allow you
to undermine and attack it. 1t is not
covered up and shielded as corruption
in Russia has been. Promotion and
fame come here to those who expose
and attack.
81 make special appeal to you stu
dents, to do all in your power to fight
the men and things which are re-
proach to democracy and to devote
your thoughts and efforts in making
the American republic a model Of the
best possible government for all the
world and the harbinger Of a higher
and better future not only for Russia,
but for mankind"