Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-08-16

W. Y Morgan, writing from ~.
Petersburg, under date OF July 20ytof
his paper the Hutchinson News, has
the Hllowing:
InSrecent years the, newspapers
hayGihad so much to say about tie
"Russian Bureaucracy" that | sup
posed ! knew all about il ! didn't,l
but | have been learning here, andal
knowledge of the meaning sof the
words will enable some one TO under !
stand more clearly what is going on !
in Russia, and why the czar does not
really have his own way in politics. ,
II goes back to Peter the Great like
nearly everything does in this coun-
try. When Peter came to the throne |
and started his improvements the old
nobility lined up very solidly against
him. Up to that time when the big
mobiles did not like O ruler they re-
moved him as quickly as possible and
without regard to his screams. Peter
was mp against the proposition of
having against him large conserva-
tive party with nearly all Of the
fighting members which might at any
time kill him and would surely OPP
pose his plans and probably overturn
them at his denth. Peter was wise.
There are several ways in which to
secure the allegiance and service of
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 compara-
lively little money, and at any rate
a man who can be bought by one side
will go to the other if the salary be
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 organization outside
of the regular nobility by birth and
called it "nobility by service, y He
organized about twelve departments
or "bureaus. !" Theoretically any
man, even a peasants son, was eligi-
BILE to the government service on any
of these lines. One blirean was for
war, another for music, another for
commerce, another for education, etc.
From the top down to the bottom
were about fourteeh grades, aud a
man in any grade was given a title
and uniform. A man of the lowest
class might enter the service and by
work and ability advance, getting
a higher rank more gilt on his clothes
every time. The graded ranks cor
respond somewhat to those in the
army, but man might have just as
fine uniform, wear just as many
medals and have just as high title
if he advanced along the line Of
finance or music as he would ii he
were promoted in the military SER
vice. And this is the reason why
uniforms are so numerous in Russia,
and why you cannot tell from the
quality of gilt braid and brass but
ton whether man has attained rank
as breeder of horses, soldier, n
diplomat or by leading the imperial
orchestra. And ether provision was
that if man reached certain rank
in any of these lines, about three
fourths Of the way up, his title be-
came hereditary and passed to his
son.
Peter was wise. The schme was a
great success. The semi-barbaric
Russians of over two centuries ago
yearned for glitter and titles. The
bureaus thus formed made wonder
full machine which did the work that
Peter wanted while ;he old nobility
was sulking and protesting. or
course the old mobiles could get into
the chain easier than the peasants.
but if they didn't Peter found men
who would and he had an organiza-
ton which would make an American
politician turn green with envy.
Peter thus secured not only support
for himself, but sentiment of pa
triotism and Russianism. which had
never before existed and which cen
tered in the heads of the bureaus and
the czar, by every tie of self interest.
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 Ia to the ma
chine. The heads OF the bureaus
have the support p 'r'r subordi-
mates clear down to ,ne lowest, not
only in the army, but ia every other
branch of public service, which in
eludes about everything IN Russia,
where "goverumeu, uNa,rship' is
the rule. Each COZ .u .5 wheel has
60 respond to p,essut, % order to
prevent demolition oi .h entire
machinery, which aoo4 ""use him
To- lose his job. h,s o.. and his
title. all 50 dear ,u a., .lsian heart
This is the liuss..u autocracy
larrelv dominated by thc ID nobility
but not uerps,atiN eu. 1nd cOnsti