The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-01-15
COMING REVOLUTION.
Its General Symptoms as De-
scribed by Tolstoi.
GOLD CRUELTY OF THE RICH"

gle of Glasses and In Anger and
Despair OF the Poor - Says Real
Christianity viii Replace One That
| Is Perverted.
think that at present the life Of
the Christian nations is near the line
which separates the end of the old
age from the beginning Of the new
age, writes Count Leo Tolstoi In the
New York American think that this
Is the beginning of the great revolu-
ton which has been preparing for al
most 1000 years throughout the Chris
tian world, revolution which Is to re-
place perverted Christianity and the
mastery of some and slavery of others
emanating from 1t, by real Christian
| ity, by the recognition Of the equality
of all mankind based upon 1t and by
real freedom for all people. l see the
external signs Of this In the intensified
struggle Of the classes among all ma
| tions in the cold cruelty of the rich, in
the anger and despair Of the poor, In
the senseless, mad, ever growing arma-
ments Of all governments.
Such are the general symptoms Of
the coming revolution, or, rather, Of
| the state of readiness for the revolu-
| ton, in which the Christian nations
| find themselves. The historical signs
or the impulse which Is to start
the revolution are the recent Russian
Japanese war and the outbreak Of the
| revolution among the Russian people.
The victory of the japanese over the
Russians has demonstrated to all mil
itary nations that the military power Is
no longer in their hands, but has pass
er, or will soon pass, to other-un-
| Christian-hands, for it will not be
| hard for all the un-Christian nations
Of Asia and Africa that are oppressed
| by the Christians to emulate the ex-
| ample Of the Japanese, to learn the
| technique of the warfare Of which we
are so proud. and not only free them
| selves, but wipe all the Christian gov
ernments off the face of the earth.
We look at the pyramids of Egypt
and we are terrified at the cruelty and
the folly Of the people that gave orders
to build them and at those that fulfill
ed their orders, but how much more
cruel, how much more absurd are the
thirty-six story buildings which the
people Of today are erecting In the
cities, feeling proud Of them. There is
the earth with Its grass. its forests, its
pure air, the clear water, the sun, the
birds, the animals, and yet people are
making terrible efforts and obstruct-
ing the sun from the view Of other
people and are erecting thirty-six story
structures where there are no trees or
grass and where everything-the water
and the air-are foul, where all food Is
adulterated and where life is hard, un-
wholesome Is not this a sign Of the
madness Of humanity, which not only
does these absurdities, but is even
proud of them?
There are times when In the life OF
mankind, even as In the life of an In
dividual, an error committed In the
past is suddenly revealed, and the way
to remedy that error also becomes
clear These are times Of revolutions.
The Christian nations are at present in
such state as this.
1t would seem that 1t Is natural for q
man whose spiritual powers are not de-
praved or weak, when finding himself
in humiliating position, to say to him
self: "Why should do this2 / want to
live my own life; want to decide for
myself what l like, what Is useful to
me and what I am to do. Leave me
alone with your Russia, France, Brit
ain. Let those that need them guard
these countries. l don't need them.
You take everything from me by force.
You can kill me, but do not want to-
l cannot and will not-participate In
my own enslavement" 1t seems that
it would be natural to act thus, but no
body does.
Some do not act thus because their
interests are SO intertwined with the
interests Of the ruling classes that this
enslavement Is profitable to them. Mr..
Rockefeller cannot desire to refuse to
obey the laws of his land, because the
laws Of that land make 1t possible for
him to amass and keep his millions to
the detriment of the interests Of the
mass Of the people; nor can the direct
ors Of Mr.. IaOckefeller's enterprises de-
sire to refuse to obey such laws, nor
can the servants Of these directors nor
the servants Of these servants.