The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-01-07
GOVERNMENT IS NOT NECESSARY
FOR The MASSES, SAYS T0LST0|
BY COUNT LEO TOLSTOI,
To the People-Concluded.

"But if we, Russian folk, begin at
once to live like that, not obeying
the government-there will be no
Russia" say those to whom it
seems that the existence of Russia,
that is to say the union of many diff
ferent nations under one govern
ment, is something important, great
and useful.
In reality, this combination of
many different nations, called Rus
STA, is not only not important for
you. Russian workingmen, but just
this combination is a chief cause of
your miseries.
If they Cypress you with taxes
and duties, as they oppressed your
forefathers, accommodating vast debts
which you have to pay; if they take
you as soldiers and send you to diff
ferent ends of the earth to fight peo-
pie with whom you have nothing to
do, and who have nothing to do
with you, all this is only done to
maintain Russia, i. e.. to maintain
forcible combination of Poland, the
Caucasus, Finland, Central Asia,
Manchuria, and other lands and peo-
pies, under one ru1e.
| But besides the fact that all your
ills come from this union called
Russia, this union involves great
sin, in which you involuntarily par
ticipate when you obey government.
That there should be a Russia such
as the existing one, the Poles,
Firms, Let's, Georgians, Tartars,
Armenians and others have to be
held in subsection.
And to hold them in subsection,
it is necessary to forbid them to live
as they wish to, and If they disobey
this order, they have to be punished
and killed Why should you take
part in these evil deeds when you
yourselves suffer from them?
But how, without a government,
and when all live in separate CON-
munes, are all large public affairs
to be arranged? How will the ways
of communication, railways, tele-
graphs, steamers, the post, the high
er educational establishments, the
libraries, and trade be managed
without government?
People are so accustomed to see
the government control all public
affairs, not only national, but inter-
national. are arranged by private in
dividuals without governmental as
sistance. In this way all kinds of
international postal. learned, COM
mercial and industrial alliances are
arranged Governments not only do
not aid these voluntarily organized
unions, but when they take part in
them they always hinder them.
But il you do not obey the gov
eminent, and do not pay taxes Or
supply soldiers, foreign nations will
come and conquer you." add those
who wish to rule over you. Do not
believe it. Only live acknowledging
the land to be common property
not going as soldiers. and not pay!
ing taxes Except such as you vol
unfairly give for public works. and
peaceful settling your disagree
| ments through village com mfwyp +
| ments through your village COM
munes; and other nations, seeing
your good life, will not come and
| conquer you, or. if they come, on
getting to know. or, if they come. on
getting to know your good life will
adopt it. and instead of fighting you
will unite with you.
For all the nations, like you
yourselves, have suffered and now
| suffer from governments; from the
strife lin war, trade and Industry
Of different governments against
one another, and from the strife Of
classes. and of different parties.
| Among all Christian nations an in
ner labor is going on, the chief aim
of which is emancipation from gov
ernments.
But this emancipation is particu-
larly difficult for nations in which
| the majority have abandoned agri-
cultural life and live an industrial
town life. employing the labor of
other races. Among such nations
emancipation Is being prepared by
socialism. But for you, Russian
| laborers, living mainly an agricul-
tural life, and supplying your own
needs, this emancipation is particu-
| larly easy Government for you
| has long ceased to be necessity, or
even convenience. and has become
great and uncompensated burden
| and misfortune.
But government is not some es-
| sential condition of human life. like
the cultivation of the soil, marriage
the family or human intercourse.
which will exist as long as mankind
lasts. Government Is a human in
stitution. and. like all human insti-
tutions, is set up when it is needed
and abolished when it becomes I'M
necessary.
The shell is necessary for the egg
until tho birl ic bafabad nut Union