Blue-grass blade., 1908-06-28

not or the Christian faith, who ScOrned
the Christian god and refused to worship
him. The ceremony included the reading
of the Mahabharata, and was followed by
the festival of Droupadi and Arjuna. 1t is
said that numerous officials witnessed this
strange fire-walking test and their names
are given as if in anxiety to prove it's
actual occurrence.
OF course, we unhesitatingly declare that
the whole story is a pure fabrication, but
if we are compelled to admit its truth, we
must, at the same time admit that the bible
god, Jehovah, has dangerous rival and
competitor in the miracle business. Fur
thermore it would prove that after all
Jehovah is not the only miracle-working
god. If true it ought to put a quietus on
the Christian claim that their god is the
only god worthy the name and expose all
their fabulous pretensions. Again, If mir
acles attest the truth of religion, the Chris
tian world is placed in dreadful quandary
for while claiming a belief in their own
they must give credence to the miracles of
other religions and other gods.
Russia is deeply Christian. 1t is also
sincerely tyrannical The Car is not only
the head of the state but he is also the
head of the church and priest and pilgrim
are supposed to believe in and worship the
great, white father. Russia is also a de-
potism that ought not to find existence in
the twentieth century civilization. The
Anglo-SaXon may often wonder why nihil-
ism, revolution, revolt and anarchy should
exist to such an extent in Russia and why
so many Russian refugees should decaim
against the methods in vogue in that fate
full country. But moments reflection and
the truth must be made clear.
Recent reports from st. Petersburg state
that during the past three months 766.
death sentences have been executed in Rus
sia Yet, despite this average of nearly
nine men day officially put out of exist
ence, the prisons are seriously overcrowded.
The Empire contains Accommodations for
107,13S prisoners, whereas the number OF
prisoners actually incarcerated is 167, $50.
horrible condition of things prevails in
KieH JAIL where there are only 500 places,
whereas the number of prisoners amounts
to 2207 In Odessa the prisons have SO4
places, but 1910 inmates
In the light of such startling reports
can we wonder why religion should be
held in such contempt for in the main it
is largely responsible for such terrible
condition of affairs. The priests have
taught humility and obedience TO the powers
that be and in response to the promptings
of their religions they have silently obeyed
and suffered contumely and wrong at the
hands of the oppressor. Intelligence
brought revolt. Intelligence saw and de-
tected the iniquity and by far the greater
portion of those imprisoned are men and
women of more than the average intelli-
gence who have dared to utter mild protest
against the system that made them what
they were. The ignorant and uneducated
do not know enough to make a protest and
these manage to escape official wrath.
Surely such conditions cannot much longer
obtain and were it not for the fact that
Russia is a Christian nation, or pretending
to be- the other socalled Christian nations
would repeat the China episode and flood
the empire with an allied army to demand
that such Ubiquitous practices instantly
cease