Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-17
Roosevelt on Tolstoy
The Outlook. May is.

The Outloo,
One Of the comic features OF the political
campaign last fall was the letter which
Count Tolstoy wrote on behalf Of Mr..
Bryan. In this letter Count Tolstoy advo-
Gated the election of Mr.. Bryan on the
ground that he was the representative OF
the party OF peace. OF anti-militarism.
From the point Of view Of. American poll
tics the incident possessed no Importance
beyond furnishing material for the humor-
Gus columns OF the newspapers. But II had
a certain real interest as indicating Count
Iolstoy's worth as a moral guide. He advo.
Gated Mr.. Bryan on the theory that Mr..
Bryan represented peace and a%nti-militar.
lsm' Now there was but one point I'm the
platform Of either political party in 1905
Which contained any element OF menace to
tne peace of the world. This was the
plank In the Bryanite platform which de-
manded the immediate exclusion by law of
all Asiatic laborers. and therefore Of the
Japanese. Coupled with IL was the utterly
meaningless plank about the navy. which
was however. Intended TO convey the I'M
preston that we ought to have a navy only
Ior the defense of our coasts-that Is. a
merely defensive navy, or, in other words.
d quite worthless navy. Now I have shown
IN a preceding editorial that AT this present
time there is neither justification nor ex-
cuse Tor such a law-and this wholly with
out regard to what the future may show.
ne exclusion plank in Mr.. Bryan's plat
iorm represented merely an idle threat. a
"ahtoh insult, and 1t was coupled with
"hat was intended to be a declaration that
the pollcy or upbuilding the navy. which
nas oeen 50 successfully carried on during
the last 9ozen years, would be abandoned.
ANY man OF common sense, therefore.
uusht 10 perceive the self-evldent fact that
the only menace to peace which was con.
talhed In any possible action by the Ameri-
can republic was that contained in the
erection of Mr.. Bryan and the attempt 10
put INTO effect his platform. That Comm
iolsloy ala not see this affords a curious
Illustration of his complete inability ia
race tacts; of his readiness to turn aside
from the truth In the pursuit of anv
pnantom' however foolish; and of the utter
t9tuity of those who treat him as a phjloso-
pher' whose philosophy should be, or could
be- translated into action.
Oouht lolstoi is a man OF genius, a great
novelist. War and Peace" anna Kara.
nlna' The Cossacks," "Sebaston,l" are
great books. AS a novelist he has added
materially to the sum Of production NJ his
generation. As a professional philosonber
and moralist l doubt II his influence hos
really been very extensive among mon ~
acuon; of course II has a certain va,obt
among men who live only in the closet in
the library; and among the ~hjgh-minded
men or this type. who, because of their
s"ellereu nVes' naturally reject what is i'm
moral and do not have to deal with what
Is fantastic, in Tolstoy's teachings. II ia
proDaoie mat the really lofty side of these
Vainss gives them a certain sense Of
9inI'uai eXaitation. Blu l have no ques-
tion that whatever little influence Tolstov
mas exerted among men of action has told
on the whole, for evil. do not think his
influence over men Of action has been
great for l think he has swayed or dorni-
mated only the feeble folk and the fanta stio
tolk' No man who possesses both robust
common sense and high ideals. and WIN
strives to apply both in actual living 10
dltected by Tolstoy's teachings. save as
ne ls attected by the teachings of hum
oreus or other men In whose writings there
are occasional truths mixed with masses
OF what is commonplace or erroneous
STRONG men may gain something from Toll
stoys moral teachings. but only on condi-
uon that they are strong enough and sane
enough to be repealed by those PARTS of his
teachings which are foolish or IMMORAL
weak persons are hurt by the teachings
Still, | think that the mere fact that these
weak persons are influenced sufficiently TO
be marred means that there was not in
them a very great quantity of potential
usefulness 10 mar. In the United States
we suffer from grave moral dangers: but
they are for the most part dangers which
Tolstoy would neither perceive nor know
how TO combat. Moreover. the real and