The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-06-09
"A Terrible Jab at the
Greatest of Russians.

Since, for some inscrutable reason,
the Lake City Index has reproduced
and thereby given It's tacit APPROVAL to
q singular effusion Of the Tampa
Times, headed "Tolstoi, a Fad" The
journal feels called upon to say a-few
more words in defense OF the grand
old Russian philosopher and humani-
tartan. Had such reproduction not
taken place, we would have said notn-
ing further on the subject, as The
Illness editorial does not appeal to
us as containing any argument, but
is apparently the mere assertion of
an uniformed writer. But let Jour
nal readers judge for themselves:
The Pensacola Journal calls Toll
stoi grand old moral hero" Ya-as,
Just as a man who can paint hne
picture of a fight is a military hero,
or the chap VINO can thpesh out a
beautiful piece Of scenery is a living
landscape. TOIstoi is yet an able writ
er, a strong, passionate mediationist,
and can transfer his imagery TO paper
in words that please and charm. But
he is a moral pervert in his actions
and views and a softy in his pretend
ed ideas of government. When he op-
poses the accepted capitalization OF
the ages as an expression of truth
and wisdom ne undertakes to do
harm. To idolize him or commend
his teachings to the INFORMED mind
is wrong. In this country TOlstOi Is
and always has been a mere fad, a
tea-table cult, Iof feebler character
than Browning and lbsen, a misty cur
tain over practical truth, a diaphanOus
excuse for non belief in the Virile
powers and forces, the gfvingS and
fa1Iings OF nature, the rule of an eye
for an eye, promoting hope OF escape
from wrong doing, the belief that ma
ture sleeps and forgets, and a lot o.
Damby PANTY SentimentaliSm. AS a
word painter ToiStoi has few supe-
riors, but his productions are mere
words, not afiame with life, not athirst
for truth, not quivering with power
and strength and doing and daring
And If ne or anything he mas ever
written or taught has Uplifted 50
much as a single life, has ever build
ed q hero or sustained a martyr the
occurrence is painfully absent from
the record.
Now is not that wonderful reason
ing for you? 'TolstOi is a moral per-
vert in his actions and a softy in his
pretended ideas OF government" A
'.socty," when he has launched forth
in his ire some OF the most daring
tnost scathing rebukes against the
despotic royalty and nobility, of tyrant
Russia which have ever been penned
by man. When he has defied a cruel
eceiesiasticism; met its denunciatioT
and accommodation of himself WITH
complete exposure Of its practices
while he asserted and proclaimed his
adherence to a gospel of liberty
whose agents are not contaminated
by subtitle collision with the powers
of darkness.
And faith, where would have been
our friends bOasted capitalization
of the aSes"-even the muddy little
crystals which have formed up to the
present day-had st not been for the
great reformers o. the world who had
the temerity to oppose existing con
ditiOns and open the way for 4
grander enlightenment? Was Moses
3 pervert? Was Socrates a pervert!
Was Plato a pervert? Was st. Peter
a pervert? Was st. Augustine a per-
vert? Was SavonaroIla a pervert:
Was Luther a peryert? Nay, was
Christ himself really possessed of a
devil and did He, indeed, make use OF
BeelZebub, the king of the devils, in
driving evil from the souls of men:
Where would be the civilization OF
today if there had been no array OF
scholars and masters and martyrs tc
break down imperfect crystals and
make room for others to form new
and more brilliant coTuscations in the
jeweled crowns of successive en-
pirss? Rasily the foolish talk OF oul
Tampa critic reminds one OF MAJ
Nordau who picked out nearly all the
great of the contemporaneous wAid
and classed them as degenerates
leaving himself almost alone in the
possession of a sane mind and sound
body; a conclusion which many wise
men have refused to concur in, but