The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-11
FROM OTHER PENS
BARBARIsM IN RUSSIA.

During the past. few days Russia
has given two widely differing proofs
that time moves slowly in the realm
of the Great White. Car and that the
Russ has really progressed very little
beyond the days of Peter the Great.
One of these incidents is trifling in
itself, while the other is comic in it's
significance. An American citizen
whose passport had expired was
turned into the streets and informed
that he must leave Russia within
twenty-four hours.
The press dispatches have just re-
ported that Russia has taken away
from the brave people of Finland the
last vestige of autonomy and reduced
that country to a Slavic vassal. be-
sides imposing upon it a crushing mill
itary contribution of $4000,000. Thus
the Firms go the melancholy way of
the Poles, and Russia is one step
nearer the final reckoning which is
coming to all the despotiSms of today.
A nation whose policies follow these
crude barbaric lines is worse than
man without country. 1t is ma
ton marooned on an island of the
past left behind in the march of his
tory and living today a thousand years
ago.-Kansas City Journal.
SUGGESTING ASSASSINATION.
Newt to melting some 1unatic or
fanatic to commit murder is the crime
of continually spreading reports OF
proposed conspiracies to kill public
officers or well known persons. Some
writer's may think it clever to suggest
assassination by inventing anarchist
Plots. Others may fatter themselves
that they are intensely patriotic If
they repeat without subtraction every
raseless rumor they hear concerning
the intention of some mysterious an
archistic club to mark certain person
ages for sudden death.
Fakes about anarchists are easily
framed and therefore do not require
inventors of exceptional intellect.
Such frameups would be amusing and
might furnish speculative material for
a day or two, if dep1orable result
were not possible outcome of these
Nick Carter romances. The scientific
psychologist will tell you that sug-
gestion is one of the most potent fac
tors in the production of political, and
not a negligible quantity in other
crimes. The effect of wild and pase-
less rumors of intended assassination
of those in high station is to start
some hair-brained crank on mission
OF murder.-Boston Globe.
VITALITY OF UNITED STATES.
The progress of medical men, of
health boards and of similar agencies
| for the conservation of national vital
| ity is necessarily slow, but we are as
sured that with united effort the
gains that now require century or
| more could be obtained In genera
ton. The old impression that there
is an iron law of mortality proves to
| be a myth. Wherever medical and
sanitary science has been developed
into its highest state of efficiency there
man lives longest and is freest from
sickness while he lives. India. most
reckless of nations as regards clean
illness and carefulness in health and
hygiene, is stationary in its average
| duration of life. which is less than rs
years. In Sweden the average is SO
years. Europe has shown consider
able gains, with Germany the most
shining mark in advance. Massachu-
sets has set a fair example to the
rest of the United States by lengthen-
ing life at the rate of about one-half
that of Germany's gain.
| The good already accomplished by
the strict application of sanitary
science and preventive medicine
should be an incentive for more con-
certed effort. It is evident that hu-
man life can be both heightened and
strenEthened-Oma Bee.