The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-05-14
ROOSEVELT RAPs |
AUTHOR T0LsT0Y
There Is in Him Dark Streak That
Tells OF Moral Perversion," De.
clares Ex-President in Article.

NEW YORK, May l3.-Count Leo
Iolstoy's championship OF the candi-
dacy OF William Jennings Bryan In the
last presidential election Is made tho
subject Of an attack By ex President
Roosevelt ON both Bryan and ToIstoy.
me influence OF the latter Is declared
To be for evil, The attack Is In the
form OF an editorial In the current
issue OF The Outlook.
In combating Tolstoy's statement
that Mr.. Bryan represented the party
Of peace. Mr.. Roosevelt says:
Now. there was but one point iu the
platform OF either political party In
1905 which contained any element OF
menace 10 the peace OF the world.
This was the plank In the Bryantte
platform which demanded the immedi.
ate exclusion by law OF all Asiatfo
laborers and therefore of the Japanese.
Coupled with this was the utterly
meaningless plank about the navy
which was, however, intended to con-
vey the impression that we ought 10
have "A navy only for the detcnss OF
our coasts: that is. a merely 'defen-
sive' navy. or in other words. quits
worthless navy.
"A man OF common sense, therefore.
ought 10 perceive the 1self-evident face
that the only menace to peace which
was contained in any possible action
by the American republic was that
contained in the election OF Mr.. Bryan
and the attempt to put into effect. hts
platform.
Count ToIstoy Is a man OF genius, q
great novelist but | question that
whatever little influence Tolstoy has
eXerted among men OF action has told.
on the whole, for good. | do not
think his influence over men Of action
has been great for | think he has
swayed or dominated only the feeble
folk and the fantastic folk.
Strong men may gain something
from Tolstoys moral teachings, but
only on condition 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enough and sane enough To be repealed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
We are not liable 10 certain kinds
of wickedness which there il real dan
ger of his writings intoxicating; 10;
II is a lementable fact as IS so often
tne case with certain type OF nys-
streak which tells OF moral peryersion
That side OF his teachings which IL
partially manifested in the revolving
kreutzer Sonata can do little. damage
In America. for il would appeal only to
decadents exactly as il could hayc
come only from man who, however
high he may stand IN certain respects.
has H. him certain dreadful. qualities
OF the moral pervert
The usual effect OF prolonged and
excessive indulgence IN Tclstoyism u
American disciples is comic rather
than serious. one Of these disciples
wrote book on American municipal
probe mas which ascribed our ethical
and social shortcomings "a municipal
matters in part TO the sin OF Militar-
ism
"Militarism as an evil in our socis!
life is as purely igment OF the i'm
agination as the skylark ii our litera-
ture Moreover the fact that In spite
OF this total absence of militarisni
there is SO much that Is evil in our
life, SO much need for reform, ought
TO show persons who think that the
destruction of militarism would bring
about the millennium how completely
they lack the sense OF prospective.
So much for Tolstoyism IN America.
the only place where | have studied IL
in action. As TO the effect in Russia
itself. | am not competent 10 speak.
But the history OF the iuma proved
In the most emphatic way that the
greatest danger To liberalism in Rus
STA spfaRg from the fact that tho Lib.
erals were saturated with jHstspeh
folly as that taught by Tolstoy."