Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-19
KEENAN, on Tolstoi.


George Remnants estimate Of Tolstoi
in relation to Theodore Roosevelt's
criticism of the first Duma completely
s~ustains the Roosevelt judgment and
Americans are forced to conclude that
the philosophy OF the Russian intel
%lectual leader is founded on a wretch
eddy insufficient basis of knowledge,
thought and experience.
Mr.. KEENAN, ascribes the deficiency
in Tolstoi and in the Duma to the re-
pressive system of surveillance pur-
sued by the Russian authorities. If
Tolstoi knew less of science than an
English schoolboy it was because the
possession and reading of current and
elementary works on science, books
Of authors like Darwin, Lubbock,
Lecky, Huxley and Spencer, were on
the forbidden list. OF the Duma Mr..
KEENAN, says that its ~incapacity was
due to a despotic system of restriction
and repression which had always pre-
vented the members from learning to
think straight, judge Alright and de-
velop the power for practical common
sense work.
The Duma, according to Mr.. Ken
nan, would have developed the
power for practical work IL it had
been allowed freedom to try expert
ments and observe results. But when
eve the members attempted to move
in any direction they either tripped
over a ministerial prohibition or ran
against the Chinese wall of "funda-
mental laws with which the car has
guarded his autocratic power. Mr..
KEENAN, quotes Andrew d. White,
who set it down that Of all the dis
tinguished men he had ever met
Tolstoi seems to him most in need Of
that enlargement of view and health
full modification of opinion which
come from observing men and COM
pairing opinions in different lands and
under different conditions. Among
the whole hundred and twenty millions
Of Russian people there is no public
body In which the discussion of large
public questions is allowed. Such in
dulgent favor and kindness as the
court and the mobiles extend to Tolstoi
is because he breaches a doctrine of
non-resistance and peace even under
injustice. KEENAN,, from the view
point of friendliness and apology, in
effect upholds the criticism of Roose-
welt on the incapacity Of the Duma
and the facilitating effect of Tolstoi's
teaching. If we follow Mr.. KEENAN,
we rate both the car and Tolstoi as
in knowledge about on a level with the
late emperor of China, with less study
of history and less sympathy toward
self-governing institutions.
Modern scientific enlightenment, I'M
der the ban in Russia, produced an
immense amount of solitary thinking
which often became visionary and
fantastic simply because it could not
be discussed OF tried in life" This is
the end to which Mr.. Remnants review
of Roosevelt on Tolstoi always comes.
Tolstoi and the Duma debated incon-
sequentially because they had never
had a chance to learn better. Tolstoi's
private life was inconsistent because
it was poorly trained. R~oosevelt's
judgment was in the main straight and
right, Kennan In effect comedies, but
the restrictions of Russia, not innate
lack of capacity, is responsible. The
Tolstoi message to Russia n to the
world is pretty in some details, but In
applicable in principle and deteriora-
ton in practice. Mr.. Roosevelt needs
no further vindication than Mr.. Ken
mans apology.