Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-28

voice fitted the man--about Russia.
He had never been In Russia. lie
could neither read nor speak the LAM
Ruage but he had an immense fund
of Information about Russia and Rus
slans---only, unfortunately. II was all
wrong.
What stalkod through his huge Inn
agln0tiOn was a memory of some taw-
dry actress Of his first youth: she was
dressed In pink satin and chains and
staggered through a paper snow storm
and Cossack whips toward Mr.. KEN
ngn's--or was IL Mr.. BARLEY Camp
beIl's--Sl siberia. this was what he saw.
and he called her Russia.
l have no intention OF writing an
article on Russia. That were absurd.
when the subject howls aloud for TO-
los But there are one or two mis-
conceptions should like to knock
on the mildly.
Democratic Tradition and Reality.
First OF all, Russia is not a military
nation. Its government is not mill
tarist. It's civilization Is not based
upon military conception Of the
state. IL is built upon an exactly diff
ferent basis--democracy. think Il
Is the Oldest democracy In Europe,
'tl tilliiI ~ UtHHtaNtN lflt UfutNl lfH-
dltion of democracy. Russia Is not
staggering through paper snow
storm: Russia is the peasant, Bear
In mind that the Russian peasants
own large part of the arabic land
nearly thrce-fifths OF Il. 10 a great
extent the land Is held In common;
that u.s. each little community of farm
ere-each mir--is independent. The
peasants work the land together or,
more often, divide Il themselves. ac-
cording TO laws OF their own.
| remember talking with an old
peasant once. 1t was at that famous
first duma. lie was a calm old man,
khevlcnko OF Poltava. lilo took my
hand In both his big paws and held
II firmly during our entire CONVERSE
tion--a friendly. reasonable old man.
And when 1 asked him what he want
ed he said. Il want the land for my
people---lve been sent here to get II, |
and | shan't 20 back until l do"
found out his trouble. II was simple.
Every man, woman, child and babe |
In his commune had ten acres Of land: |
but nearby lay well watered mea-
,ivw. which at the time the land own /
ers were dlspossessed had been left In |
possession OF the owner. Khevilen- |
kos village wanted e. and | am tol- |
erably sure they got H. For that year I
over a quarter of the land remaining |
In the hands OF the mobiles was turn
cd over to the peasants. Today a /
peasant can own his land individual
ly or leave II In the self-governing |
community as he pleases.
The village commune has home !
rule. A group OF these communes /
forms canton as IN switzerland. 1t
also Is self-goyerning. II has an as
semby made up of one man. chosen |
by the peasants, out OF every ten fam |
HES In the cantonal court the peas
ant first comes into touch with the |
law Of the land--and In that court |
sit five peasant judges selected by the |
peasants themselves. Above that Is /
the district assembly. which is am
other elective body Bluntly stated |
this Is democracy OF no bad sort.
No ArIslocracy In Russia.
hut the aristocrncy," said the big T
doctor. whom YOU met In the begin
ming of this article, that ruthless
Russian arIstoeracy"
| smiled, and blsndly. patiently, as
one instructs a child In the rule of
three. | said: In Russia there IL no
arstooracy."
NO aristocraeyt"
mo aristocfaey," | repeated Tex
cept. OF course, just such an aristoc-
racy as we have in dear old Virginia
and Massachusetts and New Rochelle
I'm aristocracy which is made up of
certain old and illustrlous families
who trace their blue blood back
through the generations. TO be
or Truubetskoy adds Just
the same lustre il gives a Yankee to
be an Adams or an Endieott; but 1t
lends neither place nor power. It's
a mere thing of family pride"
And that Is true; IN Russia there
Is royal blood with It's privileges but
there Is no aristocracy. There Is, of
course. a nobility. But that Is an adj
thing and essentially demo-
cratic, because II Is open to every
The son Of the peasant or the son
Of the merchnnt--or any mans SON
can be a noble If he viii. He has but
to go through the schools, pass the
civil service examination and them
II a given point in his career--he Is
automatically ennublcd. The rank
goes with the grade he has won in
The civil service. So there is a per-
petuai flow of plain folk up into the
class of the nobility; aud u return
OF course, gradually carries
HE descendants of the unfit back into
HE people. 1t Is Il life-giving circula-
lion. and II Is democratic. Ii Is dee
Ia ossence--reward and dis
iinetion for services 10 the state.
How the War World VIII Hurt Russia.
The other day at Yale | met Mr. Pc
the son OF rare he
'oie old man | knew In RusslaPe-
one OF the vice presi-
Tents Of the duma. an old, gray insur-
gent who had spent half his life In
.xlle The wheel OF the years turned
md | found myself sitting at table
With his son IN New Haven. and young
shook his head dole
ully over the war. II was not that
ie feared the issue--he looked for
ward gladly to the overthrow OF
russian military feudalism and free
Iom for the German people. And he
It'd not fear that Russia would be
by victory I'VE are
lot military nation he said; that
i not the danger"
why the dolefulness?" l asked.
.sfhe war Is setting back, | fear,
ur splendid system of education
ust we'll under way
lie gave me the facts
The education bill was passed by
he duma about five years ago. 1t
rovided for the building and equip !
nent OF free public schools every
there over the emplre-~a sehoolhouse !
or every fifty ehildren-~with COM !
allsory education. Already 1t has {
pread half over the land. In five
ears 1t win be complete. There Will |
=. fta. ann lsal.A- nalll eafian for aaA- z