Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-28
MiscOI0red Russia Democracy,
Declares American Correspondent

I ladclphla Evening Ledger
come IN touch with II. II weighs upon
them just about as heavily as Wash
ington weighs on the hog warden In
a Connecticut village. And that Is
why the "intellectualsa--the over ed
ucntcd young men, who have lifted
themselves above the people and yet
found no welcome among the peers
have gone in vain 60 the peasants.
preaching revolution. The peasants
have their own democracy.
| The Government 10 BE.
Now and then this huge iron frame
work OF government says at one cor
ner and pinches one race--somewhere
on the thirtieth degree Of latitude. II
does not always III. Perhaps no gov
eminent does; but of one thing you
may be sure. when IL says too much
Il VIII break apart Every nation, as
II mounts the long. steep road OF
evolution, has 10 fit Itself every now
and then with new garment Of gov
eminent And Russia, based on de-
mocracy--with age-old habits of de-
'mocracy-will establish a government
In accord with its new needs and
ideals.
. For Russia has Ideals.
You may not believe either In COM
pulsory education or In compulsory
sobrlety. but Russia believes In both.
The new law which has banishod
strong drink from Russia--from rs
eighty nations---ls an epoch-making
event. II Is the second step IN a long
planned reform that / have watched
for years. The first thing the gov
eminent did was TO Introduce the So
called Swedish system Of handling the
liquor question, 10 closed all the tav-
crns and groggerIes--sinks Of corrup-
tion--and took charge OF the traffic
itself. Where the village grocery had
been Il set up shop of its own. where
vodka could be bought In the original
package-and that way only. IL could
not be drunk on the premises. There
was, however a room where the VIII
layers could gather and drink tea.
Hot water was provided free. and
there were warmth and light and
cheer. All made for sobriety, but the
chief benefit was the fact that the
peasants could not drink on tick
pawn their ponies and plows and
clothes and mortgage their future |
crops 10 the dirty traffickers in vodke
That was a great reform. Then when /
the hour struck the duma passed that |
new law which--just the other day
prohibited the sale of alcoholic IL
quors over the mighty land Of Russia. |
You may not like that sort OF thing. |
you may not Ike democracy but you
cannot know Russia unless you know |
that these are the foundations on
which she is building her future.
National Cornerstones.
Compulsory education, compulsory I
sobrlety ana democraey-thes three.
There's one other cornerstone OF
the new Russian edlfice. don't
know that IT has any place in news
paper article, though II Us the sort of
thing that Is supposed 10 be quite in
nocuous--even for children. II is
this: Russia is q religious country
it Is more than religious; II is God
haunted country. He who would
sketch the future of Russia must
reckon with that enormous fact. And
80 you may see the Russians as a
grave. wise folk. notably given to song
and prayer; friendly, with rare hui
mainly and a sense of world brother
hood quite ineoncevable in a Europe
of clashine trade competitions and
craving military ambitions kindly,
mystic land.
iou tdii Iuubt itursid ~ ~,
cheap and tawdry melodramas of
other days: nor by the ranting of the
s'lntellectuals." who afe mostly de-
classed proletarians, educated above
their brain power. and wandering A
without place or work. in n world they
do not understand. Some OF them are
ireamers and martyrs--without hun
cry personal ambitions; and they. like
The peasant. are making the future Of
their amazing land.
And that future you and land the
big doctor-shall live TO sec.