The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-25


to the living death Of Siberia.
The Russian people did none Sol
these things. They limited their re-
venge to the burning Of police sta
ton sas a sign Of protest against the
hated police. When the hated police
ceased to fight against the citizens
and soldiers, their lives we're spared
A few OF. the worst traitors were
cast intd,>Zason. Nobody was put tc
leath.
The car whose detestable charac'
ter and appetite for cruelty had been
responsible for Bloody Monday and
other horrors, was put under guard
but not harmed.
.Mhen whose brothers and sisters
had rotted in the underground cells
Of Siberia and men whose mothers
and sisters and wives had been shot
dow non Bloody Monday refused to
seek the least revenge.
hey were wise they were humane,
and thy never lost their bearings
They said: 1t is the system that we
make war upon, not the Individual.
Therefore they achieved their place
in history with the least bloody and
least cruel revolution ever known,
and started democracy by abolishing
the death penalty establishing uni
versal suffrage and standing for
practically universal amnesty.
| submit that people capable OF
such things are perfectly capable OF
steering and maintaining their de-
mocracy, If they are allowed to have
fairl chance at it.
2-Whe nthe revolution broke the
entire existing system Of police and
public order (So-called) slid into the
discard. 1t Just blew up, vanished and
ceased to be, the whole thing, police,
agents, spies, police courts, prosecu-
tors perjurers and the rest.
Well, imagine any great American
city "a hours without a police force
or any other sign Of government!
What do you think would happen?
New York, TO rinstance; or Chicago.
Suppose every policeman should be
removed from Red Hook, or Corcor-
ans Roost, and 1t should become
known that there were no more po-
lice courts and no police departments?
You would not care to promenade
around those regions at night, would
you? Nor in the day time, either.
But you could promenade around
Petrograd or Moscow at any hour OF
the day or night, not policeman in
sight or within call, and be in per-
feet safety.
The people went about their bust
ness with perfect order and compos-
ure. Without any compulsion they
respected one another's rights. With
out police supervision they supervis-
ed themselves,
On Sunday, July 1, I saw in Petro-
grad 100000 men and women dem
onstrating" in the streets, which
means that they marched with binds
and banners and held meetings and
heard oratory,
Reactioaries had predicted that
when all these low, common people
should be turned loose, rlot, raVlnS
and ruin would be inevitable. There
wasn't enough disturbance anywhere
to disturb your grandmother's nap.
The low, common people proved to be
exceedingly intelligent, well behaved,
quiet and orderly, an dtheir meetings
produced oratory of which any ma
ton might be proud. You will find
such speakers in the American con-
gress nor the British parliament.
No, the world need not fear that
these people do not know what to
do with their liberty. They know
we'll enough. The only question is
whether they are to have any liber-
ty.
And that depends in a large mea-
sure upon how soon the United
States can get ready with its might
lest wallop.