The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-10

ago. during the first revolution. It
would have been natural death, and
both sides would have gained by t.
The principle of monarchy and tho
car himself would not have been SC
hated as now. and, on the other hand,
the country would not have been poi
sone1 as II now is The monarchic
system. in its practically unlimited
I form, was dead in Russia long ago,
and decaying. poisoned all the atmos-
phere around it,
The old regime, degeueratei to such
figures as Soukhomlinoff, Rasputin
and Protopopof, came TO an end.
leaving the country in "A state OF such
disorganizatiop that no government
in the world could have led ii through
the enormous difficulties better than
the provisional government did The
Reorganization of transportation
brought hunger and cold to the Rus
sian cities and created an atmosphere
in which every kind of auarchistic
agitation could be successful Lenine
and his followers, with their slogan
of immediate peace, with their hatred
for the wealthy classes. with their
plans for the Dictatorship of the la
boring class, naturally could appeal
more to the suffering, comparatively
uueducated Russian masses, already
crimes committed against them by the
old regime. than the arguments OF
Socialist leaders like Kerensky and
TseretelH, who appeal to the masses
TO stay in the war. and If necessary
suffer more and more for the cause
OF the worlds democracy.
As ] have said once before, Keren-
sky is not less Socialist than LenLne,
but the difference between them is
III 7 IL,
tahllsh the Socialist state almost i'm
mediately, kerensky understands that
an apple. sweet and ready to he eaten
In October, is sour and indigestible In
June. The Bolsheviki are the kind
Of revoluuonists who discredit the
revolution more than any counter
revolutionists. They are the kind OF
Socialists" who discredlt the socialis-
tic cause more than any direct enemy
Of socialism. The rule OF the Boil
sheviki n Russia would mean an end
to the Russian revolution, an end to
the Russian democracy. would pro-
woke the darkest political reaction.
The rule of the Bolsheviki in the
near future IS almost inevitable if
they are not eliminated from Russian
life by immediate decisive measures
Otherwise their power Is liable to
grow, and will grow with the coming
winter, with the hunger ana cold
threatening almost every Russian
home The BolsheWki danger Is like
a cancer, II it is not operated on in
time it Is bound to grow iii it reaches
the vital organs and kills the pa
tent.
The situation in Russia IL critical
and dangerous, and the determine
ton Of Kerensky in creating the CO.
nIition cabinet is the bright spot in
the situation. Pursuing this course
Kerensky will have against him the
Bolsheviki but with him Will he en-
tire Russia, at least 95 per cent Of
the revolutionary democracy still un-
affected by the terrible disease, an
archy. A phsical clash between the
Bolsheviki and the forces supporting
the provisional government is almost
inevitable, and under Tho circum-
stances II need not create fear. There
are very few chances that the Boil
sheviid will suddenly understand the
seriousness of the situation and sin
cerely yield TO the provisional gov
eminent. Most probably they will
not do so. and therefore the sooner
the inevitable clash comes the better
for Russia, for Russian democracy
and for the great cause OF tho worlds
democracy.