The Arizona copper camp., 1918-03-23
EDITORIAL
"sKY"-ING AND SKIDDING

in the fasco of the socaed Russian republic under the
KerensBy and Trotzky regimes says the Los Angeles
tines When the regime of the overthrow
The Times gave warning that if it to be question
between absolute monarchy and absolute socialism IL
Russia the former would be found preferable The tragic
events of the last ten months attest the meness OF that
warning Faddists and theorists the world over then
ioiced; but their JOY bells tolling dirges
To student of economy is patent that in state
where everybody everything nobody owns anytime
and that system which itself with the dstrlbu
ton of existing wealth and not with production is bound
to cpumble under its own weight.
But the founders Of the Russian republic not
political economists; they extreme ldealsts, soldiers
Of fortune and clever crooks Eight short months the
socialist speakers and publications of all countries
felctatng themselves and each other the birth OF
the first great socialist republic The pilgrimage OF So
cass to Petrograd equal in fervor that OF the faithful to
Mecca America sent its quota Lincoln Stefens Charles
Edward Russell among them Russell has returned dis
usoned Steens is explaining that the socialist collapse
occasoned by the stupidity OF the proleaat OF other
countries The socialist publications of this country are
maintaining slencethey have been suppressed for dis
loyal and seditous utterances.
Russia s collapse reveals of the incurabe defects
Of the socialist idea when applied to national government
The ineraionaism that it teaches is the very negaton
of pa1iosm and Russia has given to the world It's most
striking object lesson namely, that When patriotism IS
Dead nation has lost it's power to protect itself against
instruction from within invasion from without Russia
has also demonstrated that, when populace is en-
couraged to take possession by force Of wealth represent
ing the industry and rugay OF others every productive
energy is paTayzed and anarchy follows swiftly
Kerensky may have been sincere in the belief that his
socalistc state could endure. But able men fled from his
government as from pesence. They knew that he was
establishing not liberty but license and it the soldiers
of fortune from the ends Of the earth that gathered about
him Kerenskv preached equality; but he not strong
enough to resist the aurement of the flesh pots OF royalty
Once possession Of the Russian government he installed
himself in the imperial winter palace OF the czaIs ano
gathered about him as centious court faWned
upon the favor Of autocracy Sincere proponents OF JUS
tice and equality turned from him and the sycophants
about him quickly betrayed him to Russas most ancient
and unscrupulous enemies Prussia and AustrlaHungary
Half his composed of Germans and Austrlans
who discarded their birth names to adopt Russian sub
stitutes
Kerenslv was but paving the way however, for
more clever and INSCRIPTIONS than he When Kerensky
rose to supreme power he sought Of his former asso
GATES Among them German adventurer who had
shown arch clevenes plotting during the regime OF the
czars When Russia 1904 he had adopted the Sav
name Leon Trotzky He had prison record IN i've cou1
ries but he had always escaped long confinement heren
sky discovered that this rogue held suspected spy
in Canada and prevailed upon the British ambassador at
Petrograd to his release Kerensky said, IL need
this man to help me in establishing proetarat republic. "
So Trotzy came to Petrograd fairly eXudng loyalty to
the Russian masses and to the cause OF democracy.
Just four months after Trotzky's arrival he had
staged successful revolt that sent Kerensy fleeing from
Petrograd in the garb Of ackey OF the former car
Kerensky's flight dastardy. He first called about
him the of the famous Russian Battalion OF Death
and regiments of cadets and intusted to them the
defense of the winter palace While they were fighting
the forces of the Bolshevi Kerensky fed leaving them
to their fate Half the women killed and the re-
mainder were violated Most of the cadets died fighting
to the last for ideal whose realization not within
the realms of possibility.
Trotzky started his government on an emnenty prac-
teal basis He conscated all the cash in the bank vaults
of the Russian Cities the government printing presses
were set running day and night turning out issues OF
Russian paper money Old plates used there could
be no discrimination between the former currency based
on gold deposits and the bills. He set to work de
ivering Russia bound hand and foot into the power OF
his former countrymen He reported to have sent more
than 100000 secretly from the country to be deposited
to his private account in banks OF neutral states Ten
months before he had been turned out OF cheap apart
Liz