Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-09-12
THE BOLSHEVIK MIND

Russia, setting 1OIIn so Succlncty what we believe to be the
prevailing opinion in America, that we absorb it in its en-
tlrety in the paragraphs that follow:
To most sane people the operations Of the Bolshevik mind
are 50 obscure as to be virtually incomprchcnsbe We can
all understand the aims the Russian Reds profess, but it is their
principle Of conduct that defeat us. How to reconcile their
subservlence to German autocracy with their turbulence to-
ward everything else is the difficult thing. Of course fear ex-
plains much. Lenine and Trotzky are genuinely afraid of
the Germans, who are in a position to do what they please with
the representatives of the Soviet government, whereas the al
lied nations are not; and even if they were, they have never
manifested the same determination to interfere with the IN
ternal affairs Of Russia that the Germans have shown.
There is also another aspect Of the matter that may ex-
plain much. Lenine and Trotzky must know by this time that
they have failed; that their audaclous attempt to make the
whole world over in a night has broken. down. Under those
circumstances they may very likely prefer a reaction toward
despotism rather than toward democracy. The internal weak
ness OF despotism they know; and they may fairly hope that it
would take very little more Of it to bring about a second and
more enduring proletarian revolution. Democracy, free and
constitutional government, would be a harder nut for them to
crack; if the whole world could have a fair taste of that, it
would have small patience with the hatreds and extrayaga.ces
that the Bolshevlki preach, OF the cruelty and bIoodshed that
they practice.
Moreover, the Bolsheviki are 50 saturated with class con-
seriousness and class hostility that they cannot conceive Il IA
state i'll which classes are only component parts OF a whole,
each fmctionng according to it's special aptitude and, capacity.
They actually believe that one class must rule the others, and
seem to prefer a society i'll which an aristocracy frankly gov
elns, as IN Germany, to one III which a sincere effort is made
to harmonic the interests and equalize the political influence
of the different elements of the population. The irsy tv,,e of
state they can understand, and in it they can carry on the kind
of class war in which they delight; the other by its very exist
1872 -" = N"Nu VI INV Nolhhly VI an InSl upOllNS autl all
their arguments.
1t behooves us to do our best to understand the Bolshevik
mind, for it exists in all countries today. although nowhere
save III Russia has it found the rank soil of ignorance and in
justice in which it has its perfect growth. The leaders of the
Industrial Workers Of the World who were convicted in Clica-
Igo the other day for obstrt,cting the natl on in it's conduct 1of tbc
war have it, IN the degree that it is possibleafo it to attain in
our own country. Like the men who have brought such hui
limitation on Russia, they deny any allegiance to the naticn.
They demand, and if they were strong enough they would bring
about, the instant destruction OF our social systen--our poll
teal organization, our right of property, and probably, too,
our religion; and they would not scruple much more than the
Bolsheviki over the mere details of piIage and murder that
would accompany such an overturlL
The peculiar fault Of this kind of mind is not viciousness
1ol purpose. We believe that the communlstic socialist is inn
practical, and that his system, il persisted in, would in no great
time resolve civilization INTO It's original elements; but he does
not intend to harm the human race. On the contrary, he
thinks himself an agent Of eternal justice and the possessor Of
a secret that will transform our society into one ~ v hicl# hon
iesty, industry and capacity are universal But he is a fanatic.
deceived by speclous arguments and misled by y purely senti-
mental view Of human society. He is unable 10 observe ac-
curately or to reason cody; he is utterly without that indis-.
pensable attribute Of the truly sane mind--patience, and he is
50 obsessed by the urgency of his cause that lie will stick at
nothing, however wicked, to forward it.
1T is not fair TO the reasonable Socialists to confuse. them
with the Bolsheviki, for such men know well enough tlat time
Is q necessary clement il all great social changes. Feuaalism
DID not pass il 4 tWelvennontlL, and capitalistie iralustrlalism
will not do so, either. Tt is the peculiar vice Of the Bolshcyik
mind that IT cannot make OF accept So obvious all observation.
Whenever il sees i chance il will t1g as il did IN Russia to tear
everything down at once, and it will lie as helpless as it Is III
Russia TO build up anything on the ruins. The difficult wears.
that are 5to foloWsfle war will expose a great many unstable
and irritable brains to the infections of Bolslevikisrn. Nc must
recognize the peril and set ourselves to meet il, not alone ana
not CHIEFLY by repression, but by awakening our people to The
true character Ct the danger, and ~ laking up ours minds to
labor patiently for such degree OF pubic and social Justice
as shall deprive the agitatof q the means Isl WIiel, le exists.
The peasWoed Telegram Subordinate iii the. sort 81 editor
~ has. lle IS chiefS makeup man, editor-in-chief telegraph
ledltoT,eit editor, linotype operator, all combined III one and
lheS same person. Until the paper can secure d party 10 op.
crate The tsypesettilgs machine, the editor is demonstrating
Instability to 40 the trick himself.