The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-11-14
WALLING, NOTED SOCIALIST, WRITES
SCATHING INDICTMENT OF B0LShEVlkS

czarism and not OF American presi.
dents. The power Of life and death
is held theoretically. but Is little exer'
cised by our presidents: 1t was the
power that governed Russia in war
and in peace under the cars. and 1t
is the power that governs Russia In
war and peace under the Bolshevist
dictatorship.
Why does such reasoning get any
intelligent hearing among US? Be-
cause Russia is SO far from America.
Russian human nature is much the
same as ours, but Russian conditions
are vastly different We are ready to
hear about the soviets because they
have succeeded" for two years-in
the sense that they are still in exist
ence. Success in America means
nothing. as rule. In poor, backward,
anarchic Russia. plundered by the
car and literally pulverized by the
kaiser. it means little. Under such
conditions those who have the ma
chine guns, the food, the railways. and
the newspapers can hold their power
with a very moderate exercise of in
telligence and organizing capacity.
We are ready to give attention to
the soviet written constitution be-
ton ourselves. the result of the long
delibera tons OF a body Of practical
men, basing their work on the exper.
fence Of centuries. The soviet consti.
tuition is largely the hasty work Of one
ultra theorist-with few other ultra
theorists as assistants. 1t does not
come from political experience, has
not been tested by pra ctice since it's
PRONUNCIATION. and will not be SO test
ed. Not clause stands for moment
against the dictator of his party.
Lenlne's Ego-Mania.
Then we ask how can Lenine be an
evil genius If he is so unlike our evil
characters? In America the only
egoism we know much about is the
egoism Of the individual. Through
swarms OF adventures, criminals and
desperadoes have gathered into Boil
shevist party-as is inevitable in an
unsettled. desperate, and violent move.
ment-Lenine and several of the other
leaders are not to be suspected OF this
form OF selfshness. But In countries
like Russia the most frightful and de-
structive form of ego-mania Is that or
parties and sects. The leaders identify
themselves with their group and are
devoted to it as long as Is follows
them, but are ready to kill or enslave
all outsiders or even rivals for their
leadership-a spirit that breathes
forth from every speech of Trotzky
and Lenine.
America is a practical nation; the
chief vice we find in our rulers usu-
ally is not practical incapacity but
lack of vision and breadth. So we ap'
preciate broad-minder men Of ideas
The Bolshevik leaders. like other
school-educated and self-educated Rus.
slams, are men Of ideas, even If they
have taken these ideas from books
They have been used to discussing
however eoretically-other countries
than their own. Hence the Bolshevik
announcements are we'll and fuently
worded and by no means deficient in
genuine ideas of one kind or another
though they are mostly Of a destruc
tive character. They furnish food TO!
discussion. If they provide no basis
for applied craftsmanship.
| Appeal at Safe Distance.
These qualities in the Bolshevik lit
erature make strong appeal even
to some relatively conservative Amer
afford to forget that these soviet pro
lived by but as a substitute for all
other laws. Such glib, plausible alb
stractons, which will not bea,
analysis. are standing between the
Russian people and ell possibility Of
| real political education for the i'm
mense work of reconstruction that lies
before them. Moreover, the soviet con
stitution and the Bolshevik pronounce
ments for foreign consumption are tbs
| least harmful parts OF the Bolshevil
literature. We must follow the speech
es Of the leaders and their daily edi
| torials to see what monstrous
system of fabrications they are offer
ing the Russian people instead of the
information and common sense reason
| ing of which they are in such desper
ate need.
The soviets have become the rally
Ing cry Of ultra-radicalism in Amer
lea as in other countries. But this Il
not the real danger here. The DANCE
is that great many who were nc
uitra-radicals have been brough
gradually and subconsciously to tina
position by their championship of tn
soviets, and many Of these are Still
unaware Of the full implications of thu
moral aid they are giving the Bol
shevik movement and BolShevik prin
ciples. Socialism is the wedge b.
which these people are being separ
ated from democracy The point Il
not that they favor Bolshevism, 10
the soviets may soon pass away. Blu
that they are abandoning our demo
cratic principles and ideals and intro
ducing a perverted form Of reasonin:
ard habit of playing with truth tina
is likely to be used for the next bat
cause that comes along. That caus'
may come soon and it may be neithe
so hopeless nor SO obviously anti
American as the cause OF the soviets
The pro.soviet liberals" are layin!
the foundations in America for a per
marent anti-democratic and revolu
tionary movement nthe European
model.