McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1919-01-17
New York Letter.

While we are waiting for things
to develop in the world-council of the
nations in France, let us turn our
eyes to poor, tortured Russia. She
has lost her head, and is floundering
around like chicken that has just
been beheaded with an axe. A Scoth-
woman was once lamenting that her
husband had lost his head. She said,
weeping to a friend: "Of course he
didn't have much of a head, but it was
the only one the pulr man hadw The
car kept Russia together till he was
dethroned, now it seems to be going
to pieces. A high Russian official
said to me last year: IF your coun-
try and the Allies had only gone right
into Russia on the heels Of the Reyo-
luton and helped the decent Russians
set up substantial government. this
terrible condition would have been
avoided" 1t is easy to say that now,
but perhaps If we had gone on then,
this same man would now be telling
US that all would have been well with
his country if we hadn't interfered!
have been following the situation
in Russia with great interest, as |
have learned their language and met
many Of their brightest people here,
including the diplomatic and consul
lar officers But even the Russians
themselves do not know what is going
to happen there. The Bolsheyiki (pro-
nounced vee-kee, with the
accent on the keel now have the up
per hand, and are running the cnun-
try as fast as they can. First, they
started the bad work at the suggest
ion Of Germany; now they are doing
it for pure devilment. They are try
ing to kill off the decent, educated
people. and put the bottom on top by
giving the authority to every ragga-
muffin that claims to hate the capi-
baists and love the socialists.
The word Bolshevik (accent on last
syllable, "week") in Russians means
one who stands for the most radical
measures Of social revolution. 1t
comes from the word "bolshe." big,
and "bolshinstvo" (accent of the last
syllable) or majority, and was first
applied at meeting Of Russian an
archists at Lausanne, Switzerland, in
January, 1905, by man named III
ianotf, who, under the name of Niko-
lai Lenine pronounced Lennin. with
the accent on the first syllable All
present were for revolution, but part
Of the members were for gradual
change through education; they were
called Menshiyiki (men-shee means
less) and those who wanted the
whole hog" or immediate overthrow
of the autocratic government and the
establishment of socialistic rule, took
the name of Bolshevik. A New York
Jew named Trotzky, and this Lenine.
took the reigns Of power in hand, and
still hold it. Let US see what these
'Bolsheviki are driving at. | take this
Information from a pamphlet on Bol-
shevism written by Lenine himself,
which translated from Russian into
English for the use Of our depart
ment here.
First Of all, they wish to take away
all land from present owners and give
those lands to those who have none,
or who work the lands. Suppose that
the shabbiest fellow in your neighbor-
hood (you know who that isl should
be led up to your gate and given po-
session Of all you have, by the Boil
shevik authorities; you are TO have
the sweet land GLORIOUS privilege Of
working for him, (on your own place,
that was.) He never owned a foot of
land in bis life, nor Desired any. You
may have worked half a lifetime TO
get what you have, but this loafter
gets it all. and you are bis hired man,
if you want to get something TO eat.
1t is true, be worked with you, or
.pretends to, and you have to toll but
four hours a day. But you own moth
ing.
Then they want to take all money
away from the people Especially the
capitalists, whom th, y hate) and dump
it all into one big bank and put it in
chartra Of one Of the very dirtiast