The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-05-02
BOOK ON soLsHEVIsM
John Spargo's Work Receives Warm
Commentator

The new hook by John Spargo. of
Old Bennington. entitled. 'BOlshe- .
vism." bids fair TO stand out as one /
of the greatest literary successes of +
the year According to a statement /
issued by the publishers. Harper & I
Brothers, New York, two editors were /,
sold out and a third called fer within
a week from its appearance. The
book is being received al great length
in the leading papers all over the
country. Ex-President w, H. Taft
contributed an article on the book
nearly a column and half long 10 the
philadelphia Ledger recently. Sun
days Book Review section of the New
York Times" had flatteTing review of
the book on its front page
Ext President Taft's comment is as
follows:- .th
"At such time when one finds
among people of good intentions a
sneaking and sometimes an avowed
sympathy with the Bolsheviki on the
theory that they are sincere men
struggling for equality and democracy
and the happiness of the masses it
Is fortunate TO have book published
like John Spargos "BolsheVism."
John Spargo was born in England and
was a workingman prominent in the
| trade-uniOn movement there. He is
now an American and Socialist. He
has written much on socialism, and
is an authority on its theories and its
purposes. He has no capitalistic pre-.
I'D. k.~h4 =,
Socialist must reject his economic
views, it is impossible to read his &C.
count of Bolshevism without being
impressed with the fairness with
which he appro aches the subject and
the care with which he selects the
| evidence upon which he bases his
conclusions. 1t has been the habit of
those who have apologized for the
Boleheyists TO refer to their work as
Z an Interesting social experiment by
Honest men sincere in their mistak.
en- faith and true TO democratic prin.
Z ! ciples.
Il eMr iSpargo declares, and establish.
es beyond possibility of denial, that
!, Boishevism is the enemy OF political
and social democracy. He proves it
| out of the mouths Of the leaders Of
/, Bolshevism themselves. He rejects
the evidence of general correspond
ents. He believes many stories of
Bolshevist mass murders and other
atrocities not to he so clearly estab.
lished as to justify his use of them.
His chief source OF information is in
. the records of the Bolshevist govern
. ment and in the published statements
of Lenine.
9 "Lenine and Trotzky were both
sons of Bourgeois parents They
were both Socialists of the left or ex.
: IRENE wing. They still profess to be
followers Of Marx. but they are back
. sliders. They undoubtedly plotted
with the IGerman general STAFF to de-
3 stroy the Russian army. They may
/ have taken German gold but in Spar
q COS Judgement it was not to enrich
: themselves. but merely to carry out
/, their purpose to establish their gov
+; eminent iin Russia They thought
n that in dealing with Germany they
could achieve their purpose and de
I feat Germany's purpose to obtain con
! troll overs Russia. but Germany beat
e them. They pat Germany and the
s Allies in the same capitalistic class
d and had no choice between them. II
n Germanys hhal defeat their chance
+ has come. aaf
THE reai'naturs of the Bolshevik
$ is shown in their treatment Of tn,
h. constituent assembly. Great effor
n had been made under Kerensky Il
,e have the people prepared for the Sc
o lection Of delegates. to this assembly
l. 1t was an enormous task to teach tn,
- electors of one hundred and eight,
= millions ofpeople how to proceed. bu
= the people entered into the work will
earnestness. The date had to b.
N postponed for few months becaus,
J. of the difficulties. and this was mad
n chief ground OF attack by Lenin
- against Kerensky The provisional
= government under the latter was 10y
N ally carrying out the program of tn
m revolution in cooperation with tn
e. majority of the working-class organ
II cations and their leaders and with til
T. peasant organizations But the 30
4 sheviki stepped this by securing tn
IS, detection of the army and suppresse
n the assembly.
Mr.. Spargo says. .I
s The Bolsheviki did not want tn
ideals of the revolution to be realize
e. for the very simple reason that the
Is were opposed to those ideals. Insa
e. the long struggle from Herzen L
ry Kerensky the revolution movement {
no Russia had stood for political demo
N. cracy first OF all Now at the M,
mt lnent- when political democracy wa
- being realized the Bolsheviki sougf
/ to-kill II and to set up something els,
81 namely. a dictatorship of sma
Nv party less than 100000 over a natio
- of lSO,000O00. There can be no di
Is; pute as to this aim. 1t has bee
10 stated by Lenine with great franl