The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-06-17
BOLSHEWSM WILL NOT
LAST SAYS TOLSTOY
Son of Noted Novelist Enlightens Lo-
cal People on THE Truth About
Russia" In Which He Describes
Conditions in His Native Land.


last" This was the message brought
to the people of Heppner last night
by Count Illya Tolstoy, son OF the
noted Russian novelist.
Eighty five per cent of the popula-
tion of Russia is made up of the pea
SAINTS, the people who live in the ru-
raj communities and on the farms,
and according to Count Tolstoy, the
peasants are opposed to the rule OF
the Bolshevists. They are tolerating
the Lenin and Trotsky regime now
because they have not the organiza-
ton, the arms and other means to
make an effective uprising and oust
the soviet government from power.
However, Count Tolstoy believes that
the time is not far off when the peo-
nile of Russia will be able to rise,
throw of the shackles of slavery and
form a republic, the United States OF
Russia.
Tolstoy's philosophy is that evil
only can come out of evil. Hence,
the Bolsheviki gained their power as
a result of the world war, primarily,
and as he believes war is evil, the
rule of bolshevism could not result
in good.
The idea of Bolshevism as explain
ed by Count Tolstoy, is one of social
istic Utopia. Everything Is held in
common by the people. Following
out this communistic idea, when the
Bolsheviki took over the government
of Russia all factories were taken
and the communistic rule applied.
In order that the industrial worker
should get the full product OF his
labor" wages we're increased zoo per
cent while the working day was re-
duced to as low as one hour. Tnere
could be but one result from such
an operation. The factories could
not run at profit and were forced
to close down. There were excep-
tions, where the government was for
ced to keep plants going for the man
ufacture of war materials. With no
importations of food stuffs and cloth
ing into Russia and with their own
factories practically all idle, Count
Tolstoy pointed out the extreme SER
iousness of the economic situation.
And to cap the climax is the money
situation. There is lots and lots of
money in Russia but it is absolutely
worthless. A man may have a train
load of Russian money but 1t would
not buy him pair Of shoes no matter
how badly the shoes may be needed.
There is nothing back of the money.
1t has been printed in such large
quantities until the paper has all been
used up and now the paper itself is
worth considerably more than the
money.
Hence the system of exchanging
one article for another has grown up
and this is the only way that business
is carried on.
The Russian people of the lower
class, the peasant tenants and the in
dustrial workers have been slaves for
centuries, but when the rule Of the
Car was overthrown and the provi-
sional government came into being,
this slavery was but temporarily re-
lieved. Kerensky gave promise for
time of being the man of the hour.
The man who could lead Russia from
darkness into light, but it was not
to be. Il firmly believe than Ker-
ensky laid down to the Bolsheviki
willingly" said Count Tolstoy,
Well when the Russian army of
100000 soldiers got tired Of its
dog life existence, it Joined the boil
sheviki, thereby giving Lenin and
Trotsky the necessary strength to
back up all demands.
When the government needed
grain it went to the country villages
and attempted to take it from the
farmer, but the farmer refused to
part with his grain. Sharp battles
ensued but the farmer held to his
grain. He does not like the bO,she-
Wiki and as we said before It is Count
Tolstoys prediction that these pea
SAINT farmers will eventually over
throw the present Russian govern
ment.
Count Tolstoy spoke briefly of his
father, Leo Tolstoy, the famous man
of letters, of his fathers struggle in
the later years of his life, Of his
great moral crisis when he went forth
to find God. He did not find Him In
the Greek Orthodox church, he did
not find Him In the writings of the
great philosophers but he did find
Him in the hearts of the plain Rus
sian peasants. Leo TolstDy's reli-
gion was that Of love. In his dehni-
tion of love he says, "loye in its baser
form is love of self. A step up, a
bigger love is love OF self and family
Above this is love of country, OF ma
tive land, called patriotism But
the perfect love embraces all Of these
and that far greater affection, the
loYe OF all mankind" Count Tol-
stoy is an ardent advocate OF tho
Brotherhood OF Man and he believes
that this once put In practice will
serve far better than any League Of
Nations. for 1t will be League back
ed by love and not by armies and
nayIes,