Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-08-05

before the Rocky Mountain Club of
New York, delivered in February
1918. said:
eve talk about patriots in this
country but we do not know what pat
riotism is until we see in Russia
examples of what I call the patriot.
ism of mankind While in Russia
l met some real patriots. There l
met men and women who, for the
benefit of their fellows, had spent
three-quarters of their lives in prisons
and chain.gangs. There l met the
heads of the revolutionary groups
who, for fifty years and more, had
been riskirg their all for Russia's
freedom.
"Then again, Issaw the workings
OF another group equally patriotic,
who believed that ultimate freedom
and possession of the land could only
be worked out by the workingmen
and peasants"
81 will say right here that if at
any time during my travels l was a
W witness of deeds of wanton d%estruc-
tion and violence, it was not in
Russia. If at any time, I was sub.
e cted to any discourtesy or incivility
it was not in Russia"
"There has been considerable civil
strife in one section of the country or
another. but the reports always ap.
pear much more dreadful than the
facts really are. Russia is happy in
her trials because Russia has found
something which her sons and their
father and grandfathers and great
grandfathers have been striving for.
Russia has found freedom. Russia
is a democracy which comes as near
being representative of the soil as it
would be possible to find anywhere. 1t
has mud on its boots, hair on it's face
and love of freedom in it's heart"
"Russia is a government of the
working men and soldiers, of the
peasants and mechanics. 1t is a
democracy which is striving for the
uplift of the great masses. The one
great desire Of perhaps "a per cent
of Russias $50, 900, 600 people is to
have peace, to have land which they
can control aud call their own, to
have a part in the industrial life of
their country and to feel that they
own a part of it, to live lives of ord
er, unrestained by any czar or dicta.
tor, to acquire education and to
improve their conditions. This is
the impulse which has stirred the
Russian people long before and even
since they overthrow the ear. The
Russian democracy wants peace in
France and England and Italy,"
81 have been deely impressed with
the effect of the new found liberty
upon the masses of the Russian people
1t did not turn them into a vengeful
horde, bent on Wholesale massacre
and bloodshed, the newspaper reports
in most part to the contrary notwith-
standing. AS a matter of fact, it
did not change them very much, ex-
cept that from a sad, breif, protest.
ing people they became a glad, amic-
able but rather bewildered people.
They attained liberty and naturally it
is taking some time for them to work
out the system of government under
which they will live. They are a
kindly people and as a nation they
have very high Ideals"
cit was Russian democracy which
gave to the world the cry that there
should have been appreciated earlier
in America and should have resulted
in the unanswering sympathy of
America being extended to the Rus
sian democracy. 1t was the democracy
of Russia which injected into this
war the cry "No secret treaties!''
1t was the democracy of Russia which
gave to the world the principle of
self determination by small national
tiles, which President Wilson has
c%rystallized in his message and which
will form the basis for the freedom
of the world. In the face of declara-
ton like these from the Russian de-
mocracy there has been a torrent OF
abuse from some of the upper classes
and from the American press, which
am sorry to say apparently does not
comprehend some of the most import
ent and fundamental elements of the
Russiau situation"
81 urge strongly that we do DOT
relax our efforts to help the Russians
W. should nut grow impatiant because
Of their attempts to put into practice
what We might regard as wild theriea
We should always remember Jul own
shortcomings while our government
was in the making. Some of the
things whish we have introduced into
our government and which have
worked out satisfactorily would have
been regarded az wild populiam thirty
Years ago's