The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-06-18

who has little shop--it may repre-
sent the sacrifices and savings OF MS
whole dife--comes under the ban, he
Is unfit for free citizenship in bolshe-
ylk Russia; the farmer who hires
help, and almost every farmer Is COM
PEELED to employ help in the harvest
time, Is criminal exploiter and he
IL denied the right TO vote or hold
an office.
The man who devotes his life to
religion. who comforts the poor, visits
the sick, the servant OF God IL driven
from the political house; he Is denied
the right to vote. II is dangerous to
give the thrifty, the Industrious, the
vote. Tie fact that ;hey were born
In Russia, TINT their parents and
grandparents were natives to the soil
Cor centuries, means nothing. These
DISTINGUISHED ones speak the Russian.
language; Il Is their only tongue.
Their blood has had part In Russian
suffering. The bolshevik constitution
exiles them. They are natives without
country; and why2 Because by hon
esty and industry they have saved a
little; because they have tried to get
on. Lenine says such people are filled
with dangerous ambition; they are
climbing the ladder Of capitalism;
they are dangerous to the proletariat.
The soldier Ia not an employer OF
labor; he cannot be; he is given
vote. The sailor Is not an employer OF
labor; he cannot be; he is given q
vote.
The constitutional provision defining
citizenship puts premium on indo-
lence, penalty on industry 1t encour-
ages waste: 1t Furnishes economy It
makes the successful an outcast; it
makes OF the ne'er-do-well citizen;
frugality, thrift and Industry are
crimes; those who possess these quail
tiles are branded as undesirables;
they are denied citizenship.
No Possible Justification.
Lenine tries to justify all Of this
by saying that In the transition from
capitalism TO socialism 1t is necessary
to rule with an iron hand. Capitalism
must be destroyed. The system must
be uprooted. Even so, what right has
Lenine, without the consent of the
majority, to take citizenship from ma
tive Russians2 What Is his excuse for
Il? Where Is the force Of his argu-
ment? Even admitting, for the sake of
argument. that communism, bolshe-
yism, Is panacea for all the Ills OF
the human race. what right has Lenine
and his minority TO force 1t on the
people OF Russian Conceding his creed
is for the common good, is 1t not his
first duty to make the people see and
understand Its virtues, and then, by
and with the majority consent, put she
creed to the test7 To assert that his
program is economic does not change
the fact that his methods are not dem
ocratic The Lenine system of dis
franchislng the people is bound TO de-
moralize them.
How can q people be free without
learning self-reIiance, without trying
self-government2 Proclaiming people
free does not make them free. Free
dom Is action. 1t is thinking. 1t is the
ability to govern ones self. 1t comes
from experience and exercise In gov
ernlng ones self. The definition Of
freedom 10 self-determination, and the
word 'self' is an important part Of
the definition. Admitting for the mo-
ment that Lenlne Is trying to govern
the people for their benefit, although
he is not giving them a thinking part
In the government, does 1t not follow
that his methods incapacltate the
people for self-government? How can
child learn to walk except by try
ing, and even though the child Stun
hles and falls, is bruised and hurt,
these experiences are part of the edu-
cation In walking.
Real Test Of Freedom.
The right to vote is the test of free
dom. Rob a free man of his voting
right and you make of him something
less than a free man. 1t does not mat
ter whether you treat him well or not,
II you rule him without giving him a
say In his own government, you de-
stroy his independence. Suppose the
constitution Of a debating society, q
lodge. a farmers grange, a labor
union, declared that some members
could hold office and vote, while others
were not eligible for Office and could
not vote. What would be the position
in the body of those who were denied
all right Of participation in its affairs
They would be compelled to obey the
rules, do the bidding and bow to the
wish of those who had the right to
vote. What would be the effect upon
the yoteless onesH They would be de.
moralized: they would become non,
entities. Those possessing the voting
power would grow arrogant, arbitrary
and autocratic. The war Of the ages
the struggle of all history, has been
the hght Of men for equality in gov.