McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1920-07-09

CdnVHSs tne WISH ana VIII OF the peO-
pie at once. SO they issued the prom
ise / have quoted above. The words
of promise are printed IN capital LET.
ters
II was their moral obligation to
keep this promise made to the people.
II was necessary to keep II, II there
was to be genuinely free Russia.
Who could anticipate and who would
dare write out and put into operation
the plan of government without giving
all of the people OF Russia chance
to pass upon the plan and help formu-
late II through their own chosen rep
resentativesf
This was the first promise the hol-
shevik leaders made to the Russians.
They broke II. II has never been full.
filled. In the constitution and DEGREES
Of the soviet government they have
tried to explain, excuse and condone
this breach of promise. Fairly in
terpreted, all they have said In de-
Tense of this abuse Of power this viO-
lation of trust. is In substance: ut
was necessary to dissolve the Ccnsti-
tuent Assembly; II might have inter
fered with our plans vt might have
jeopardized soviet government" What
right did they have to think, act and
decide for the people any more than
the car had?
In speeches and writings Lenine and
Trotzky have since In a yelled way
suggested that the peasants elected
members of the middle class TO
represent them instead Of peas
ants. What of It? If the peas.
ants make mistakes they will learn
and profit by their mistakes. They
cannot become Independent until they
get chance TO exercise Independence
No man can get muscle by letting an
other fellow use the dumhhels The
Russians-peaSants, workers ana
hourgeoise-are all human beings. and
government. to he democratic. mus
he. as Lincoln put it, "of the people
for the people and by the people" A
government that Is afraid Of the inffu-
ence and power of three or four per
cent of the people isn't able to live
and il doesn't deserve to.
Gladly obeyed Lenine.
Lenine issued his famous order.
peasants. seize the land" This com
mand was obeyed with great enthusi-
asm They forgot all about freedom
and the constitutional convention
They understood hat land meant,
they had been taught that by being do
MED it. They knew little about
political phrases and framework. The
order to se'ze the land tore from the
serfs their heaviest chains. Lenine
became their liherator-hiS was the
voice that said "seize the land"
Probably the peasants would have
done II anyway. Disorder and unrest
had destroyed all respect for property
rights Property rights had differ
ent meaning in Russia than elsewhere
property rights meant the right 10
beat human beings, to buy and sell
sarfs. Yet the fact that Lenine had
uttered the words made them reverence
and respect him even rs q man VIII
be thankful TO one who has told him
to be careful Of q hole in the side
walk, Notwithstanding the fact he has
already seen it. Rolshevism started
with great popularity. This was the
secret of it.
OF course the order to seize the
I land, all land, was based on the idea
that the owners Of land held title by
! and through their own wrongful con-
duct. God had made the ground and
sunshine. and those who had taken IT,
| tie to 1t had only moved on and forced
sheviks reasoned and from this point
of view they We're consistent. From
! the worlds point of view II was con
fiscation. II was dishonest. Many
people believe that acquiring property
| Is frequently the result of industry
and thrift; In some cases the title to
property is based upon cunning. schem.
ing and force. All Of us know thai
| there are some who are without any
private property because they pre-
fer to squnnder their time, dissipaie
their energy and live shiftless lives.
After all, It is matter of opinion, and
from the point of view Of the holshe-
| viks the order peasants. seize the
land" may have been justified.
But when the order was given. the
peasants seized II not for the com
munity but to own II privately. On
this point there ran be no difference
Of opinion among honest. impartial
| fair-minded men, and when the pens.
ants seized the land TO hold. use and
own It as their private property they
were guilty of taking title by the very
means others had taken the land. and
against whom they had complained
and cried Thief"
The Russian people have the power
| to think. They realize that they have
acquired property by the very methods
they have always condemned in 9th
| ers. Their natural selfishness may
constrain them to keep this property,
| Inc sulerihss they nave so'e thVukh
may mitigate the offense, but one eff
feet was inevitable, and that effect
the most serious that could happen to
a people on the threshold Of a free fu.
| ture refer to the weakening of
their moral nature, the making Of
precedent justifying dishonesty.
have found the III effects of this act
on the patient, Russia, In every sub
| sequent symptom.