The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-26
THE RUSSIAN COLLAPSE.


The cables carry the announcement
that the Russian peasants are refus-
ing to sell their grain, preferring TO
hold it for seed. = Every farmer in this
country will see this joke. He knows
that the product of one acre of wheat
will seed from twenty to thirty acres
and in the case of corn the figures
would be much larger. 1t must be
apparent, therefore, that the Russian
peasants are actuated by motives
other than those set forth.
The fact is, the Russian soviet sys-
tenn OF military control over capital
and labor has failed. The principles
upon which it was founded were ut
terly unsound because they ignored
the forces controlling human action.
They assumed that self interest could
be set aside as an actuating influence
and that men could be driven to do
the will of self-constituted dictators.
The experiment has been disastrous in
it's results but may have been worth
while, as Russia could probably not
have learned its lesson in economics
by any other means.
The Lenin-Trotzky regime under
took to confiscate property and con-
script labor, denying men the contin-
ued enjoyment of their savings and
commanding them to engage in the
occupations for which the 6:ctators
deemed them best fitted or in which
they were most needed. Copfiscation
of property was easy in the first in
stance, for men readily gave up their
property in order to save their lives
But they accumulated no more prop
erty to be turned over to the COM
munists, and this source of revenue
for the soviet was cut Off
Consumption of labor succeeded no
better. So long as an armed guard
stood over them, men worked with a
fair degree OF diligence at what they
were assigned to do. but maintaining
an armed guard is an expensive meth
cd, and the character of work OBJ
tanned was far from satisfactory.
Gradually men found means of evad-
ing work, and local authorities relaxed
in enforcement of soviet requirements
The Bolshevists overthrow one form
of militarism only to establish another
which worked no better. In fact, it
was less satisfactory as measured
either by commercial results or by
happiness and contentment among the
people. Men who had the ability to
direct large enterprises and who had
created employment for labor by saw
ing and investing their money were
driven from active operations. Men
of superior ability were assigned to
mental tasks. Instead of winning
honor. success was rewarded by hu-
initiation, If not worse. Farmers were
expected to continue to produce crops
altho the fruit of'their toll was taken
from them without compensation.
Labor was expected to give up its lib
erty-its right to choose the occupa-
ton it would follow and the employ
ers in whose service it would engage.
If the Bolshevist leaders had been
men of infinite wisdom and virture,
with men of similar character for
their subjects, such a. scheme might
have succeeded. But in the hands of
men of selfishness and ambition, in
experienced in business as well as gov
eminent, the plan was certain to fail.
For neither the laborer nor the capt
talist-for neither the man of natural
ability nor the man of no special at
tainments, did the future hold any
hope so long as the Lenin autocracy
held sway. Production halted because
there was no recognition of the right
Of property N the fruits of productiSs,
and poverty and want and retrogres-
sion prevail thruout the land.