The New York herald., 1922-03-05


osity should be manifested as result
= Of the scanty report which came out
of Canada recently that the leader of the
Doukhobours has suggested plan to regis
ter protest against what the sect regards
as exorbitant taxation Of their persons and
properties by the Canadian Government
The suggested plan is that all the chill
dren of the sect under the age OF 10 and
all the aged and inJirm be drotoned in the
rivcrs of Manitoba.
And this leader-Peter verigin by name
been disobeyed. He has given warning to
the Canadian Government that unless some
relief were effected to relieve the pressure
of taxation it would be necessary for all
those except the self-supporting and able
bodied to be destroyed; and there is no
reason to doubt that the promise is no
mere threat made as bluff or for sensa.
tional motives.
The Doukhobours are Russian religious
sect, accounted by some fanatical, which,
after being prosecuted for almost two GEN.
turies in Russia, sought refuge in Canada
and settled in Manitoba. There was con-
siderable trouble when the whole 5000 of
them refused to recognize the King Of
England.
They are serious, worshipful lot. Their
leader can do no wrong. 1t is believedSin
some quarters-even official quarters-that
the children and the aged would certainly
be slain If Verigin should give the word.
And If he should say to the mothers of the
sect: 60, drown your children in the
rivers" no Government, no soldiers, no
ulterior or personal force could prevent.
Mother Love Might Save,
For Instinct Is Strongest
But there is perhaps some unseen power
that would save the lives of the Doukho-
bour babies. That saving power would be
mother love. 1t is not conceivable that the
mothers of children could have at any time
in the ages marched in solemn, purposeful
columns down to the banks of the streams
that rush through their domains in Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Co
lumbia, leading their children or carrying
swift current. Nor is it conceivable that
the Doukhobour mothers would calmly
heed the command of Verigin were he to
give 1t.
But they might; even the inconceivable
sometimes comes to pass.
Religion is a powerful Impetus : relig-
ious fanaticism-if it be fanaticism-is a
hurtling impulse that is not fieeting. They
call themselves descendants Of Abraham
and did not Abraham take Isaac out to sac
rifice him on the mountain top? And
would he not have offered the body of Isaac
up as a sacrifice had not the voice from
the burning bush deferred him? Theology
holds that none but the hand OF God could
have deferred Abraham.
Peter Verigin, known affectionately to his
brothers of the Doukhobours as "Petuish
ka," is the breath and voice and embodi-
ment of the Omnipotent to them. He must
be obeyed. 1t would be to them as the
very voice of God were he to command that
the puerile and the infirm be killed. so that
the strong might start out on their jour-
neying unincumbered, to preach to the
world the coming of "The Day of Judg-
ment"
That is what they plan to do in case
It is found "expedient" to destroy the bur-
densome young and the feeble aged They
believe firmly that the Day of Judgment is
In the offing 1t is not far away, they say,
and they want to warn the world that it
may assemble itself and prepare for the
great purging
That is their justification for the sug-
gestion that the children and the infirm be
put to death-that II is their call to go out
and preach dire warnings to the world
Abraham's Case Different
Because He Was Man
But would the mothers kill their OFF
spring? Could they? Many things that
border upon the impossible are conceiv-
able, but Is such circumstance? Scarcely.
II Is as inconceivable as is mothers love.
None can comprehend the love of mother
for her child. 1t is greater than her love
for herself
Even verigin himself, 1t appears, is not
as certain that the mothers would obey
his orders as he has been always in the
past. He has said to outsiders that his
command, il issued. would be for "obedi-
ence in principle only"-that he would
ask the mothers to say their children
Theoretically"
Perhaps this Is what he means. But
there are some who believe he may issue
the dread order in all seriousness.
Abraham undoubtedly would have con-
summated the sacrifice OF Isaac. his son,