The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-11-23
COUNT .T0LST0Y
SEES NEW RUSS.
NATION RISING
Communism Has Now Passed,
Bolshevism Is Losing
Ground, Life Is. Teaching
VIOLENCE NO CURE
Tells Auditors That You Can.
not Fight the Bolsheviki
With Own Weapons

Sou"S AososVSp sSSSuaSAs FN'A
osopher and writer and son Of the
immortal Leo Tolstoy, gave 1900 pco-
pie crowded into the city auditorium
last night and intimate picture Of
Russian life and an explanation of
the catastrophe upheavals Of his
native land in the last five years.
Count Tolstoy, lecturing here under
the auspices of the Association of
Commerce, as compliment to the
teachers, deeply impressed his aud
ience with his sincerity and the clAr-
ity OF his analysis of the situation.
Count Tolstoy had been announced
as an opponent of the Soviet. He
was not, however, an opponent Of
the fire eating" sort-he discussed
calmly and mode rately the whole sit
uation and the fundamental causes
as he sees them. and pune pred his
lecture with numerous humorous
sallies. An old man, distinguished in
appearance, Count Tolstoy voiced
throughout his talk deep sympathy
for his country.
He predicted Bolshevism would
pass and Russia would emerge anew,
greater than ever. Hate and vio-
lence will not conquer the Bolsheviki,
however, he said. Love and tolera-
tion, the teachings of his father,
will. solve the problem.
Life, the great teacher of US all,
is curing the ills of Russia" he said.
Count Tolstoy has been a resident
of America for six years, living in
Connecticut. He has travelled all
over the country and has been in
North Dakota before, more than once.
He spoke perfect English.
In the beginning he spoke of the
underlying structure Of Russian
greatness. y
Knows Soul of Nation
"Too many people go to Russia
and stay eight or ten days and then
come back and they are. authorities
on the situation" he said. ~ know
something that these authorities do
not know-I know the soul of the ma
tion"
Seventy, percent of the Russian
peasants, he said, are illiterates, but
added that illiteracy is not always
ignorance. The Russia peasant, he
said, knows the traditions and high
ideals of the past-he has wisdom.
He has the inspiration of centuries
of achievement and this, he, said, is
why Russia had produced so much
great literature, so many great ar
:cAc Thn Dnccsnv> hn coil
is at once the foundation and back
bone of Russia.
One other class, he said, is respon-
sible for the creation Of Russia-the
educated class. They are idealists
and care not for money, he said. They
have produced great works OF
science, literature, philosophy. With
these people, he said, man who
had too much money was looAcd up
on with suspicion.
The progranhof the Bolshevism is
communism, he said-equality, no
one to have more than another. Capt.
talism. is the enemy Of Bolshevism
and therefore must be destroyed, and
new structure built from the
ground. This, he said, was the pro-
gram of the Bolsheviki when they
gained control in Russia.
The revolution, he said, was sup
ported by the two worst elements
in Russia, the workmen and the pro-
fessional soldiers. The workmen, he
said are not to be compared to what
are known as American workmen.
The Russ workmen are unskilled,
iliterate and usually are in the
cities because they have left families
in the country, he said. They con-
stitutc a small class. H..
The Russian people, Count Tolstoy,
who declared he was for democracy,
had been enslaved by capitalism and
the autocrats..
Is Punishment
"Bolshevism," he said, twas the
punishment for the enslavcmcnt of
Russia. and also the reaction from
the war;"
The motto Of the revolutionists, he
said, was "rob the robber." Their
conception Of naturalization was
distribution Of property. They lost
their incentive to work under the
communistic idea that every man
would get the same. 1t is a law of
human nature that man will not work
without incentive, he said.
Here, he said, began the disrup-
tion Of Russia-fsctories stopped,
railways had to shut down, factories
closed their doors. He cited few,
comparisons Of the purchasing value
Of products. Whereas, he said, in
the old days the prices Of shirt
equalled 40 pounds Of ground it now
equals 800 pounds Of grain.
So, he said, the peasant does not
sell his grain. The factories are
closed, business disrupted, people
capnot buy. The peasant is now
wearing homespun clothes again. he
uses sticks to make q fire instead
of Kerosene. he uses honey for sugar:
People he said, are returning to
the primitive life.','' !.
The Bolsheviki cannot 60 on with
their program, he asserted. The Boil