OCR Text |
Show AN HISTORICAL CHANGE. Tf one were to seek for the rpal raune of the calamities which have been visited visit-ed upon Russlfl- the defeat by Japan, the rehellion with its hydra heads of arson, massacre and rapine, he would And It. in the fact thnt the throne and the courtiers of that absolute monarchy mon-archy have remained insensat" to the demand for and by a penitent nobility. Through the teachings of philosophers philoso-phers and humanitarians there arose In Russia among the aristocrats a nohle hand of self-sacriflcing creatures who recognized the wrongs and cruelties which had been perpetrated by their order upon the peasantry and indeed, upon ail who came under the vengeance of suspicion These have sought for many years, hv the proffered immolation immola-tion of their own Interests and their own lives, to make atonement for the tyrannies of the class and to induce or to enforce such reforms as would make restitution to the mass. The inhuman determination to reject the pb'a of Russia's penitent nobility has kept, the Empire In a hell of horror ever since the assassination of Alexander Alexan-der II Rut the reforms will come. No hand can stay them. And when they "hall be established, even the ruling classes Will look hack with remorse upon up-on the reign of terror within the Empire Em-pire and the disgrace which the Empire Em-pire has encountered ahroad- -the un-necessary un-necessary and useless tribute to the vanity, thr rnelty. lr deed, the savagery, sav-agery, of monarchical absolutism. Th i description of Ri.ssla's crime and folly is so exactly a parallel of the Course Of the Mormon church hierarchy thai the Observer pauses in wonderment wonder-ment at the failure of the prophets, peers, and revolators to Justly CODBtniS the world's events which are occurring under t heir sysS. There has- ben a monarchical class in l'tah from the day of Rrlgham Young until rum As In the case of the weak Nicholas In Russia, the ignorant autocrat of the church today is more intense and determined to hold to the absolutism of his position than any of his predecessors. From within the Church goes up the cry for reform. It has voiced Itself 111 a hundred ways. Rut the czar of the Mormon kingdom refuses to yield. His policies have disgraced dis-graced his kingdom and this State of l'tah abroad, and have Tilled this community com-munity with rruel oonseQuences. He has his COSSackS and his Siberia He has his secret service. Tremble as he may within his barred palace?, he atlll thinks that uprising may be conquered by tyranny. Like the Csar he throws his whole people In front Of him when foreign foe assails; and like the t'zar he seeks to exterminate extermi-nate every remonstrant within. Rut as at: historical change Is taking place In the character of the Russian Government. so another historical thange is occurring in the character of the Mormon community Joseph F Smith has been wont to say that the people were without a prophet before the advent of his uncle, the founder of the faith Close observers are beginning to realize that Joseph F. Smith will be a prophet without a people peo-ple If he shall continue In his present Course Of Ignorant tyranny. |