Show PRINCE SMILES ON PEASANT The Czar of Russia is a Vel very kindly sovereign The curse of Russia is not so much absolute monarchy mon monO archy as s bureaucracy Ab Absolute monarchy in it sit sit- it self represented by hy a benevolent Emperor is not the greatest of evils But Bit there can be no nb no absolute monarchy without a governmental go machinery not of the peoples people's choice hoice The Czar i is humane but his governmental system has bas no heart It lives and acts acta for definite purposes please or offend whom it ma may benefiting a a. few oppressing many ninny more lording it gently gentl over some grinding others into the very elX dust dUft The Czar personally knows very ery little of the oppressions op Opt and amid injustices visited on thousands of his subjects He knows however howe that the aim and aud end of othe the machine of which he is the nominal head is isto isto isto to perpetuate his despotic rule and anti extend the tile spheres of Russian dominion and influence To do him justice he lie is ready when suffering presents jt it- it itself itself self to give gi relief An instance in point A peasant peas pens ant nt complained 1 at the palace e that Prince Da was vms oppressing and driving him hard ilard for fm taxes The Czar received d the pea peasant allt listened to his story I and gave gae orders to pa pay him hini jO GO He then sent for Prince Davidoff ordered him to retire to his estate I and treat his people as they ought to be treated and read him biln a it long lecture a about a out Count Tolstoi whose example he bade hade the Prince to imitate Look at af Leo said his bis imperial majesty See how he is kind to the poor people committed to h his lis s charge halg and shares their burden with them Go and aud do likewise Hire Hire- like like- wise and nd when I hear that your estates states flourish are lug ing and your peasants happy happ I shall send end for lot you ou again The Czar is said to be he deeply exercised over the l hapless condition of his nobles Before Finance e Minister tte left St. St Petersburg for Siberia Si Sit beria and Manchuria he founded at the benevolent Emperors Emperor's suggestion a bank from which impe- impe nobles might get loans Joans at easy rates Mote More than tenths nine-tenths of the land Jand nomina nominally held by bJ Russian his Rus sian nobility is it is if said mortgaged ed as as deeply as aR it will bear The poor nobles more than half ball a mili mil mil- lion i in nuI number are arc sinking day by day into abject poverty merging in many cases with th the thc proletariat t tin in the large cities How like the thc a French ante revolutionary revo revo- nobl nobles are arc li the hc period The wealthier on other hand band gravitating to the cities espe especially St. St Petersburg where the they live in splendor vice rice and extravagance till the l knell ne ruin rings out How lil like e also the fhe French noblesse that thronged the court of Louis XV and unfortunate his unfortunate successor while their tenants in the intervals between starving periods pe pc pe- pe swore a vengeance that came like a n torrent of tire lire and blood from the very verj firmament The Czar is iR said suld to be using pressure on this latter class cass of nobles to quit the capital and reside on their es eSt es- es tates But this and other measures of reform like liJe it will wiIl fail as did those of French Bourbon Kings attempted when too late If the Czar would understand understand under under- stand or 01 understanding it muster up tip courage enough to admit that no government can in the twentieth century hope for fm endurance much less perpetuation that perpetuation that is not based on human brotherhood brotherhood brotherhood brother brother- hood which distinctly implies the equality of men he ho might begin to 1 lay a the solid foundations of a government the most powerful next to O our oui ll own that the world has ever eyer yet Jet seen seen- |