MONKS BECOME SOCIALISTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 248, 28 October 1901, Page 4

MONKS BECOME SOCIALISTS.

THE CZAR TAKES A HAND. ST. Petersburg Sept. 5. The Russian Greek monks of the Monastery of Vassilskoyc, near Moscow, have got into trouble. A few months ago they admitted a brother into the ranks who had been a rich farmer in tiie province of Tula, but had tired of the world and sought rest. As time went on the new brother, who had somewhat imperfectly assimilated the socialistic views of Count Tolstoi, began to explain the Count’s theories to the fraternity, with the result that they all became avowed Tolstoists. During their free time they visited the villages far and near, spoke to the peasants about the evils of militarism, assisted thou to repair their houses, gave their sick medicine and made havoc of the monastery property in the interests of tile surrounding poor. They even began a lively correspondence with monks in neighboring monasteries with the object of obtaining new adherents to their views, and in many cases succeeded.

But in Russia they have a short way of dealing with such enthusiasts. The younger brethren were prohibited from leaving the monastery and the brother from Tula ami several of the other ringleaders were despatched to the monastic penal station of Soiovetski, on an island in the White Idea, where they are to remain until their superiors are satisfied that they are thoroughly vepentan t.