THE BOLSHEVIK.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1919, Page 7

THE BOLSHEVIK.

To the Editor. Sir, —tjnder the above heading, ifl a recent News, .Mr Frank Bell points out that the agitation in Russia under the 1 name of Bolshevism and the agitator (Bolshevik) should not be judged according to the cable news forwarded to us. He points out what the Bolshevik has "not done," and in it all Mr Bell is quite right. Allow me to point out that the people of Russia, when abolishing autocracy as represented by the Czar and his parasites, met in Council—people's councils—to determine the Government of the country, and resolutions submitted to such council were carried by the majority, hence we have the majority rule of Bolshevism. Now. while the outlook during the war was particularly black, we had the British Cabinet supporting the Bolshevik programme (that is if the cableman its to b« believed), as it was recognised that it meant benefit to the mass in reforms affecting alteration in land tenure, preventing exploitation, abolishing monopolies, etc., (all parasitical growths making the burdens of the people unbearable). One of the fundamentals of British justice is that the majority shall rule, but that has been held in abeyance in the Old Country until the advent of Lloyd George and the recent elections there. Is there any need to elaborate the points affecting same? Yet we have, now the same British authorities 'formulating proposals to squash the spread of Bolshevism—squash the rule of majority! I do not hold with the extreme measures adopted (that is, per cable man) by the Bolsheviks, but history lias it that the French ia their uprising did the trick of cleaning their country of the drones in a thorough manner, and by all accounts France is now a poor man's country, which the poor man is willing to sacrifice himself for without a murmur, and until we get authentic information as to the real actions and objects of the Bolshevik it 13 not just to judge by what is sent us by the one-sided cable man. Evolution cannot be stayed no more than the ocean pushed 'back, and in the Bolshevik movement is to be seen the uprising of the majority for a cleaner administration and justice for the people, and a wiping out of all obstacles in a drastic manner chat appeals to a huge mass of illiterate people ground down by all sorts of injustice, but, with the English speaking peoples, who claim advancement in education, such tactics no doubt may be abhorent. However the hypocritical methods adopted by the governing class 111 the latter countries will have "to meet Bolshevism in the near future unless future social problems, accentuated by population, are grasped and treated in an intelligent manner As time goes on the struggling farmer and his fellow producer in the towns will to what extent they have been exploited or practically robbed bv the same class that the Bolshevik is struggling against in their country, and it may be that then the advancement in education may save us from the Russian species of obtaining justice. When they recognised what a heap of hypocrisy the glorious British Empire is composed of as affecting the individual welfare, it will he well for those who are jockeying the proletariat to look to themselves, for so sure as the sun shines so will Bolshevism make its appearance and another phase of evolution for the human race occur. We of Se* Zealand have been held up to older nations as an advanced people, vet when we are put under analysis we cannot help but find that with all our "crowing" we are 110 better in any respect than the older countries, for in all their customs, etc, v.e have been good imitators. Instead of benefiting by the experience of those older countries we have been building on the same foundations: we have the minority ruling, the majority suffering; we have our slums, we have poverty in all its pia.es, we have exploitation (and backed by Government at that), we have and we make criminals, we have an enormous percentage of unfits, we yearly increase in lunatics. In fact, we have all the ills and drawbacks of the older countries, and J would ask is it right, that a new, minis and ought-to-be-vigorous branch of advanced civili/.atinn should be m <m .b a state, and would further can be (lie future of this country it olituiniii" conditions are not reviewed 111 lL interests of the rising and Mure (fenerations ? Can we wonder it a spell of Bolshevism in its rabid form strike*, it m the ne»v future-thai is, llmt the bulk of flu- people wiU take i„K. Ilieir own hands the destiny 0 u rv. and in the interests of the children tliey are responsible for who ...ball blame them:—l am, etc., JOE. B. SIMPSON. Durham Road, dan. ?S, Ml*'-