Страница:L. N. Tolstoy. All in 90 volumes. Volume 79.pdf/139

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necessary, as was fifty years ago the emancipation of men in America and Russia from direct slavery.

Unfortunately, as direct slave-owners endeavoured with all their power to retain direct slavery, which was advantageous for them, so also at the present time the wealthy classes use all their power for the retention of indirect slavery based upon landed property.

In Russia, where people have never recognised landed property, this infamous action is particularly loathsome on the part of a stupid and coarse government which is endeavouring not only to retain the slaves in their servitude, but also by depraving the people to intensify their slavery in the future. I regard as stupid the action of our present government, because if it had put into practice Henry Georgeis principle that land cannot become exclusive property, — a principle always recognised and still recognised by the great mass of the Russian peasantry, — this measure alone, more effectually than all the acts of violence and cruelty now being accomplished by the government, would have pacified the people, and rendered impossible the codtinuation of the revolution. Whereas the Russian government has had recourse to a measure pricisely contrary to such an one by encouraging in every way the transference of the land from communal ownership to private individual ownership.1 In this I see the government's astounding stupidity. Whilst in those measures which the government applies for the repression of the dissafection amongst the people naturally flowing from their want in land, is manifested the government’s astounding cruelty.

Therefore the activity of the Single-Tax League organised in England is especially gladdening.

Henry George is especially to be appreciated by those who profess Christianity in its true sense, for not only are the foundations of his teaching, but also his methods truly Christian. As Jesus in his utterance, «Ye have heard that it was said: Thou shalt not kill,... but I say unto you, Resist not evil», has pointed out that the commandment, «Thou shalt not kill», never, absolutely in no case, can be broken, that neither may the pretext of retribution or of defence serve as a reason for the violation of this commandment; exactly so does Henry George point out that the commandment «Thou shalt not steal», can and should in no case be violated, and that as the pretext of right of property

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