Woman Suffrage taking possession of northern Europe and western America and striding on from country to country, from state to state; a bloody and desperate people’s revolution in Mexico; and a similar one of the Balkan peoples against Turkey!  Individuals may possibly feel that some one or other of these steps was reckless, even perhaps that some may ultimately have to be retraced in the world’s progress.  But of their general glorious trend no man can doubt.

Were there no reactionary movements to warn us of the terrible reassertion of autocratic power so soon to deluge earth with horror?  Yes, though there were few democratic defeats to measure against the splendid record of advance.  Russia stood, as she has so long stood, the dragon of repression.  In the days of danger from her own people which had followed the disastrous Japanese war, Russia had courted her subject nations by granting them every species of favor.  Now with her returning strength she recommenced her unyielding purpose of “Russianizing” them.  Finland was deprived of the last spark of independence; so that her own chief champions said of her sadly in 1910, “So ends Finland."[1]

[Footnote 1:  See The Crushing of Finland, page 47.]

In southern Russia the persecutions of the Jews were recommenced, with charges of “ritual murder” and other incitements of the ignorant peasantry to massacre.  In Asia, Russia reached out beyond her actual territory to strangle the new-found voice of liberty in Persia.  Russia coveted the Persian territory; Persia had established a constitutional government a few years before; this government, with American help, seemed likely to grow strong and assured in its independence.  So Russia, in the old medieval lawlessness of power, reached out and crushed the Persian government.[2] At this open exertion of tyranny the world looked on, disapproving, but not resisting.  England, in particular, was almost forced into an attitude of partnership with Russia’s crime.  But she submitted sooner than precipitate that universal war the menace of which came so grimly close during the strain of the outbreaks around Turkey.  The millennium of universal peace and brotherhood was obviously still far away.  Not yet could the burden of fleets and armaments be cast aside; though every crisis thus overpassed without the “world war” increased our hopes of ultimately evading its unspeakable horror.

[Footnote 2:  See Persia’s Loss of Liberty, page 199.]

MAN’S ADVANCE IN KNOWLEDGE

Meanwhile, in the calm, enduring realm of scientific knowledge, there was progress, as there is always progress.

No matter what man’s cruelty to his fellows, he has still his curiosity.  Hence he continues forever gathering more and more facts explaining his environment.  He continues also molding that environment to his desires.  Imagination makes him a magician.