The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-04-03 00:00:00

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO LIVERPOOL.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1886.

NIHILISM IN LONDON:

At the invitation of the Socialist League, M. Ster
niak, the well-known Nihilist leader' delivered
lecture on Sunday evening at KelmscottHouse, in the
Upper Mall, Hammersmith, upon the subject of tbe
Russian revolutionary movement. The hall in which
the lecture was delivered is a kind of outhouse facing
the river, long and tunnel-like in structure and with
bare whitewashed brick walls, without any break 00
either side in the shape of a window or doorwal•
Four small paraffin lamps nailed to upright beams,
together with a couple of wax candles on the chair
man's table, served to illumine the place, which
capable of accommodating some 70 or 80 people. Thti,
chief ornameat upon the walls was a contents bill ol
the organ of the Socialist League, in which a pro'
minent feature was the announcement of an article
on "the imbecility of universal thrift." The seatieg
capacity of the small building was put to a cevere
test that evening, when a curiously mixed gathering
took place of Socialists and Nihilists apparentlY,
of some half dozen different nationalities, °1
whom a fair proportion were ladies. Anioag
the foreigners present was Prince Krapotkinef
whilst English Socialism was represented by Mr. Alril"
ham Morris. It was noticeable that both Socialist
and Nihilists addressed each other with a more thee
Republican simplicity. A gentleman having moved
that "William Morris" take the chair, the autbor
of the "Earthly Paradise" proceeded to do so, and 10
call upon "Stepniak" for his lecture. Again, lafet
on, M. Stepniak, being at a loss upon some matter of
detail, appealed to "Krapotkine for information,
whereupon a brief conference took place in the Roe
sian language between the lecturer and Prince Krapot"
kine, a elderly bald-headed gentleman of mild voice
and manner, seated in the body of the meeting. gr.:
Morris, in introducing the lecturer, remarked that "
was from reading M. Stepniak's work called " Under
ground Russia" that he had first been lead to take A:I
active part in propagating Socialistic doctrine'.
Stepniak, who is a broad-shouldered man of inedio
height, with a full dark beard and bushy black heir'
with a rather Jewish type of countenance, speao
English fluently, and on the whole correctly, but Nvit,ll
so strong a foreign accent that to clearly understan!`
his meaning at times very close attention 1°
necessary. He had been announced to addresel
The meeting upon the "position of woPcmen
Russia," but he apologised for 'altering his plee'
and although incidentally he had something tj
say upon the subject to the effect that the skill r
artisan in Russia has been very well paid and fe,,
better off than the unskilled labourer, he dwelt netsi°,l•;
upon the history of the Nihilist movement. '-teci
lecture occupied less than an• hour in delivery, ee„
contained little that was new or that threw light 111'0'
the objects or intentions of the Russian revolt':
tionary party. For the most part it consisted shall;
of eulogy of departed Nihilist leaders, including tb„'
ringleader in the plot which resulted in the explosi°"t
at the Winter Palace of the Czar, and another patri° •
who, the lecturer said, had begun his career es,:
"thief and a pickpocket." At the conclusion of
addvoss, the Chairman announced that questioe'
might be put to M. Stepniak, and these elicited frole
him the fact that he could not state what was the Pre;
cise nature of the doctrines professed by the differeeo
sects of Nihilists or Socialists in Russia, although 1,1,
could positively state that the Nihilists as a bow
were in favour of the institution of an elective Palle;
meat for Russia as "the first step " towards tbe
triumph of their principles, which he considered wero
still making progress amongst the people, and eve
amongst the soldiery.