The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-05-11

thought and knowledge, the official elas
lunpetriotis as ever, while thieves an
lptunderers are about the only people !
Russia who receive decent treatment
This stepniak demonstrates by citing th
scandalous case Of the Skopfn bank an,
IRykoy, It's thief president, who made ava.
with twelve millions Of roubles, as tn
trial revealed through tie direct aid ant
oonniyanes Of all tho officials Q
the city and province. aud will
the purchased help Of several very hiet
officers at the Court, including one OF The
Emperor's aides-de-camp. This trial lee
to the collapse Of about o dozen othel
commercial banks, and In all Of them the
same general features were discovered
that Is 10 say, that the public oficlall
were found to have been bribed 10 assist
| In the fraud. Criminals Of this kind in
Russia, however, have comparatively lit
tie to fear. A mere Thief, swindler OF
assassin Is treated well. The prisons as
signed to them are much more comforta-
bic than political prisoners are allowed
and when they are exiled they receive
many privileges denied to the Others,
The account OF "Russia under the
Tzars'' is most interesting, but It Is mtl-
ancholy recital Of wrongs aud oppressions,
and the most depressing circumstances Of
all Is that the Russian people should sub
nit 80 patiently to rule 80 intolerable.
OF the facts there can be no question, and
those who read this book may well ask
themselves what Is meant when American
journals advocate close alliance between
the people Of the United States and the
most despotic, cruel and altogether abom-
Unable government on the face OF the earth
to-day. When, too, 1t is reflected that the
Russian lust Of conquest now menacing q
great war in Central Asia is nothing more
than the endeayor Of a privileged class to
maintain itself at the expense OF the Rus.
sian people, It's difficult to refrain from q
wish that the Nihilists might be able TO
give. their Government so much fresh EN-.
ployment at home as to disable 1t for for.
eign aggrandizement.
For the condition OF Russia Is so bad
that something must happen ct no dis
tant day To changeit. The present reac-
tionary policy Is making things worse.
The sitting Of national education, the sys-
tenn Of arbitrary tyranny such as no Gov
eminent ever before dreamed OF as per.
manence, the suppression OF free thought,
the careful elimination Of the best brains
OF the nation-all hasten the advent OF a
catastrophe which must end the autoc-
racy, and liz the more likely to bring q
bloody anarchy because the Government
has put the natural process Of evolu-
ton out Of the question. Never was
revolution more needed or more justified
than in Russia. Never could it be said
with so much truth as there that the Gov.
eminent is the worst enemy OF the peo.
pie. Stepniak intimates, hover, that the
revolutionary propaganda has made great
progress in the army, and 1t may lie that
In that bulwark OF Absolntism the fatal
weakness OF the latter will be developed.
II the Russian soldier were only as intelli-
gent as the French soldier OF the Revolu-
ton there would be little doubt as TO the
issue OF such a movement; but modern
science has armed tyrants with formidable
weapons ofreprassion and punishment, il
1t has put the means OF great revenges in
the hands OF the revolution.
In this volume Of Stepniak will be
found au arsenal OF arguments against
rzardom. and while perhaps there may
be some little exaggeration, the testimony
addhced leaves no room for doubt that
the main facts are as stated. The trans
lation is fair but not excellent, and there
are some typographical errors scarcely ex-
cusablo on the score Of haste in prepara-
ton.