New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-03
THE NIHILIST LEADER.
"sTEPNIAK" AT HOME IN LONDON.

IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TIKI TklBUSFl
LONDON Dee. l4.-In one of the GIueIest squares
in the West Central district OF London lives Step
max" the famous russian writer nd Toyolutiorist
In dingy dwelling next to Il dngy chur ;h-G dwell
ing which well represents the rage lodging house
OF this re ion-te first floor sailot cd tn the nse Of
the au hor Of UNDERGROUND Ru sia,' AID what
was eyideatly drawins-rO0m Ia a PALMER are is
set apart as the study of thu attel-day apOs lie o.
freedom who has mysterloas'y masque'adeo
through Europe. Books paper. pamphlets an"
magazines in half dozen lapgua seS comprise the
chief furniture of t6e apar ment, and at corAer
desk ;oi Ing over tho Crypt of his Forthcoming
volumes, sits the MN whom the inyTmd0ns al the
White Car long to immuro tbe subteri ancJ N
dungeons of the Fortress of Potter aud Paul. There
isnothing about "3tepniat" To suggest the con-
spirator or political pOtior, pctllug that snaeds
of dynamite or terrorism. or that reminds YOU %
the pyrsmlaai hats and back clodhs of he vocal
villains IN "La File de Madam: ARJ0t" Step
MAX is educated gentleman, ami one Is not sur
prised to find that IN appearance ne Is a typical
busby -haired and bearded orodi-f ICED and HAT
nosd Russian, or chat ike all OF his lbs Iucte
oountrymeu lie sharas tie natural linguistic gift.
expressing himself IN English Ere ch German.
ltalian Latin, Greek ana his own strange tongue
with equal case. Indeed, he is the ast man IN the
world whom would take for on upsettcr OF
dynastes.
He Is GENIAL ey en- jcvial in manner, and his high
voice. and near sigdt compel one to wonder how III
land where every nhabi'ant is watched by the
police as the mouse is watched BY tie cat this out
lawed man has worked VITA safety for S, many
years, has eluded identification. and how. oven
now, he passes, when he chooses, unharmcd
through the country where 4 price Is set upon MS
head. The conclusion is natural that If the Rus
sian police are clever "stepD ak" is equal to
~ laag
potent in real life than they IN romance OF the
drama. But the chief reason why the American or
the average European would not take "Stepniak
10 be NihIist is that outside of Russia, the gen
eral idea regarding Nihliiss and Nihiiism Is en-
tireiy at fault. aud that the memoirs OF the order
are wrongly classed in TIE category of the ODono-
van Rossas and Herr MOsts of contemporary crime.
"Stepnak is an admirable representative of
what are perversely called the "NihliiSts." lie Is
broad.mnded man, thoroughly in earnest, and
wholly devoted to his cause. Though he looks
Older he mas not more than th'rty-tour years.
and fully half of hat period has been devoted 10
the canse of Russian liberty. Who he Is and what he
is-that is to say his rea name and family history
.-wil remain long perhaps forever, unknown. To the
world and to his own associates he is "Stepnlak."
II is a common thing for members of his socct; t.
sink their identity under some ASHAMED name and to
live and de with 1t. The Bird" cal ed rom hlS
peculiar voice, was q compositor on tine secret
press in st. Petersburg. For two years
lie lived in the printing Office, never going outside
the little room IN which he lived and worked
This seli-abDegation necessary TO tho cause.
His co-workcrS knew nothing of him save that he
came to them from distant town with Credentials
from the local organization. His thful but self
imposed confinement caused his DEATH ana for lack
Of any other name he was buried as h. had lived
uni-r the name of The Bird" Such instances
: are frequent among tie "Nihiiists."
"StepDiak," like all members of the order re-
fuses to talk of his history or of his own share
in the active work OF t Tevolu'ionistA Absolute
secrecy is the only safeguard But l have reason
to believe that he is member of the lesser 1obliy
of Little Russia" aud mat one Of his reason f0i
concealing his identify is to spare his family the
prosecutions of the Gar But he Is anxious TO ed
ucate American opinion on thu bees of Russia.
and in twelvcmonth be hopes to visit the
States aud lecture though he shrinks from the task
of addressing an audience, Oratcry being unknown
IN Russia where the right OF public speaking Is de-
MED. For the present he is living in retirement
and working upon his books and though he is IN
free England he thinks il best TO keep his address
as much of a secret rs po3Sibie.
He works in study bestrewn with every ad-
iunct of tho writing craft for "Ste MAX has
been professiona' journalist It's chll, drlzz'y
morning with the fog coming down as II can come
down Ouly IN London, ana c'epn iR h!lS ny Il
bright open fire which is dOing ITS best to add to
the d,o.rai pail of smoke that the mer'p lis
In the ,7utor imc. As he IN Ks his eyes eIis Ell,
his whole tram becomes animated, anl from time
10 time he Will rise from his CHAR and
pace the floor with hrm heavy
tread and determined mien. He is thoroughly IN
earuu3i. as you can see by his spcct. Indeed car
ne tness is his chef character ri c, as 1t must be-
with a man who has sacrificed every wort liy pros
L q /. -,
mnHods
"Jt j. diff nit" he says. "tor tie people OF West
ern Europe and il Is difficult sriil Tor the pee
pie Of tlat gre itcr West, America. 10 realize
the condition Of thugs in i.ussIa f the land of
the Car is like no Uther com ~. Everything III
Russs is glra, and everything that IS original
in Russia IS an anomaly With us roedOm Is bat
the name of an unknown state. ana government
only another word for plundcr corruption and III
paralle cd & Fanny. You wonder that the Russian
peo: ie have submitted 30 Iolgi They could DO
nothing ege. Aud, besides, my country men ar,
above ali others patent race. Indeed, one may
All il their patience has not ceased to be virtue
and bqcoIue a fault. the Russian people may be d.
yided into two classes, the OppIo sOr5 and the OPP
pressed. Every one who - not with the Govern
meat is AGAINST It, aud the Government il oni gi-
Vautic .yg,ef of bure incracy winch exis,s by rob-
berry, outrage aud every other bra OfrAmplnt -
puiisn. IL il systom Of uDbnd od 0ihclaSm
From iirst TO last, from the highest to the lowest
the officials tS1annical ana corrupt, with power
almost autocratc, seeking and hi ing their posi-
t,ns mercy for the sake OF Piuhdrr and re5pOns-
bic obly to their SUPERIOR WHO wink at their mis-
doiugs because they receive the lars r sh"r"
OF spols. Way d. not the people rise '
How liz it possible for the people to rise IN
coapfry where the right of asSemblage
is forb dcon. where the press Is gaeGed where the
priests are heDt hmen of the court wacre tho
schools are E.tle letter chan barracks AID the
universities aIe under mIrLal Jaw; whers so
Ser cTIIne petiti Mig the Ear Is punishable