Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-08
COUNT TOLSTOI DEAD.
The Russian Minister of the Interior
Passes Away-Sketch of His Career.

Count Tolstoi, the Russian minister of the
interior. VINO had been i'll for some time. ia
dead He and the late Count Schouvaloff were
probably more disliked by the masses of the
Russian people than any of those in authority
about the person of the car. While Tolstoi
professed TO favor progress his real policy was
TO crush every attempt at humanizing and in
structing the masses. The method which he
adopted when appointed minister of public
instruction was a shrewd one. He declared
himself an ardent follower of the English edu-
cational system. With one stroke of the pen
all the middle schools of the empire were re-
formed on a classical basis. Greek and Latin
were taught almost exclusively. A full course
of classical studies was made the sine qua non
of admittance to any high school. As there
were no classical teachers to speak of in any
college, the result of this change of
system. mary well be imagined. IL
was precisely what Tolstoi had expected il to
be. The pupils were overburdened with
studies which. conducted as they were by in
competent teachers. not only remained utterly
fruitless. but produced the opposite result Of
confusing the young minds and rendering them
utterly incapable of intellectual work. At the
same time instructions were given to conduct
the examinations with relentless vigor. Every
school became a veritable torture chamber. in
which young Russia was daily and hourly
placed on the rack. While thus Gripping the
minds OF the young generation belonging to
the intellectual classes of the nation. Tostoi
did all he could TO stop the primary instruction
OF the people. Under pretense of guarding the
schools opened by the Zemstvos local elective,
lnstltutions) and some private associations
from revolutionary and atheistic influences
Iolstoi subjected them TO process of secret
and open inspection best calculated TO disgust
and discourage every honest man devoted TO
his work.
This peculiar system Count Tolstoi was able
to keep up for nearly four years. As AN aid to
his scheme, he endeavored to establish a stu
pendous and all-pervasive system of espionage
He privately directed teachers and professors
throughout the country to watch their scholars
and these were encouraged 10 watch their
father. mothers and friends. But this attempt
aroused such indignation throughout the en-
pre- that the ear deemed it prudent at last to
relieve the count from his duties. and in Nav.
1850. he was finally relieved from duty az min
lster OF public instruction and ober-procurator
of the holy synod. which Office he also held
and sent to reside. IN disgrace. on his estates
reports OF his impending resignation or re-
moyal had been current for a couple of wears
before this time, but he succeeded in tiding
over the crisis in his affairs A year or SO be-
fore his removal from Office the revolutionary
executive committee of ST. Petersburg adj
dressed a letter to him. saying that he need
not fear any attack being made by revolution
airy emissaries upon his person. ''he being the
best and truest ally of the Russian revolution"
Tolstoi was appointed to succeed General
lgnatlef when the latter. at his own request
retired from the post of minister OF the in
terror.