Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-12-31
NIHILIST STEPNIAK|
The Celebrated Russian Ar
rives at New York.
THE DlHAEDs OF his PROPAGANDA.

Civil m Religious Liberty All That Nj
lillian Asks-rhe Antocracy Must Go.
but tl.e Preseht Car Might he Lafs
Prestsient-His Mission 20 Stimulate
Ontsi Ie Opinion--A Practical Indorss-
ment Of Terrorism Under the Circum-
stancs ..
NEW soRg. Dec S1.-Sergins Stepniak.
the fan tous Russian revolutionist, exile
and WI tier. arrived in New York yester-
day on the Umbria, and is occupying
apartmt nts at the Everett house. Mrs.
Stepnias accompanies him. He has como
to this country to deliver fifty or more
lectures Stepniak mnst measure
feet i in height and weigh 100
pounds. The loosely fitting tweed suit
which he wears makes him look an
even hes ,ier man. He is well proper
toned, with erect body, full chest. mag
nificent shoulders and well-balanced
head. He has full, black whiskers and
bushy, lack hair. His eyes are black and
full of Ii fe and intelligence, and his face is
altogeth sr a pleasing one, showing great
animation as he talks and expressive of
dignity and character in repose
What the Nfhflists Want.
@The Nihilists as a party said he, 4be-
lieve that certain things should be given
to the People of Russia They want ma
tional pr rliament. universal suffrage, local
autonomy, and naturalization OF land.
They dc not believe in a state church,
but in absolute freedom in relig-
ious ms ttters. For the present they
are fighting for but one thing,
and that is for the substitution of free
governm emit in the place of autocracy.
They ask no more than this. willing to
leave the rest to be settled afterward and
willing to take their chances with other
parties in the determination of what in.
stitutions are best suited to free people.
They dc not ask for a republic. They
are indiy dually Republicans. They would
be willin that the reigniDg car should be
president for life. But they do insist that
autocratic power shall be done away
with"
His Mission 20 This Country.
He said he did not come here to make
money, bat as the represent alive of Free
Russia, paper published in England, a
paper VIII ich has for its object the awaken
ing in the civilized nations of the world a
sentimen of disapproval of the course of
the Russ an government toward the peo-
pie of Ru ssia. "We have no popular SEN
timent &c which we may appeal" he said,
I'm our own land in the hope that it may
lead to notification of the rigorous treat
ment of his subjects administered by the
GEAR. But we realize that foreign opinion
of our COZ Intry has a tremendous influence
In the sentiments of other people than our
own we lave found a lever which we may
use to gre at advantage In our work"
Gave an Evasive Answer.
When asked if he Endorsed the practices
of the Ru ssian terrorists, he replied with
the count ar question: @If any one of you
should have your sisters hogged what
would be your feelings-what step would
you stop at to overturn the government
that auth 0rized such a punishment Then
he went on to describe the relation
prevailing in Russia between people
and soy sreign. The conditions were
SO severe, he said, that they
could no be tolerated. "We tried the
propagan la first, he continued, a.but we
got nothing from it except the most cruel
and barbs rous treatment Of all who took
part in it. There is no other way than by
the use OF force TO get what we want and
must have, and / believe that it will in the
end be bel ter for humanity if force shall
be used ii an it would be If we should con.
tinue TO endure
Firt of the ''Illegsl People"
Il had MY first trouble with the govern
ment, sal Stepniak, 'in 1873, when was
making p propaganda among the peasants.
was ord cred into exile, but / did not
leave the country. I changed my name
and resid ence somewhat and still kept
on with my work / was probably the
first of wi at are known as the Illegal peo-
ple.' Th 1t phrase covers persons who,
having be N ordered to leave the country,
stay in it Under assumed names. liable, Il
appreheno ed, to undergo severe punish.
ment." S5epniak declined to state what
his true n Ime Was