Workmen's advocate., 1890-04-19
OUR BOSTON SECTION.
COmrade Robinson Delivers an Flo quent and Instructive Address on "Nihilism.

OH NlHillsHl.
 What with the meeting in Faneuil Hall to protest against the Siberian out rages and the meeting of the American Section of the S. L. P in Grand Army Hall on Sunday evening, April, 6, ad dressed by Comrade Harry w. Robin son on "Nihilism versus Russian Despot- ism" one would feel inclined to say that the tail of the Russian Bear had received a rather vigorous shaking here in the hub of the universe.
 Comrade Robinson, who treated his subject in an able and eloquent manner, said he had been asked that day whether the Socialists proposed to have their hall appear in Easter trimmings, and that he replied it would not, but would be draped Tn mourning instead. A sad der and more earnest theme his audi ence could not discuss. The facts per taining to the actual condition of things in Russia cause terror to rise from the deep--a terror so deep and thick that Tourgenletf said: "lf one ray appears in the clouds, we need nothing more. '" Russian despotism is the logical and rational father of NlhiE sm. What, then, is Russian despotism Is not despotism the same, the world over? Oh no /! There are varieties of despotism, as there are of villainy, Russian despotism is the quintesssence of despotism. Read in history the pages that are dishonor to our race and you will find none blacker. It is despotism of the kind practised by Nero when he caused the Christians to be dipped in tar and set on fire, that their flaming bodies might light his orgies.
 It is necessary to go back at least to the Inquisition to find a parallel to what has transpired within a few weeks in Russia That vast country is dominated by one man who can, at will, separate wives from their husbands, mothers from their children, and do violence to every principle of humanity!
 Many have been dispatched, whose tragic end the world will never know. Now and then, however, one case reaches the light of day.
 After ten or twelve years we heard by letter written in blood that Netchieff who .ould have been exiled, was treated as common law prisoner. For long time he had been lost and no one knew what had become of him. Some year; ago man was condemned for pleading in behalf of the people. On the scatfolC he held his hands up to the people anC said: "See how they have tortured me. And it has been belief ever since that this man was tortured in a foul attempt to get from him such secrets as might duplicate his fellows. There IS not ever a slip of paper between the Czar and his subjects. No right of petition; no ap peal. Is it any wonder that the grea writer, Stepniak, should say: "All who are working for right and humanity should unite against Russian despotismF
 Were we confronted by bear wt should not be likely to use pop gun il mere effective weapons were to oul command.
 At first the Nihilists were not mucl more than theorists, not much more than our Nationalist friends; they thought all they had to do was to go be fore the people and make known thei doctrines, and that then, as a matter O course, the millennium would appear The man who first preached such idea spent twenty years in Siberia. He de scribes prison life there as an infinite
 torture and an unending hell. Tsherni she A sky was exlled to Siberia afte doing all he could to effect a change b,
 peaceful means. And it was not unti all such means had proved unavailinl that the feeling arose that only by sort to force could a betterment be ob tained. Young men in Moscow preachet in favor of political independence am
 representative government; they wer sent to Siberia. If they dared to pet ton they were sent to the salt mines As natural consequence, when 1t va
 seen that through scientific teachin justice could not be done to the Russia 7 people there sprang up body of pel : sons who said, If we cannot achiev : our ends by peaceful, constitutions s means. then we will meet violence wit a violence.I And since then every Cza 3 has sat on the throne of the Romanoii t in terror of his life.
 l Comrade Robinson then briefly It 1 tI md / s the Nihilists. They demand, he sait | the most absolute political freedom S They believe the tendencies of Russi @ are towards the Commune; that th D genius of the Russian people never hs