Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-02-05
sTEpSIAK TUE EMILE.
,.,,.re h, the f;u,ian on "NihllIsm"
:. n j., In Washington. d. T..

WASH NOTION, w. t'f "'"' - i''if
,,'.,,oi corfespondcnce OF the DKsE.
~ xgws.l-i.ast evening, in Lin
,,, Hall, a large aud Intelligent
Warrington audience did honor to
a,spnlak, the Russian exile who oc.
snnled n couple Of hours In the form Of
lecture on Rlsisn nihi lism, its In
.r,Ion and growth, Is character and
Meets, and the political aud local con-
s,ilon. Of this country.
The noted Russian Is about my
ears Of age. stoutly built and not
more than five feet nine inches IN
,,s,yhi. He has large rugged heal ],
.,...lye forehead, abundant dark hair
.nd full beard, broad face and coal
Il,ek deep set eye. He speaks like n
san f,ll Of ardor and passion, but un-
admittedly possesses strong, we'll
s.Ianced mind. lie Ia an intellige mt,
.Incatcd man, has n good command Of
me English language, but speaksi II with
difficulty.
ue outlined the incipicncy Of the
nIhllls,lo movement by relating his
avn experiences, he having been one
ofthe frs, Of the nihilistlc propaganda
ID. After hearing Stcpniak explain
the character aud objects OF what IA
called nlhilism, your correspondent
xas more firmly convinced than ever
that. ia orlcr for n people engaged In
an unpopular cause 10 he correctly un.
derstood, they should he accorded the
privilege OF representing themselves In
their own way.
When. he said, he and his fellow
ureyolutlonistsn first communod to-
y,ther for the purpose Of taking steps
looking to the amclioration Of their
eountrymcn, they were imbued with
the MISUNDERSTANDING as they did
10 the better class OF socicty-thal they
naturally shared tho responsibility for
the unfortunate condition OF the Rus.
sian peasantry; and they resolved at
flrst 10 make q clean sweep Of every.
thing not absolutely spotlcss which
tended to produce thcsresults OF scrfdom
and ignorance. But In the sober sec
ond thought they came TO the conclu.
sion that the state Of society was 20 bad
Anu tltlf tbtuIti'h WIN WV
one hundred millions Of Rus-ia's pop.
ulation 40 Enthusiastically small, that
they changed their minds ON that
score, and decided on less radical
policy.
The society nj first numbered not
more than seven or eight, and II was
necessarily n secret Organization. Their
meetings were purely educational Ia
character, and although essentially a
political movement, the spirit Of the
movement was more akin 10 religion
than politics. Prepared lectures were
delivered at each meeting, which, by
the way, were privately conducted,
and each member was supposed 10 work
quietly and discreetly among his
fellows with the view Of increasing
their numbers. These young men
knew well tina, their lives and liberties
were Mt stake, but they regarded
nothing In the world ms too dcar
20 them 10 be constantly on
the altar Of sacrifice. In order
to demonstrate their devotion and love
10 the cause they cspoused, they vol.
UNFAIRLY parted with all Of their sub.
stance, contributing II 10 n common
fund which was set apart 20 carry on
the work. There was one member who
then had lately come Into possession OF
legacy Of twenty thousand foubles
which he was supposed 10 place nj the
command Of the society, but II WINS
afterwards learned that he had kept
hack 1--WE thousand roubles. This Afford
ed his fellows great deal Of smusc.
ment, and they one aud all after that
looked upon him M one OF the most
cautious members Of the society.
They directed their labor- among tho
laboflng classes and pcasantry, well
knowing that TO be caught meant M.
leon years' hard labor In Siberia-and,
he said, II was common thing now 10
banish men 10 Siberia for speaking to
people on political matters that were
declared ON the housc.top- In America.
After they had separated To move
among the people, some Of their mum.
her going out To villages TO talk with
the peasantry, and having been absent
from each other for some little time,
they agreed 10 meet nj n certain house
on certain night ~ compare notes.
The lecturer described with much feel.
lug tue Joy experienced 10y their little
company, numbering eight, on that
occasion, and ho named aud described
zach individual, i've OF whom--three
$3.50 tfh WV ituttr-lNu rufIlI1ttu
thelr lives for tho cause. In this way
they worked, sometimes meeting with
success, nj others rcvefses, but they
never entertained n feeling akin TO
that Of bloodshed, ~ generally under
stood TO be associated with tho doctrines
~ the nihilists. The speaker referred
TO the wholesale Punishment Of people
10 Siberia who had broken no law nor
sought TO inclte Others 10 break 1t, but
simply for talking too freely among the
people upon subjects commonly talked
about by people enjoying u representa-.
i've government.
Since the inception Of this move
menl Stepniak sald, he was pleased 10
be able 10 state that conditions had
greatly changed both on the part Of the
government officials aud tho nihilists
themselves. IL Ii generally admitted
,ouhy mat Russia Ia on the owe OF
great revolution, not n general uprising,
" the people against the Gar, but a
revolution that will nnds Its expires.
non ia general demand for repre-
sehtstiso form OF government,
local autonomy, freedom OF
Inc press and OF speech, the
right OF public meetings aud Of
petition. There IL no desire, he said,
on The part Of the nihilists to do away
Win the Car as the head Of tho ma.
uon, but they hold that NJ the empire
$50 Immensely large and Ia popula.
non 30 overwhelmingly great, II IL u
hh'!er OF impossibillty for him to gov
sIn " IN person, aud that therefore his
power should be limited by national
representation. The educated classos,
w sail, are generally In sympathy
with this demand.