Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-17
RUSSIAN DEsPOTIsM.
Mr.. W. ]. Armstrong; Vivid Picture
at the Salt Lake Theatre.

Mr.. William j. Armstrong Of Wash.
ington, ID. G., delivered very eifec.
tive and instructive lecture on Satur.
day evening, at the Salt Lake Theatre.
His subject was "Nihilism In Russia
There was not the audience present
which the theme deserved. But that
was no doubt owing 10 detective adver-
tizlng. For Instance the lecture was
not Advertised In the DEsEREr Ngws,
and a. that paper circulates among all
classes who would most likely pat.
ronizc an intellectual treat, such us the
lecture really was, the reason Of the
thin attendance ia evident.
Mr.. Armstrong commenced his leo
turc with beautiful tribute to the
fathers OF our republ 6, aud to the sys-
tenn Of government established 10y them.
by that work new political creed was
heralded to the world. It caused crowns,
monarchics, and oligarchics to shake In
their foundations. with one solitary
exception the governments Of the
world have bees more or less reformed,
and In the majority Of sascs revolution.
lied since the Declaration OF Ameri-
can Independence was written. Rus.
sia ia the sole and monstrous cxcep.
ton. She still stands the same un.
rclonting foe 10 human liberty, that
she was thousand years ngO.
Russia, continued tins speaker, II
the direct opposite with our govern
ment In every particular. Russia 10
dead TO all Instincts Of popular rights
She pitios not the oppressed. Humane
~ has not single right which hci
ruler feels bound 10 fespert. And ysi
we are told that fratcrnal feeling,
exist loiween that country and oul
Republic, that toa.ts have been drunl.
and praises sung In mutual follclta'
lions and that even now In the OIL C,
Of the Secretary Of state, ready to b,
transmitted 10 the United state,
Senate, ~ the draft " q treaty agree.
Ing that accused offenders OF the tw,
nations shall bo atlectionately ex
changed.
Mr.. Armstrong then fully explained
how the unholy aud false association
Of the names Of Abraham Liucolu am
Alexander | | had come about. IL wa
simply because VI the emancipation %
Russian seris by the Car. This ac
was not personally the work Of Alex
ander IL. For nearly n hundred year
every Russian monarch who preceded
Alexander contemplated doing thi,
work, hut Alexander seeing that til,
safety Of Russian dcspotism demanded
II, at once Issued the ulSase which man
united the seffs. This, said the lee
turur, was the true story OF mn ac
which coupled the names OF Lincolt
and the Car OF Russia.
Eleven years ago the fearful explo
sion occurred which preclpitated th'
Car Into eternity. Near the scene o
the deed was written the word "Nihil
ISM" IL was then that this wort
was accepted by the Ameri
can people ~ one synonymous
with Outrage aud murder. Thu
nccel tntlon fsas erroneous. the Nihi
lists did kilt one Gar, II IL true, an'
nre trying 10 kill another, but they at
Justified. The lecturer then narrated
several instances OF wilful and orie
murder ON the part OF tho Car and nj
mirions. He also dweit ON the numet
Gus md causeiess Interpretations 4
Siberia.
Ivan Turgeneii, In his book "Father
aud Sons" first used the word "Nihi
list" 10 designate class OF socialist
which he portrayed. Through mis-
conception OF the meaning aud history
the word, the Nihllists Of ltussi, ar
regarded by many asa lot OF anarch
. lists bent ON destroying property, 10
. ligiOn, order aud government. Blu
the fact ", they are, said Mr.. Arm
strong, enlightened, patriotic tef0tmer-
whose whole aim Is liberty OF though
, ami action.
The first dawning Of political free
dom In Russia occurred about lslt
The soldiers who had confronted M
! polCon returned 10 Russia with neN
Ideas about political liberty. The Con
stituti0n ofthe United States was take
ms a model, anu "a movement was III
, nugurntcd 10 establish new republi,
In 1925 the revolution was attempted
hut promptly suppressed. Nicholn
carpetod the plaza OF his White
Palace with the corpses Of the insul
, gents. IL was thus thss every vestig
, OF liberty WIS trampled out In Ilussii
, Tho lecturer gave vivid descriptio
, Of the police regulations, and of I'll
1 press laws OF Russia. lie read transit
! lions Of both from the Russian tex
Even the hotel keepers an
/, lodging house owners must NJ
, us secret police. The Chs
: can suppress amy newspaper In ia
! land. aud also prevent IT. owner frol
starting another. The works OF Huxley
, Spencer, John Stuart Min and severf
others are not permitted TO be read /
Russia. Even history, geograph
i, aud modern literature arc not taugl
In tho schools.
Mr.. Armstrong read the platform O
the Nihillst-. They were contendin
for the same thing which the father
OF this republic fought for. They wer
| not Atheists, Anarchists, nor Con
. munists, but simply political reform
! ers, seeking universal suffrage, const
: tutional freedom and Representative
governments.
: The lecturer spoke about two hour
l and gave such u realistic account
the social aud political condition I
Russia az will not be soon forgotten b
those who had the pleasure Of hcarin
Z. his discourse.
, For The Coming Fair.