The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-21
THE CZ4R IS HE ~.
lie Does Not Know the, World Nor Does
tho World Know Him

It is quite likely that If one could get
II his real personality, Alexander Ill,
the car of all the RuSslas-"that I'M
fortunate potentate' would not be found
such a bad fellow after all. But during
the whole of his imperial career, which
began In 1881 when his fathers life was
taken by the bomb of the Nihilists, the
present ruler OF the strange ami vast
empire that extends over SO large a pOT-
tiOn of both the greatest and the small
est continent, an invisible but none the
less impossible barrier has been main
tanned between him ana the public.
by reason Of this barrier all accurate
knowledge of Alexander the man has
been concealed,even as all precise infor-
nation concerning his empire and the
world at large has been kept hidden
from him Absolute though his power Is
ana I'm spite Of the fact that it needs but
the hitting Of finger or the speaking OF
"a word on his part 10 condemn any Rus
sian 10 instant death, To lifelong impTis-
onment, or to Punishment 10 the mines
OF SIBERIA, ne has never been abe 10 put
himself IN direct communication with the
mass Of his own people or to obtain
knowledge of their true condition. There
Is plenty of evidence TO show that this
Is not as he has desired IT, that he has
been anxious. ever since his reign be
gan TO understand the circumstances
and the conditions under which his peO-
pie live, TO study their lives, and to DO
away with those causes that have made
for the terrible discomfort which has
which even he could not be prevented
from discerning.
rHE GAR 4 HARD WORKER
SO absolute monarch as the Car of
Russia must in the nature OF things. be
q person IN whose life and habits and
dolrgs the world at large would take
much interest. His constant danger
from the fury Of his down-trodden sub
Jects has added immensely TO that in
terest. There has not been a day prob
stl ...gt..
not in progress for his taking off. There
certainly has been no day since that on
which the father was killed, when the
world at large would have been sur
prised by the news that like CORY fate
had beiallen the son. Now that II is
! known the world over that a more re
lentleSs enemy than the Nihilist has
marked him for his own, that a disease
whose progress may possibly be stayed
little but CanOt be stopped. has faSten-
ed upon him, he is Of even greater inter
est than ever before, and more than ever
the title unfortunate pOtentate" is now
an appropriate one for him who sits on
Russia imperial throne.
or AeXanaer's SURPRISING physical
strength the world has often been told
His ability 10 bend and twist a silver
coin between his thumb and fingers his
proves as wrestler, his endurance
al ana delight In severe physical tasks
all these have been exploited But few
are aware that the Car ever since
he has been Car has been a tirrless and
unremitting worker at the desk Yet
this is true. and his determination. form
ed very shortly after the death of his
father, TO master the details OF his i'm
periai Job" IS supposed 10 have been
the leading cause that has made his NE
as one has said, rather that Of a pon4
than Of a secular monarch"
IL has been the custom Of Alexander
when residing at CATCHING TO rise at
seven o'clock In the morning After
his bath and toilet the FIRST hour or Two
are spent in a morning stroll A modest
breakfast follows, after which ne on
. cages In severe manual labor of some
sort-building walls. chopping logs die
gng bitches or other OCCUPATION moro
M for a peasant than a car. He has
always he'd that this only would m him
for the mental work that must come
later in the day and which. 20 him has
always been much more difficult than the
PHYSICAL eXertions just spoken of
OF course his most important du,ies
have been the reading of great numbers
or reports ukases and other documents
which In order to be effective must re.
ceive the imperial autograph. Unlike
3 me moparchs Of lesser power. Alexan-
der has always aimed to pernse every
one oil these papers from beginning 70