The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-02
THE czAR,s LIrE.

Brief biography Of the Distinguished
Ruler Of Russia.
Less is known of the real personality OF
Alexander III, the deceased car of Russia,
than of any Of his contemporaries among
the monarchs Of Europe He has been de
scribed az d man of marked intelligence
and of stupid dnllness, as a man OF great
kindness and of ferocious cruelty; it has
been stated that he personally read the
newspapers every day. and that he rarely,
II ever, glanced at newspaper; it has
been declared that the real facts regarding
the coalition Of his unhappy subjects were
seduously kept from him, and that he was
personally well acquainted with all their
troubles; the crnelties OF Siberia, 1T has
been claimed repeatedly, were perpetrated
entirely without his knowledge and it has,
also been said that he has not only been
cognizant OF these cruelties, but that he
has rejoiced in them.
All this being true, 1t must be obvious
TO the reader that anything like an accu-
rate pictore of Alexander III as he really
existed Is out OF the question. He was the
second son of Car Alexander IL He was
born March 10, iS45. His mother was the
Princess Mania, daughter of the late Grand
Duke OF Hesse- Darmstadt .
Nicholas, tho oldest son. died April "a,
1865. aged 20, and Alexander became heir
apparent. Nicholas was engaged to marry
the Princess Dagmar, daughter of the
King of Denmark, and sister to the Prin-
cess Of Wales. and it was the wish Of AL
exander I'll, after the death of Nicholas,
that Alexander III should take her for a
wife. This was done and the marriage
has proved very happy one, notwith-
standing the unusual circumstances which
led to their anion. Car Alexander III was
killed by nihilist bomb March 10, 1881.
and his son succeeced him Immediately al
Cxar Alexander III. II
Physical sersagsA and Courage.
Alexander III was man OF remarkable
physical force. He stood 6 feet inches I'm
his stockings, and Ii is told Of him that he
could take silver coin of the size of dol
lar and double it between his thumb and
forcfinger.
lie kept himself in good condition by
the most severe manual labor Like
Gladstone, he was fond of chopping down
trees, and In the winter time he used to
shovel snow paths In his palace grounds
During the lastwa between Russia and
Turkey he showed that he had plenty of
personal courage as well as physical
strengh, and although during his entire
reign he was in constant expectation of
being murdered henever hesitated to show
himself to his people when he thought the
occasion demanded tt, and he oftentimes
was accounted even rash in his manner of
doing this
Was Hard Ruler.
During the years that he had been heir
apparent he seems to have neglected no
opportunity to fit himself for the exalted
and ardnous duties that were before him.
Whether his design was to so rule Russia
as TO make It's people happy and prosper
ous or simply to strengthen the Russian
throne u aquestion upon which there are
vital and radical differences of 0nfnfnn
Certain II ID that he changed the policy az
his father, who had freed the serfs and
had i'm many ways indicated o desire Ia
prepare his country for more liberal I'd
ministrati0n of the government, one that
should in' some degree conform to modern
ideas. The administration Of Alexander
iii tended altogether toward stricter
drawing of the lines and more severe re-
preston In every direction.
The details OF his harsh regime are
unnecessary. They are known of ali
the world, and the facts may be summed
up In q sentence or two: Whatever
the personal character OF Alexander III
map hare beet, the administration sof
theg0verntientl during his reign was hard
and CRUEL IN the extreme. His policy re-.
garding not only those who favored freer
thought and freer government. but also
toward all his subjects not of Russian
blood, was repressfve to- the last degree
n i q