Evening star., 1896-01-04
TALK WITH STEPNlAK
He Believed in the Assassination of Ozar
After Gear.
His Love of His Countrymen and
Admiration of America and
Its Institutions.

Stepniak's nihflisuc policy, some being that
he was in favor Of peaceful means for over
throwing the Russian government, and
others that he belonged to the violent wing
OF the nihilists, that conversation I had
with him during his visit to this country in
81 WILL no doubt be of interest to those
who were attracted to this strange char
acter. In my capacity of newspaper reporter
for Chicago daily. / saw much of him DUR
ing his stay in that city. We had many
talks on the subject of Russia, during some
of which he opened his heart pretty freely
to me. He was a man of most intense en-
ergy and singleness of purpose. His life
work was to obtain constitutional govern
ment for Russia But he had no particular
objection to the czar IL that ruler would
grant to Russia the constitution desired. To
quote his own words:
There must be head to every nation.
SO long as there Is a constitution to govern
that head, IT matters not whether he be a
king, president or a czar. 1t is a sort of
necessary evil, and I would no more object
TO having the czar around than an Irish
man would to a pig I'm his kitchen, provid-
ing we had constitution"
asked him IL he favored killing the czar
ana ne replied most emphaticaily that he
did, SO long as the czar declined to grant to
the people of Russia the constitution craved
1 asked him IL he had faith in his purpose
and he replied:
A War Prediction.
Most certainly. I am fighting for the
freedom of Russia. Russia will certainly be
free. 1t cannot help being. Just when or
how-ah. that is not easy to say. Should
war come with any first-rate nation Russia
would be defeated and constitutional gov
eminent would surely follow. Russia is
thought to be strong, but the war with puny
Turkey considerably crippled her
tn ke
ADDED, is to arouse public sympathy in
favor OF constitutional government for Rus
sla. George kennan did most valuable
work for us, and all he wrote was true But
after time his influence will have died and
means for keeping alive public interest
must be secured No other man here for
many years ever did SO much as KEENAN, to
foZter public opinion. This is what we
want. Authentic intelligence of what is oc-
curing In the cars country is what is de-
sired and in Free Russia, monthly pub
tanned.
Yes. am sorry to admit am in favor of
violence to obtain our end, and deeply in
sympathy with the people who strive to XIII
the czar am In sympathy with any means
to hasten the attainment Of our ends / pre-
Ter peaceful measures, IL they will answer:
otherwise, violent But to aid us we must
the people Of the world appreciate the awful
horrors perpetrated by the car and his fol-
lowers We shall have it
kennan's Statements True.
"A short time ago a lady in Washington
asked the Russian minister what he had
to say about Remnants articles. He replied,
after some hesitation, that they were not
true. They were true" Stepniak cried,
land the minister knew 1t. But, of course,
he cannot acknowledge 1t. He would like
to have been able to prove them untrue
But he was not. Such reports as these hu-
initiate the man. He has influence, and it
is through the officials of Russia that we
must reach the car. Supplications anc pc
titions will do us no good The czar must
be convinced by his officials that the gov
ccnment as run at present cannot continue.
Then he will charge 1t. II the car really
believes that in constitutional liberty only
tutional liberty he will grant. Public opin-
ion is what would actuate the cars officials
and change the ruler as WELL
THE Jews? oh. the treatment they re-
ceive is terrible. 1t is uncalled for. And
there will be no amelioration for them until
Russia is free. And that can be made sure.
There are 100000 Jews in Russia They
cannot all leave the country Those who
must remain must suffer-"
What would be the use of your killing the
czar. so long as another man stands ready to
succeed himg' 1 asked.
Continued KILLING.
"Just this" Stepniak replied. I'VE win
kill this czar and his successor and his
successors successor and so on until we
get car who realizes that he cannot live
until he grants us what we demand. When
this is obtained. We will let him live In
peace"
IF there are many nihilists in st. Peters,
burg. why don't they kill the czar?''
Because his movements are never known
beforehand. He does not always drive
down one street; if he did it would be very
easy for us to kill him"
Would YOU kill the car IL YOU had a
chance?"
Yes; would kill him with no more feel
ing than would have in killing a rat"
Sterniak was a great admirer of America.
He never seemed to tire talking of the gov-
ernment under which We live. He pro-
nounced it the noblest in the world. He
spoke in detail Of the enormous wealth of
Russia, which needed only the education of
the people under a constitutional govern
ment to develop to make her one of the
richest nations in the world. Stepniak was
a man most intensely in love with his coun-
trymen. He seemed always full of bitter
ness toward the czar and his men. His
hatred of the car was simply because of
the ideas the car held. He had nothing to
say against the great wealth possessed by
individuals. His one central thought for
the cure of Russia's ills was a constitu-
tional form of government. That obta med,
he would be willing to lay aside his sword
and work for the grandeur of his country.
I then put to him a question SO frequently
asked:
How is it that the czar tolerates Tolstoig''
He replied: 'Tolstoi breaches the doc
trine of non-resistance-" c. 6.