The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-08

among all classes in Russia that the car
married her unwilltngly. Who it was
who first invented these lying tales and
still persists in spreading them abroad
more determinedly than ever just now
has never been clearly proved; that sus-
pici6n points to a member of the imperial
family. Whoever it may be-, however
ard whatever may be his object, he-or
is 1t d she?-has certainly done his work
with quite diabolica1 clevernescs. Even
the peasants, who as rule know no more
than their cattle of what is going on in
the world, have all had it whispered TO
them that their car is unhappy because
he has wife W HON he does not love and
who does not loye him, and who married
him only for the crown jewels. They
have it whispered to them, too, that the
czarina is proud, wicked woman; that
she does not even bow to the Tkons, and
that that is why they are angry with her
and will never give her son. This
sounds absurdly childish, of course, but
1t must not be forgotten that only a small
percentage Of the cars subjects can even
read or write. But it Is not among the
ignorant alone that some, ct least. of
these rumors obtain credence; even the
mlodle classes who once hoped for great
things in the way of reforms from the
czar1na, have come to lock on her as a
failure. They scott at the Panslavists'
ldea that she has any influence over the
car Ii she had, they say, affairs would
be managed very differently in Russia.
1t has been the czarina's mfsfor I1na-
1t would be unjust to account it to. her
as rault-to have arrayed against her
the whole time she has been IN Russia
the three most influential personages in
all the empire; and to this fact is due
In great measure her unpopularity
among the higher classes. Mr.. Pob-
dedonnostzew, the head of the church.
the Grand Duke Vladimir, the head Of
the army, and the czartna dowagtr who
is practically the head of the court. all
dislike her, and all make scant effort
to conceal the fact. They We're bitter
~ opposed to her marriage and strove
their hardest to prevent its taking place:
then, when they failed in this, two of
them at any rate set to work de!iber-
ately to render her position as unpleas-
ant as possible. Mr.. Pobdedonos Jews
reason for objecting to the czarina lies
in his fear lest she should throw her
weight into the scale against his anti
freedom-of-conscience policy He is
we'll aware that in his persecu ion OF thu
unorthodox religions he has no sympathy
to experimenting. indeed. but active OPP
position-from one who. as he daughter
OF the English Princess Alice ana niece
brought up under those liberal influences
which he regards with the greatest
alarm. The Grand Duke Vladimir wcu'd
probably dislike. and would certainly n
trtgue against any woman who CHANGED
to be his nephew's wife, and as such
the possible mother Of an heir to the
crown. For as he has firmly made up
his mind that he himself will be emperor
some day, he holds, naturally enough.
that the fewer rivals there are i'll tho
field the better. AS to the czarina dow
ager, why she should have entered the
lists against her daughter-il.-law is
much disputed question. Some say she
dislikes her because she Is German:
others, because she is her successor and
sits in the chair Of state in which he
herself once sat; others again, because
she idolizes her son and thinks his wife
married him only from ambition. Ee
this as 1t may, dislike her she certainly
does. The very besgar5 in the streets
in ST. Petersburg know that their cars
mother never willingly looks on the
face of their czar's wife.