Washington sentinel., 1901-04-06
Fra1kfNrteY Zsitung.

1t is now nearly tive ntv.three years
since the Russian Chief Of Police Trepoy
was twice fired at and severely wounded
by student Vera Saffulitch, who came
to see him, bringing a petition This
was the signal for a Revolutionary move
ment which shook the body polite
to IT'S very foundations, and was only
brought to an end by the murder OF the
Emperor Alexander II. Now, only last
week. Russian student, named KsTpo-
Witch, has shot at and severely Injured
Bogoliepov, the Russian Minister of
Education, under similar circumstances.
As it now appears that the attack was
not made out of private revenge, as first
appeared, but from political motives, it
IS worth while dealing with the matter
more seriously, AS in the attack on
Trepov, ii is rather the system than the
personality which excites the animosity
of these enthusiasts, though it may be
remarked that IN both cases the students
had no cause to cherish any very iavor-
aDle feelings towards the official. Trepov
had orcered his prisoners the lash, and
Bogoliepov-we have no means or
knowing how such a man came to be
elevated to the important and responsi.
BILE position OF Minister OF Education in
Russia-had attempted to suppress all
attempts at freedom among the students
by those police methods which have so
long been the custom in Russia, but
which tend rather to aggravate than to
cure the evils they are intended to
suppress.
The ordinary idea OF student lille in
Russia is that the youth OF the country
only go to the university because il is
the eaSie path to an official life. The
idea is only partially correct, for large
numbers Of the Russian stuuents submit
to the greatest privations in o, der to
obtain a university career. though they
know well enough that they have no
chance OF a post under Government.
Apart from this, it may be remarked
that a considerable num- Der Of these
posts offer very few attractions to men
with any conscience. Be that as it may,
it is sheer desire for knowledge that
attracts a large proportion of the youth
of Russia to the universities. There is
a good deal OF idealist about the Russian
student, in spite of his repulslve exterior,
and the Government, in lrying TO treat
him like a child, has done It's best to
foster desire for martyrdom ia him
The truth is that Ia Russia the Govern
ment has never realized that in the
hands of the youth OF the country, and
not only ofthe youth at the universities,
lies the future of Russia; and the states
men of the present day seem to have
adopted the policy of the first Nicholas.
an I to wish TO treat them like soldiers
AnV symptoms Of discomfort with the
attitude o the Government, or Wh It the
oureaucrats take to be discomfort, are
puni b. d by iorcI5le enrolment in the
army. 1t may be remarked that the
Russiau soldiers are lar better treated
than they were fifty years ago. ana that
therefore the punishment of compulsory
service is not so severe as It was when
Nicholas l. was Emperor But the
principle is the same-the Government
think that intellectual movements can
be stamped out by military discipline.
The Minister of Finance. Won Witte,
spoke last year in no measured terms
about the methods of the police; ard it
is reported that the Ministers OF War
and Justice were very much opposed to
the decision given in the Kiev ca e,
while the Home Secretary aud the
Minister OF Education supported it. It
is not likely, however, that the military
authorities objected to the sentence OF
compulsory service. for the Emperor
must have endorsed it, or at least it
could not have been carried out # he
had decided against We must therefore
conclude that the policy of reaction Is
not only strong but also successful with
the EmperOT's advisers. And it would
be thousand pities if the attack on the
Minister of Education served only TO
irritate those Ministers Eho fail to see
that social development must be the
saving Of Russia, and to incite them
still further to reactionary measures.