Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-07-17
RUSS|A'S TROUBLES
ASSASSINATION AND REVOLT.
TIoNARY SENTIMENT GROWING.
THE POPULAcE REBELS
Results, However, Are Only to
Make Bad Worse, Since Men
of Even Fiercer Cast Are
Placed in Posts of Murdered
Officials.

Russia continues to be the land Of
assassination. Within three months
there have been seven attempts
against the lives of high officials ana
of these two were successful. A
study of Russian history indicates
that assassination is g,owing more
frequent and that revolutionary sent
ment is increasing.
With rare exceptions Russian as
sassinations are revolutionary in their
motive. In other civilized countries
the assassin is insane, the victim of
social delusion or an agent of a per-
sonal grievance. Not so in Russia.
The men who slew Mckinley and Hum
bert were ignorant, impulsive and
without clear motive. The assassin Il
Russia is usually a man of in
telligence, a member of the middle,
sometimes of the upper class. He
knows what he wishes to accomplish.
He goes at his work calmly, with full
realization of the consequences. He
knows that he will suffer death or long
imprisonment, and his deed is per-
formed with spirit of heroism. The
Anarchist 1-urderer of western Europe
is chosen by lot from small banl of
conspirators, whose only aim is the
destruction of law and authority. The
assassin of Russia chooses himself
from a sense of duty-however mis-
guided he may be-and his aim is the
liberation of his people from he
tyrannical rule of autocracy and bu-
reaucracy. No one knows his plans
save the members of his own family
I or little circle of intimate friends.
The RevoIutionist's Policy.
The policy of the Russian revolu
tionists is to remove officials who are
| responsible for acts Of the most re-
pIessive nature or guilty of excessive
cruelty as warnings to their SUI
cessors. The ultimate aim is &c
secure representative government ana
q constitution. The minister who be-
| comes noted as an opponent of re-
form is slain, in the hope that the
! man who takes his place may be more
liberal, either by nature or policy,
seeking to avoid a similar fate. AS
sassination is therefore a policy of
terrorism. Within the last 10 years
there have been half dozen attempts
| at the life of Pobiedonostzeff, the
procurator of the holy synod. He is
esteemed the sternest and most power
| full enemy of all liberal ideas, cut
very attempt against him has been a
complete failure. His spies are evers-
where and all plots have been frustrat-
; ed before they reached the crisis.
| In March two assaults were made
on General Trepoff, chief Of police Of
! Moscow. He has been especially
severe in the suppression Of meetings,
literature and popular demonstrations.
! The attacks were made in the streets,
but on each occasion he escaped with
out injury. A third effort was made
in the first week in April. While the
general was riding in a carriage d
student of the Moscow university
sprang upon the carriage step and at
I tempted to stab the chief. A police
man riding with Trepoff interviewed
and was slightly wounded. The as.
sailant was secured, but his fate has
not been revealed.
The most sensational assassination
of this spring was that of Sipiaguir.
/ the minister of the interior, accom-
plished by student on April Is, at
the ministerial palace in st. Peters,
burg. The details of this affair
illustrate the deliberation with which
the Russian revolutionist operates.
! Next to Pobiedonostzeff, Sipiaguin was
the most unpopular official of the i'm
peria. government. He was OF high
family, only 40 years old, well edu-
Gated, uncompromisingly conservative.
During a public life of Is years he
had been assistant governor of
Kharkoff, governor Of Moscow and