River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-01-29

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N. serg.us witte. Russian Minister OF
Finance.
was the projenitor of the Ruril1 fam
lily.
BY the operation of the law which
was adopted, all the land was held by
the princes of this family, the eldest
Of whom was eligible for the position
of grand prince or ruler. Each share
of territory was governed by the
prince owning it. All ackno wledged
the grand prince as the general ruler,
but as time went on they came to
deny his power of interference with
their separate principalities. Each
prince became supreme in his own
state; yet the people claimed rights
of their own, and gradually asserted
them until many of the states became
practically republics. Yet the whole
system was on unstable foundation.
There were numerous and disastrous
wars between states and frequent in
vasions of Tartar tribes from without.
Altogether the people began to long
for a more unified national govern
ment. 1t is likely that this attitude
would have manifested itself in the
establishment of some sort of national
government (other than a republic, it
is likely, but just at this point, in the
thirteenth century, the Tartar Mon
gols overTnn the country and held
it at their mercy for two centuries.
l., IL
yoke eliminated in its absolute over
throw by the murderous Ivan the Ter
rible, who thereafter ruled Russia
with terrible despotism.
Upon his death the throne fell to
the son of Anastasia Romanov, one of
Ivan's wives, and with this son, Teodor
Ivanovich, began in 1884 the rule Of
the present Romanov family.
1t was upon the death of Peter H.,
grandson of the famous reformer,
Peter the Great, that a constitution
for Russia was first sought. This
document, though liberal in some
ways, renowned some of the reforms
of Peter the Great. This constitution,
Empress Anna Successor to Peter ID
nobility and was the result of con-
spiracy against her and did not repre-
sent the demands of the nation. She
instantly denounced it and punished
the cOnspiratOrs.
Not until the liberal rule of Alexan-
der I. did the matter of a constitution
for Russia come up for serious con-
of hn nStIT
of his prime minister, Speransky
Alexander was for time on the point
of giving Russia a system of parlia-
mentary representation, but the mat
ter was defeated by the opposition Of
the nobility.
The next attempt at reform in the
system of government came about
during the activity of the nihilists,
which resulted in the death of Alex
ander H., in 1881. Several attempts
having been made upon the cars life,
Loris Melikov was made dictator for
the express purpose of dealing with
the situation. Melikov went about the
matter as if it were more problem
for the reformer than the police. He
port by making concessions. The uni
versities, which had been closed, were
allowed to open, and prisoners eXiled
to Siberia for slight offenses were per-
mitted to return. Then Melikov con-
tinued the apparently good work by
drawing up plan for calling together
representatives from the local govern
!, no IL -
assembly whose advice might be asked
on matters of law. He induced the
ear to consider the scheme and to ap-
point a date for its discussion. Before
that date arrived came the cars death
at the hands of anarchists.
The ears son. Alexander IL, while
he seemed disposed at first to take up
the scheme which Melikov had pro-
posed. was finally Influenced by the
nobility and the matter was dropped.
His subsequent severity towards the
press and all reform is a matter of re-
cent history.
Nicholas H., the present ruler and
son of Alexander III, not long ago
announced his attitude on the subject
of constitution for Russia He said:
"I am aware that in certain meetings of
the provincial assemblies, voices have late
" been raised by persons carried away by
absurd illusions about the participation Of
members of such assemblies in matters Of
internal government. Let all know that
in Gevoting all my strength to the welfare
OF the people. intend to protect the princi-
pie of autocracy as firmly and unswerving-
~ as did my late ndnever-to-b e-forgotten
father"
Still, forces are forces, and the
car may some day think it policy to
yield. MILTON MARKS.