The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-29

piaguine who was assassinated April
is. 1902. by a student named Baim2s-
hOff He had formerly been director OF
the department of police, which posi-
tiOn he practically assumed Of his own
accord. when IN charge Of the depart
ment of political prosecutions. owing 10
the incOmpetency of the official who
was in charge of the police when En-
perOr Alexander II was killed. March
Is. 1881. NJ. Won Plehve conducted the
prosecution of the regicides and after
ward recognized the police. From that
time on the power Of n Won Plehve
increased until it became only second
in importance to that of the emperor.
Several plots to asSassinate the minis
ter have according to Te~Orts. been
discovered during the last two years,
which period has been marked by
strong rivalry between the interior min
ister and the former minister of
finance. NJ. Witte, now president Of the
committee of ministers.
Not a Learned Man.
" Won PIehve was not a scholar, but
from his youth he had been brought up
in official circles and he slowly but
surely pushed himself ahead. Before
the emperor called NJ. Won Plehve to
take the portfolio of minister OF the
forty years in official work, and at the
time Of his death he was about SIS years
old. The educated youths of Russia are
said to have been bitterly opposed to
NJ Won Plehve owing. it has been
claimed. to his turning OF his own peo-
pie, and TO the drastic changes which
he inaugurated or advocated He is
said TO have regarded the common peo-
pie as either dangerous criminals TO be
70 he To-
nOred. NJ. Won Plehve was largely OF
Polish blood. He was regarded as in
many ways being the power behind the
throne, and was dreaded on account OF
his control Of the third (secret) section
of police and also owing to the fact
that he controlled the press of Russia
through the censOrs. who. it has been
understood. did NJ. Won Plehve's bidding
without question.
LaboTdous But Not Brilliant
The deceased minister was laborious
in the extreme. but had no trace of
brilliancy and was an Indifferent con-
versstiOnalist. he VAS however. fond
of Music. and was accustomed TO read
many French novels during his leisure
hours.
IL May, 1903. N Won Plehre was ap-
pointed president Of the imperial COM
mission appointed TO carry out the en-
peror's reform decree.
What part. if any. ". Won Plehve
actually played in the Kishinef mas
sacres viii probably never be known,
but his enemies have claimed that he
had full knowledge of the events lead
ing thereto through his political friend
and agent. Ksoushevan. known as the
most extreme anti Semitic IN Russia.
and proprietor Of the Bessara betz, a
new spaper OF kishineG.
1t should be added that the allcga-
tons made against a. Won Plehve have
never been proved 20 be founded on fact
and IN view of the emperor's inquiry
into the matter and the fact that Won
Piehve retained the cmoeror's conf
dence. il is only just 70 assume that the
charges were uHfOu1ded-
The las1 great public work of Won
Plehve. so far as known. was the draft
ing of the peasant code. early this year
This is scheme for peasant reform.
ordered by the emperor. in his recent
manifesto
on June Is of this year st was an
noUnced from ST. Petersburg that the
council Of empire had approved N ven
Plehve's decree for the repeal Of the
law under which Jews were forbidden
TO reside within thirty-two miles of the
frontier. This measure has been ap-
proved By the emperor.