The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-16

ing his win They make him feel that
what he thinks is correct, what he says
is true what he does is right This
Hobbesiau view OF his position has been
carefully eugrafted upon his mind by
the two theorists OF aUtOcracy. NJ Pobe-
d0uosJseG and Prince Ieshtshersky. The
procurator of the Holy Synod. a cold
blooded fanatic OF the Torquemada type
is the champion of Oriental despotism IN
its final stage. equipped with railways
lelegraphs- telephones, and rifles, and
hailoWed with concentrations, incense,
and holy oils the fsats of Ivan the Ter
Ti5le achieved with the blessings OF 81.
Seraphim. or Prince Mesh .sheFsky the
editor Of the "Grashdauin'' and the
private counselor of rne Gar, il would
Ice difficult TO convey an adequate pic
JuTe without introducing scenes when
would offend the taste OF the uou-Rus-
sian public. His political ideas are
those OF the DahOmey OF fifty years
ago. or the Bokhara OF today. modified
10 two important points. According 70
him, every governor OF a province, every
peasant-prefect, should share the ire
sp0usIbIe power of the altocrat and
when dealing with the peasautry need
observe no law
Questions Of the Zemstvo have no
more 10 do with law courts, he writes,
than questions OF family life. II a
father may clastiSe his son severely
77..Es5sst invoking the heID OF the courts.
the autEcTiJies-I0cal, provincial. ana
EeurTal-slOuld be- invested with q sim
lar power 10 imprisQn. fog. and other
wise overaWe or punish the people"
Nicholas Never Reads.
The Gar, then, is what inherited ten
denotes and the doctrines Of Pobedon-
ostsen and Meshtshersky have made
him. Between humanity and divinity,
ne is a tertium Quid such IS the doc
trine Of the two theorists OF autocracy;
such the conviction Of their pupil He
is the one essence in the Empire; they
are his organs. Hence, they strive %
please him. 10 carry out his behests. 10
anticipate his wishes. 20 suggest plans
DO harmony with his hXCd ideas OF pass
ing moods. Necessarily, also. they color
and disy0gr facts, events, and cOuse-
queuces5 for, while he can appreciate eff
fects. his faculty of discerning their re-
Iatious 10 causes is almost atr5phied.
He IS ever struggling with phaut0ms.
fighting with WindmilIs, COuvcTsiug
with saints. OF consulting the spirits OF
the dead But, of the means at hand
for helping his people or letting them
help themselves, lac never avaIs him
self. Books he has long ago ceased 10
read. and sound advice ne is incapable
of listening 90. His ministers he re-
ceivrs with great formality. and dis
misses with naughty cUudesceusiOu.
They are often kept i'm the dark about
matters which 10 behOOves them 70 know
thoroughly and early.
When three ministers implored the
Car 10 cEaruate Manchuria and sa re-
guard the peace or the world. he an
sWered: OF shall keep the peace and my
own counsel as WELL TO one of the
grand dukes. who. on the day before the
rupture with Japan vaguely limited al
the possibility OF war, the Emperor said
Leave that to- me. Japan will never
10 the end with such little wisdom
are the affairs of great nations directed.
Car Never Hears the Truth.
The pity of it IS that there is no in
termediary between the isolated soVer-
eign and the disanected nation; no one
who has free access 10 the monarch for
the purpose Of telling him the truth
But Nicholas ~ stands alone on his dir
~ pedestaI-a Simon Stylites among
rnouarchs His adjutant. Hesse. who is
privileged 20 see him at all times, is
an officer who can scarcely write his
name. The Car has created a gulf be-
tween the autOcracy and the people. be-
tween himself and his fellow morJals
which IS nearly as deep and as broad
as that which separates the deity from
mankind.
In the conduct of state affairs, the
Car is reserved and formal Like mis-
father, when presiding over a commit
tee, on council, he listens in silence 70
the opinions of others. almost always
Withholding his own. He sometimes de-
parts fro- ~his rule when he wishes 20
give "A certain direction TO the discussion.
10 was thus when ii. de PlehYe brought