Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-11-21

M statutes, pfhctlcaliN, the MINIS
ters, n will present this, another
that, then the ear accepts or sug-
gcsts a different thing, Russia Is not
AN autocracy, bur a bureaucracy, The
minister's appoint their underlings
and there Is no end of intrigue, II is
To the interest OF the minister's 10
keen many wings from the ear
Zach one IL Independent and rcSponst
BILE TO the emperor only II would
take a giant intellectually and physl
cally 10 rule Russia in u way that
would commend itself TO n civilized
world. The ear would have 10 be a
first,class admiral. an able general, u
great lawyer, an astute economist and
past master In diplomacy The car
Is a small man physically
only about five feet, six inches and
a half. He possesses no intellectual
ability. and. although a well-mean'
Ing man, with a good heart and clean
morals. he can be t~ruthfully regarded
In no other light than that of u weak
character. All power in Russia cir
cles about the minister OF the inter
Tor; bur the body of grand dukes real
ly constitute the head Of the govern
ment. They form a masterful nu'
cleus; to oppose them means annihila'
tion-not only for the people, but the
emperor. Ii can never be forgotten
that Alexander the Seconds method
Of freeing the serfs and instituting
other reforms was bitterly opposed by
the grand dukes. and that they were
the instigators OF his assassination
and not the nihillsts. Alexander the
Third had a policy which was quite
reactionary-the opposite Of his faith.
er's. 1t was the swinging Of the pen
dulum. The grand dukes can't be
tried; they are n part Of the system
OF government. Their logic Is that
n they should he attacked, the foun-
dations Of the emperOr's throne would
suffer violence. n the car should ap'
peal to the people. he would he de.
stroyed. The only hope Is that the
army will refuse to go with the pres
ent system and side with the people.
Then would come a collapse Of the
whole governmental structure. The
policy of the revolutionists during the
last few years is to leave the emper-
or alone and strike at the ministers.
Each man who has the place OF minis.
ter OF the interior holds it at the risk
OF his life; but all the ministers have
been threatened. II gives one an un-
canny sensation as he goes about st,
Petersburg to hear persons say o
t%inually: THAT church rests on the
spot where Alexander the Second was
assassinated. That lamppost marks
the place where the minister was late
ly murdered. That hotel Is where
the young student was killed by the
dynamite which he was preparing to
throw al the minister when the ear
and his officials should be passing by
to review the troops. That IL the
point in the yard at the Winter Pal
ace where the three casks Of dynamite
We're found which had been secretly
slipped in 10 kill the emperor" The
czar is the loneliest nan In the world
today and the one most to be pitied.
He Is closed about by q living for
tress. but whom. after all, can he
trust? Peterhof Is the seat of the EN-
peror's summer residence. II Is out
by train a short distance from st
Petersburg. From the station there is
a beautiful drive through woods unit
the little village Is reached. In q
handsome park. upon Its outskirts
are The buildings where the car and
his entire suite live for a certain
length of time each year. On al
sides are officers and guards. Al Tho
point where the little chapel stands
in which the crown prince was latel,
baptized, a winding road lead.
through a forest to a ledge OF Lane
washed by the Gulf Of Finland, There
Is the cars palace, surrounded by /;
wall, and there. in solitude, he live
with his family. All that IL seen o
the house Is a tower as one stands OF
the seaward porch OF the home of re
ter the Great and looks down th,
streIch of water. Stationed at tn
entrance to the road, whose terminu
Is the cars palace. a guard Is see
day and night, standing with a draw
sword In his hand and with sheathe,
swords and other weapons strappe
about him. The tzar Ia. in reality.
prisoner. The peasant woman In tn
field and The laborer upon the dock
know more of freedom. He could nh
dicate aud thus be rid of the haun.
ing terror OF assassination. VIII
doesn't he? Well. power is a sui
stance precious to the human heart