Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-04
Continued From Page Nine)

pearance was dignity inaccessible. al
most superkuman dignity. All Russia
had then gathered together in the per
sons Of the representatives Of the zemst-
vOs. or local boards-we may call them
embryonic county councils-to do hon.
age TO his majesty on his accession to
the throne. Loyal addresses without
number, drawn up in the fowery IAN
guage of oriental servility. had been
presented from all those institutions.
One OF these documents-and only oI.e
had seemed TO NJ. Pobedonostzef to
smack Of liberalism. No less loyal in
form or spirit than those of the other
boards, the address drawn up by the
council of Tver vaguely expressed the
modest hope that his majesty's conf
dence might not be wholly restricted TO
the bureaucracy, but would likewise be
shared by the Russian people and by
the ZcmstVOS, whose devotion to the
throne was prOvcrbial This was rel-
sOnablc wish: ii could not seriously he
dubbed i crime and even if il bespoke
n certain spirit of mild independence 1t
was after all the act of single zemst-
YO. whereas the men who had come to
do homage TO the emperor We're the
spokesman not OF one ZemstyO. hut Of
all Russia. Yet the aUtocrat strobe ma
jestically into the brilliantly lighted
hall and with knitted brows and tightly
drawn lips turned wrathfully upon the
chosen men of the nation and. stamping
his little foot. ordered them 10 put away
such chimericdl notions, which lie
would never entertain.
IptWppu those two y,1bIia r.
ances of Nicholas H. lay that short
period Sf suggestion during which the
impressionable youth had been made
not 50 much to believe as to feel that
he was Gods lieutenant, tine earthly
counterpart OF his divine Master From
that time forward his majesty has been
filed with a spirit OF self cxaltation
which has gone on gaining strength in
accordance with the psychological law
that pride usuTps as much space az
servIlity is ready to yield. NikOIai
AleXandrovitch soon began 10 look up
on himself as the center Of the world.
the peaccmaker Of mankind. the torch
bearer Of civilization among the YET
low and other "baTharOuS' races ana
the dispenser of almost every bicssiu.
TO his own happy people. Taking seri-
ously this his imaginary mission, lie
has meddied continuously and directly
I'm every affair of state. domestic and
foreign, thwIrting the course of justice.
undermining legality, impOyerishing his
subjects, boasting his ferveut love OF
peace and yet plunging his tax bur
dened people into the horrors Of Il san
culinary and needless war.
The only government suited TO Rus
STA is Il strong monarchy. but between
this and a wild oriental despotism there
is a difference. Nicholas H., although
not guided by his official advisers. has
never been a free and independent rui-
or. During the first part of his rGgn
lie was kept in leading strings by his
mother, who as soon as he assembled the
throne impressed upon him the neces-
Eity of initiating in all things his
never to be forgotten father" In real
fly the two men are as far asunder as
the positive and negative poles
The father, sincere. gloomy and mar
row minded, at least instiuctively felt
his limitations and steadily kept with
in them. He strOve with indonlitable
perseverance and occasional success to
secure within the narrow circle of his
acquaintance the best men and. hav-
ing once chosen IN adviser. always ask
ed his counsel and usually followed it,
Again, breach of faith was an abOmi-
nation to him. and his word was re
gardcd as better than any bond. in
spite of his mistaken attitude toward
the Firms and his broken promise in
regard to Batum. But in all these
characteristics the son is the very op-
nosite to his. father. Unsteady. half