Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-28


 by the Soldiers.
 Father George Gopon, leader of the St. Petersburg strikers, visited the United States in 1901 and toured New York in company With guide and to the fftieth anniversary celebration of the Young Mems Christian associa- tion, says the New York American.
 Those who met him in Boston de- scribe him as very energetic person, who did not look more than forty years old, whereas he is nearly sixty-five. His family name is Agathon. but for political reasons he has changed that to Gopon.
 In both New York and in Boston the priest took a lively interest in police, educational and political methods. He visited and examined every institution of a public character that he could, and since his return to Russia he has based much of his writings on what he observed here.
 The man who has perhaps come into closest contact with Father Gopon is Christian Brinton, an art critic of New York. who has spent many years in Russia and has known Father GOpOn for more than ten years.
 ''The priest is peasant" said MT. Brinton. He comes from the peas antry of Poltava, and in his thoughts and feelings he is at one with the work ingmen who are now fighting for their liberties.
 Like Witte, he was herder of pigs and geese when he was child, and, like Witte, he has become leader of men by sheer force of character. His origin is obscure. His people were poor plain peasants who gave their all to give him good education. and in re turn he has given his mighty intellec- tual powers to the people of his class. The workingmen worship him. His word is law among them.
 From his earliest youth he has been student of the social and economic conditions surrounding the poorer class es of the Russian empire. He went to good schools in Poltava and finally ob- tained his entrance at one of the semi naries, where he studied for the priest hood. But by that time his strong and liberal views had taken root. and his utterances were of such liberal char acter that he was compelled to leave the seminary before graduation. By clever diplomacy. of which he is mas ter. by the way, he managed to obtain priestly orders, though the Russian church would never grant him pas torate
 "So he has gone from town to town and from province to province preach ing to congregations that always wei come him with delight and reverence : In this manner he has been able tC reach far larger audience than he could have done had he been pastor in a si.lple country community.
 "The result has been that practically all Russia knows the man and believes in him. Of course the official class hate and fear him. but they do not despise him, for they know his power with the people. That Is why he has never been arrested and exiled. But for his power with the peasantry and the working people he would have long since routed in Siberia.
 "I have never seen a more impressive figure in the pulpit than this Russian priest. He is not tall, but he is a pow erfully built. deep chested, massive man. His voice is very deep, and whei the power of brazen trumpet. l have seen him address meetings of working men at which the peasants sat and hung upon his words as though he were the incarnate spirit of the Al mighty.
 ! "The soldiers. too respect him. and that Is one of the reasons why he wa. not killed during the recent rioting il St. Petersburg. The Russian soldier i. a deeply devout creature. and not ons of them would think of firing on | priest who carried cross or an ikon. Father GopOn's face is one of tn, most impressive that I have ever seen His features are large and generous but are hot heavy. There is no blunt ness to the nose and chin. His brow' are heavy and very prominent Re heath these gleam his eyes. large dreamy and soft. the eyes of mystic Only when aroused by excitement d. | his eyes show the true man. and theI they blaze with the intensity of th' conviction that he feels
 For many years he has been a frien' of Maxim GOrky. but he is by H means the revolutionist that this nigh imply.
 Rather the priest has carried on hi work by means of addresses to the peO pie and educational pamphlets. whirl he has written in vast numbers. Hi | close study of Socialism and his obseT vations while in this country and Eu | ropean countries other than Isussi' have given him q vast store to draw from. and he has used it literally fo his flock
 His pamphlets are written in Russii and then sent to Switzeriand. Stutt gart. Vienna and England. where the. are printeI and then smuCglei acrOs ! the border and distributed among tn ! r.ao-,ia hss rxfshaS rp roach
 He is neither nihilist. an ianarchiS nor an extreme Socialist He is mereI a teacher of enlightened thought an advanc,-I Pol-tical wisdom to the pes pie. All students who have read hi