The copper era., 1905-11-09
Can Be Traced Back Through 302 Years
 of Blood, Cruelty and Oppression.

ly four whole centuries, marked by
 bloodshed, massac ere, assassination
 intrigue, conspiracy and war.
 In those four centuries the Roman
 offs fought wars with nearly every
 people in Europe. They fought
 Sweden, subdued Poland, subjugatet
 the Crimean provinces, overrun Livonia, dismembered Poland, and
 sent their Cossacks like a scourage
 across the Caucasus until they ha6
 conquered the center of Asia as fal
 as the tomb of Tamerlane, and added
 all of Siberia to the realms of the | Car.
 In those four centuries the Roman
 offs fought wars with Sweden, Eng
 land, France, Italy, Prussia, Austria,
 Hungary, Turkey, China and Japan.
 They fought with and against Ma
 poleon. They helped Prussia against
 France, and in turn joined France in
 crushing Prussia. Three times they
 tried to conquer Turkey. Twice they tried to invade Persia. Their hand has been against almost every na- tion, and ruler and people in Europe. They have been better hated and bet ter feared than the members of any other reigning family than ever held throne in Europe.
 And yet these same ttomanoffs, whose throne has been washed with the blood of a million murdered sub jects, until it's steps were as crimson as the velvet canopy above it, found Russia horde of half-Oriental bar barians, and molded the squat, stupid mass into a modern nation, one of the recognized powers in the world. They developed commerce, established universities, girdironed the empire with railroad, fostered religion, cultivated art and sceince.
 Their ships ply every sea. Their railroads cross two continents. They are rivals with England and the United States in many lines of con- merce. Their lawyers are recognized in the international courts of the world, their scientists are quoted in every laboratory, their literature is in every modern library, and their music is recognized among the classics.
 The first Romanoff was Michael FeodOrovitz; who ascended the throne in 1913, after the assassination of Feodor I, last of the house of Rurik, which had ruled for 700 years. He crushed a rebellion and ruled until 1645 in comparative peace. He was succeeded by his son, Alexis ", who in his turn crushed rebellion by hanging, burning and torturing 1000 prisoners.
 Then came the son of Alexis, Feodor III, who ruled from 1870 to 1882. He left two sons, Ivan V and Peter, half brothers. They ruled jointly, the real empress being Sophia, mother of Peter I. Sophia gave Russia the bloodiest reign his tory has ever known up to that time. It all ended in 1896, when Ivan V died. Then Peter I asserted himself and put his mother in a convent.
 The history of modern Russia really dates from the reign of Peter I, for he was that most famous mon- arch of all Russia, Peter the Great. He signalized his entry into power by beheading 5000 of his enemies. He was wonderful, enterprising, broad cruel bloodthirsty, who hanged, burned, tortured and drowned his subjects until all Russia was one vast orgy of blood. And yet Peter the Great built St. Petersburge, es- tablished the commerce of Russia, introduced modern culture and died after poisoning his own son.
 Catherine I, wife of Peter the Great, succeeded him in 1795. She was famous as she was infamous She was succeeded by Peter IT, and then by Anne, daughter of Ivan. Anne was the first ruler of Russia to banish prisoners to Siberia. She thus exiled 10000 of her subjects and sent 10000 more to the scaffold.
 Anne was followed by Ivan VI, who was exiled and then assassinated.
 A coup d'etat called Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, to the throne in TAI, and she reigned twenty years of intrigue and | assassination.
 Peter III mounted the throne in | l762, only to be murdered by his l wife's father a few months later. | Then his wife, Catherine II, grasped l the scepter and ruled, dissolute em- | press, until 1796. Her son. Paul, | succeeded her, and in 1901 he was as sassinated.
 Then came Alexander I, the en- peror who burned Moscow to prevent l its capture by Napoleon, and who af- marched his army to the 1 gates of Paris. compelled Napoleon to abdicate, and sent him an exile to Elba.
 Nicholas I came to the throne in 1925. He was a warlike ruler, and his armies fought on every battle field of Europe for thirty years. During his reign 1,OO0,0OO of his sub- ects perished in foreign wars.
 Alexander II began to rule in 1855. He was the most enlightened ruler of he Romanoff dynasty. He liberated he scrf, and is remembered as the Czar who sent a fleet to New York 1I1r-iOn Ol1r civil war tO Charl-