Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-01-27
The Personality OF the Gar.

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The Personality OF the Gear.
While there is such adherence in
the minds of thousands of Russians
for the government under which they
live, yet they entertain an atfec-
tlonate regard for the Gar, whom
they call Our little father" They
think that he would forward their
interests more if he understood condi-
tlOns better: but he is hedged about
by an unfortunate system of bureau
cracy. There is not political PARTY
ia Russia; of course, there is no
parliaments There is one liberal
paper, but it is stopped whenever the
authorities choose TO interfere with
its policy. The Car is, presumably,
the head OF the government and
appoints his ministers. Each branch
of the imperial government devses
laws for the empire. Theoretically
the Gar creates all statutes.
practically, the ministers; one will
present this, another that, then the
Gar accepts or suggests a different
thing. Russia is not an autOcracy,
but a bureaucracy. The ministers
appoint their underlings and there is
no end OF intrigue, 1t is to the
interest OF the ministers to keep many
things from the Gar. Each one is
independent and responsible to the
emperor only. 1t would take giant
intellectually aud physically TO rule
Russia in way that would commend
itself To a civilized world. The Gar
would have TO be tirSt-claSS admirals
an able general, a great lawyer, an
astute economist and postmaster in
diplomacy. The Gar is small man
physically measuring only about five
feet, six inches and a half. He pos
SesSeS no intellectual ability, and,
although a Well-meaning man, with a
good heart and clean morals, he can
be truthfully regarded in no other
light than that Of weak character.
Ali power in Russia circles about the
Minister Of the Interior: but the body
OF Grand Dukes really constitute the
head Of the government. They form
maSterful nucleus; to oppose them
means annihilatiOn-nOt only for the
people, bu1 the emperor. 1t 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 inSt-
gators of his dSSaSSina ton and not the
niniliStS. Alexander the Third had a
policy which Was quite reactionary-
the opposite of his fathers. 1t was
the swinging of the pendulum. The
Grand Dukes can't be tried; they are
part OF the system of government.
Their logic is that if they should be
attacked, the foundations of the
emperor'S throne would suffer violence
If the Gar should appeal to the
people, he would be destroyed. The
only hope is that the army will refuse
to go with the present system and
side with the people. Then would
come a collapse of the whole govern
mental structure. The policy of the
revOlutionistS during The last few
years is to leave the emperor alone
and strike at the ministers. Each
man who has the place of Minister of
the Interior holds it at the risk of his
life; but all the ministers have been
threatened. 1t gives one an uncanny
sensation as he goes about ST. Peters
burg to hear persons say continually:
THAT church rests on the spot where
Alexander the Second was assassin
ated. That lamp post marks the place
where the minister was lately MUIR
dered. That hotel is where the young
student was killed by the dynamite
which he was preparing to throw at
the minister when the Gar and his
officials should be passing by to review
the troops. That is the point in the
yard at the Winter Palace where the
three casks Of dynamite were found
which had been secretly slipped in to
kill the Emperor" The Gar is the