Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-02-24
NICHOLAS AND NIHILISM.

NICHOLAS AND NIHILISM.
The Gear of Russia is sorely beset.
With q war waging in Manchuria,
strikes and riots in all parts of bis en-
pire, and plots of revolutionary char
acter forming in every province and
city, be has been visited right in the
midst OF the royal family by Assassi-
nation. The Grand Duke Sergius, his
urcle and brother-in -law. has been
torn to atoms by bomb thrown by
revolutionist. The Gar himself is
also marked for destruction. 1t would
b difficult to imagine q life where
every moment of it was flled with
dread and apprehension. To be unable
TO lie down without fear that the
awakening will be in eternity; to be
unable to take food or drink without
fear of poison; to dread to meet even
those whom are supposed to be loyal.
lest traitor Turk amongst them; to
be a prisoner in ones own house, every
noise bringing u shudder, every creak
of door sending chill, even to the
craving of a rat, or the rustling OF
window shade. We have, however,
no sympathy to waste upon tho Gar.
He deserves none and should get none,
we will let bis sins be on his own head.
because he or those in whom he trusts
and whose eounsels he seeks and fol.
lows, have brought about the condi'
tions which are today making Russia
the object of seorn and contempt
throughout the world, and which has
driven her subjects to revolt and as
sassination.
The Grand Duke who has just been
slain was the prince of tyrants. To
him the death ana suffering Of subject
were NO more than the wiggle OF q
crushed serpent. He regarded all
subjects as slaves, and abject slaves at
that. He regarded the Royal family as
part of Divinity and sacred. He be-
heved that there was vested in royalty
tho right to imprison and kill any
subject whom royalty decided had
offended royalty. On this theory. a
citizen of Russia might be sitting with
his family in what be deemed perfect
security, he might be peacefully en-
gagged In his workshop or store, or in his
field, wnen on the scene a gendarme
would appear who would carry him
away. This would possibly be the last
his family would ever hear of him, Oh
il he ever returned it would be when
he had suffered the horrors of prison
life, or exile in Siberia, broken in
health and spirit, deorepit invalid.
This condition has prevailed In Russia
abating In fury at times. then increas
ing until the preset moment.
The life of Poland was crushed out.
Finland was turned from prosperous
country to land of slavery, the CON-
mon people everywhere are held in
ignorance and serfdom, and as for the
Jews their lot has been. and 10, simply
one of inexpressibls horror. They
have been assassinated by royalty.
and If royalty suffers assassination it
would seem to be only its portion un-
der the law, the enexorable law, Of
compensation. Only few days ago
hundreds. and possibly thousands, of
common people were shot down in the
streets of st. Petersburg by royal
command. This was not much of a
crime says royalty, but when Sergius,
q Grand Duke, Is slain by one of the
common people. royalty is heard from.
If stick were thrust into q hornets
nest they would not pour out, and
rage and storm any more than royalty
has done over the death of this tyrant
Sergius. Royalty took hold of the
wires, 1t sent in, steaming hot. con-
dolences and expressions of horror.
Throughout the world they buzzed, and
frothed, and fumed. When a thousand
common people died by royal command
no messages of coincidence came from
these ships, rather messages of con-
graduation. Now the scene has
changed, and the world" we are told
stands agast." Hardly SO. Some of
it stood agast when on a Sabbath
morning two weeks ago the streets of
st. Petersburg ran blood, the real
royal blood which makes q nation.
Not 90 much Of the world stands agast
at this sudden retribution as might be
supposed. The world can spare royal
ty, lots Of it. especially of the Sergius
kind, Unless he changes his ways the
world can spare even the Gar. Last
Sunday all royal churches were saying
masses, and offering up prayers for
the repose of the soul of Sergius.
When men worth more to their coun-
try were slain by hundreds few Sab.
baths ago no masses were said by royal
command. Look on this picture and
then on that.
The Washington Post speaking of
how Senator Elkins watches the State
capital at Charleston, and the District
affairs at Washington, says:
"a spasm of economy has the dis.
tinguished Senator In its grasp. he
signs to be the successor of the late
lamented Holman. He yearns for the
sObriquet of the watch dog Of the Treas
ury Like Cerberus. he stands and
rnarda thu national Yanlfa Ha liz