Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-12

collars and cuffs at the table Of the official
stenosraphers. I believe l told you that
women only are employed as official re-
porters at the duma, but have never seen
one in any of the government buildings
Hence l do not believe that they are en-
ployed as clerks.
A life-size portrait of Nicholas II hangs
behind the chair of the presiding officer, op-
posite the statue of the great Catherine.
There are two tribunes, one on either side
of the desk, but that is merely matter of
convenience, and the members who desire
to speak usually ascend the nearest one.
They are little pulpits with shelves to hold
manuscripts and books, and every man who
addresses the council must occupy one Of
them.
The proceedings correspondent with the
room, and were funereal in their solemnity.
Everybody was very dignified and ceremo-
NOUS. The president, Mr.. Frish Of st. Pc
tersburg, Is large and handsome. with white
hair and beard. and Is one of the most i'm
portant business notables in the Russian
capital. The members. as rule, are fine
looking men. Many Of them wore uniforms,
and several military and naval officers and
ex-ministers of state of whom you have
read in the newspapers were pointed out
to me.
Career OF Ignatieff.
Count de White is a member but he was
not present. He is somewhere in Austria.
Count Lamsdorff, recently minister of for
eign affairs, who is highly respected. was
present and SO was Durnovo, another ex-
minister who is generally detested. 1t was
he who drove De White from the cabinet.
1 saw General Ignatieff, who is regarded as
one of the wickedest men in Russia. He
has the reputation of being able to crush
out liberal movement and stamp on a
revolution harder than any other man in
the empire. He is of immense stature and
very 1eshy, with gross, gluttonous. re-
pulSive face. He was born in 1872 entered
the army as boy under Alexander II, and
from 1871 to 1882 was assistant minister of
war; For hve years afterward during the
most reacuonary and brutal period of the
reign OF Alexander III, he was governor
general of Siberia, and that statement COW
ers reign of barbarism and political per-
secutlon beyond anything that has occurred
among human beings since the middle ages
In 1887 he was recalled to be governor gem
eral of Little Russa-which term applies
TO the central provinces of the European
portion or the empire-because a strong
man was needed there. He was then sent
to 1rkutsk to put down a rebellion and now
ne is In command in the Caucasus, trying
10 restore peace and quiet by the slaughter
OF every man who resists him. If half the
stories that are told of General Ignatieff are
true, he is the wickedest monster alive and
yet the gentle car has great admiration
FOR him, we are told
lgnatief is a striking illustration of the
axiom that rulers who rise from the people
than those who are born with power in
their hands This applies to every sphere
OF lie. boss who was recently a work.
man is always hard on his men, and when
au.noIly Is given TO person who is not
accustomed to it 1t is sometimes misused.
Inc father of Gen. 1gnatieff was peasant,
a common soldier in the imperial guard
who attracted the attention of his officers
by his soldieriy qualities and Was given a
commission. He gained the attention of
Emperor Nicholas l, and was promoted
rapidly until he became general. His son
followed in his footsteps, and in addition to
MS nigh military rank has been able to
amass a fortune through his official connec-
lions.
The Gutchkoff Brothers.
There are several notable men in the
council Of whom the public is likely to hear
something when parliamentary government
becomes fact in Russia. One of them is
Alexander Gutchkoff, whose brother is
mayer Of Moscow. He is president of the
Octoberist party, organized, as l told you
the other day. for the purpose of supporting
the car against reactionary influences in
carrying out the liberal propositions con-
tanned In his manifesto of October II last.
Gutchkof Is one of the richest men in Rus
STA, and inherited his wealth from his ia
Their, who was large manufacturer. His
fad has been charity. He Is president of
the Red Cross Society of Russia and is now
at Geneva as delegate to the international
Red Cross convention, to which the govern
ment Of the United States sent representa-
tives. During the Boer war he spent a year
or more in the South African hospitals, and
had charge of the Red Cross headquarters
at Mukden during the war with Japan.
Both Alexander Gutchkoff and his brother
have been known to cherish liberal senti-
ments for several years, but 1T was equally
well known that they repudiated all con-
nection with revolutionary movements.
They did not appear in political circles until
the car himself had spoken, when both
made haste to proclaim their support of his
position and pledged themselves to do
everything within their power to sustain
him.
Another important member is Nicholas
Avadakoff, who, like Gutchkoff, represents the
manufacturing industries of the empire and
is heavily interested in mines. He, too, is
one Of the richest men in Russia, and has
had an important part In promoting rail-
ways and other enterprises. He employs
Il, 900 men, and, 1 am told, has personally
assisted the members of the different trades
on his payroll to organize unions, which
are no longer illegal in Russia.
Mr.. TimiriaSeff is one of the few elected
members of the council who have been in
the government service. He was minister
of commerce and industry In the De White
cabinet, and negotiated the new CONNER
cial treaties with Germany, Austria and
other European countries, which were like
ly to give the manufacturers of the United
states considerable trouble mad not Am
basSador Meyer succeeded in persuading
the Russian government to let us in to the
same advantages under the most favored
nation clause of our treaties
Other Notable Members
Gregory Krestonikoff. who was chairman
of the commission that drew up the pres
ent Russian tariff is president Of the Mos
cow produce exchange and owns a large
soap and candle factory at Kazan. He, like
Mr.. Timiriaseff, is frequently spoken Of as
probable member of the first parliament
airy cabinet, when the car reaches his
limit and is compelled to yield to the peo-
pie.
One Of the most interesting councillors is
Constantine Jasuninski, the son of a serf
who bought his freedom in 1852 and with
out any capital or resources but his own
ability and industry, set up a weaving bust
ness which has developed until 1t Is now
the largest in Russia. The father has been
dead some years, but the son has inherited
his qualities and Is regarded as one of the
ablest business men in the empire. He was
educated at the Moscow Technical School
and learned the trade of a weaver among
his fathers operatives. Even here In this
despotism one frequently finds such self
made men. 1t is only necessary to go back
a generation or two among the families of
those who control commercial and financial
affairs to reach the SOIL In Russia as in
every other country, the third or fourth