Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-16
HERO OF RUSSIA'S STRUGGLE
Ivan Petrunksvich First Uttered the Word
Constitution Openly.
czAFs HISTORIC REPLY TO ADDRESS
Nicholas Declares suREestiOn Il
senseIess Dream, hut It's Author
nov Heads Liberal Party
of Empire.

81 EMPIRE
ST PETERSBURG April i5.-Petrunke-
vich. the famous Petrunkevlch." as he Is
called i'm Russia the man whose name for
a score OF years has been in the forefront
Of Russian liberalism. and who now, as the
accepted candidate Of the constitutional
democrats will be president Of the pouma,
does not look the born leader he undoubt-
eddy is. A bearded man OF 50. Of medium
stature. he would hardly attract second
glance in an ordinary assemblage. But
upon closer examination the deep lines and
piercing eyes beneath shaggy brows lend
to his otherwise ordinary countenance an
intelligence and force which marks him as
q man among men. He comes from noble
stock an old family of the province OF
Chernigof, where he was reared After
having brilliantly finished his college career
at the University OF Moscow he lived for
ten years upon his estate, greatly interested
In the peasants, studying their life and
habits and needs. At the same time he
served i'm the zemstvo Of the province and
there really began what might be called his
public career but his natural inclination
to liberalism and his outspoken declara-
lions in favor of measures to educate and
lift up the ignorant peasantry aroused hos
tilty among the buroaucrats of st. Peters
burg, who were early apprised Of his grow
ing influence. and he was dismissed from
the zemstvo service exiled from his native
province and forbidden to live in either Of
the two capitals, st. Petersburg or Moscow.
He then took UP his residence in the gov
eminent of Tver. where he acquired an
estate in the district Of Torjok and at once
became active in the affairs Of the zemstvo
OF the province. 1t was not long before the
zemstvo of Tver. under his inspiration, be-
came renowned as the most advanced of all
the zemstvos in Russia.
Bold Talk to the Gar.
But II was not until after the death Of
Alexander III that the incident occurred
which made Petrunkevich's name resound
throughout the country. Upon the Access
sion OF Nicholas II all the zemstvos sent
addresses with Fluctuations for the young
monarch, condolences for the loss Of the
late emperor and best wishes for a long
and prosperous reign. The address of the
zemstvo of Tver, however, was an extra
ordinary document. While repeating the
Fluctuations and formulas Of the other
zemstvos 1t added that for the welfare of
Russia the new monarch should give con-
AJluIlOn 10 MS people, expressing tue opln-
ion that only thus could Russia flourish.
"A continuance OF the old regime" it
said. will lead the country to perdition."
This was the first time that the word
constitution could be said 10 have been
openly pronounced in Russia and Petrun-
kevich with Rodechoff were the authors
Of that historic document. With the other
addresses it was formally presented to
the emperor November 20, 1885, when he
received the deputation of mobiles and
zemstvoists, although actually they had
been sent to the emperor in November, 1894.
a month after the death OF Alexander III.
Amid grand pomp all those who had pre-
scented addresses TO the emperor were as
sembled in the magnificent Nicholas hall
OF the winter palace. Petrunkevich headed
the deputation from Tver. II was the
| youthful emperor's first public appearance
He was plainly embarrassed. Surrounded
| by brilliant suite he came forward at
| tired in the smart uniform of the cheval-
Ter guard In his left hand he held his
| helmet and inside his helmet a sheet
of paper on which was written the speech
! he was to deliver. Timid. pale with emo
ton, the emperor with his eye constantly
travelling TO the helmet in his hand, COM
menced his speech of thanks for the ad-
majesty touched the question OF his future
policy lightly, saying only that he would
follow step by step the policy of his dead
| father. And then he reached the phrase
| which was to become historic. While
thanking the zemstvos for their patriotism
! the emperor added that one among them
! the zemstvo Of Tver-had not realized his
confidence. TT has permitted itself" said
the emperor. his voice trembling and his
eyes CHANGING furtively for support into
| the cold, hard face of Pobiedonosteff, the
| promoter OF the Holy Synod, who stood at
! his side and who was the real author of
/ the speech 1T has permitted itself to
speak OF a constitution That gentlemen,
| Is senseless DREAM" Those words, re-
produced in all the papers throughout
/ Russia, drew all eyes to Petrunkevich and
made him celebrated. He became In a day
the idol OF the liberals. Petrunkevich's
permission to come to St. Petersburg at
the head OF the deputation had been pro-
cured with great difficulty and lasted only
| for few days Immediately upon his re-
| turn the government took special measures
/ OF repression against him and all the MEM
[ bers OF the Tver deputation, including
/ Rodechen and De RoberttL who later
achieved prominence quite equal to that Of
Petrunkevich
PetrunlSevitch Comes To Capital.
II was not until 1904. when Prince Svla-
/ topolk- Mirsky became minister OF the In
terror, that Petrunkevitch received permits
sion TO come TO ST. Petersburg. ana his ap-
pearance there was coincident with the
meeting OF the nrst zemstvo congress. No
! vember 1922, 1904, Of which he was uRani-
mously chosen president. 1t was this con-
sress which adopted the famous program
OF twenty-five articles and which started
the great movement which finally. COM