Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-18
Siberian Exiles Elected.


father and grandfather were both impris-
oned for the same offense.
Siberian Exiles Elected.
Several exiles in Siberia have been elect
ed deputies for the chamber. In every
case they were officially banisled from their
former homes because of their liberal polit-
ical views or revolutionary sentiments.
Mr.. Uiynoff. one of the leaders of the
labor party, is also familiar with the dun
geons of st. Peter and st. Paul. where he
was confined for long time because OF his
revolutionary sentiments.
Mr.. Nabakoff. a member of the constitu-
tional democratic party and son of for
mer minister of Justice in the cabinet of
Alexander III. was punished for his liberal
views by being removed from the post of
gentleman-in-w waiting upon the czar. He Is
now a member of the city council of st.
Petersburg well as of the imperial dou-
ma.
Mr.. Rodicheff, the most eloquent and con-
vincing speaker in the duma and one of
the most brilliant men in the empire, was
the first Russian who dared to demand
civil liberty from the car, and for that he
was banished. Mr.. Rodicheff is in some
respects the most striking parsonage in the
duma. He was born in the province or
Kieff in southern Russia, in 1886, and ne
is a graduate OF the University OF 81
Petersburg, where )he is remembered as one
of the most brilliant students ever matric-
ulated. In 1878 he was elected marshal OF
the nobility of his province. and later was
appointed a judge upon the provincial
bench. In 1891 he was active in the organ
ization of zemstvos and was elected presi-
dent of the first congress of that character
that ever met in Russia. He drafted the
famous resolution adopted by that Zem-
stvo congress, asking the emperor TO give
his people a constitutional government ana
publicly presented it to his sovereign Inc
car described the ideas therein contained
as "senseess Dreams" and Rodicheff was
sent into exile.
Several Times Banished.
Ivan Petrunkyevich, perhaps second in
influence to Mr.. Rodicheff in the duma. Is
sixtytwo years of age. He is one OF the
original advocates of constitutional gov
eminent, and. believe. he was the first to
propose It, as long ago as 1873. and has
several times been banished. but this disci-
pline has not affected his views. He was
one of the most active organizers OF the
zemstvos liberation leagues and congresses
of landowners. and was president OF the
great Zenstvo congress at MOSCOW IN NO
vember 1905.
Mr. Lyoff, one of the organizers of the
zemstvos and the congresses ana Wen
known as a member OF the Llperatlon
League, was once beaten by the CossacKs
while trying to subdue political disorders
1 told you the other day about Prof. Her
zenstein who was removed from the FAC
ylty of the University of Moscow because
he is a Jew.
Mr.. Mukhanoff was punished for having
had the audacity to send the car an In
dorsement from the zemstvos of his prov
ince of the "eleven-point manifesto, ADOPT
ed at congress of landowners in 1904 de-
handing administrative reforms and con-
stitutional government. Mr.. Mukhanof is
man of great wealth. one of the largest
landowners in the empire, belongs to one OF
the oldest families and Is marshal OF the
nobility in his province.
Mr. Gushovsky, who was actively en-
gagged in the organization OF the zemstvos,
was arrested last winter and sent to prison
without any charge being made against
him, although it Is well known that his
activity and influence made him not only
unpopular. but dangerous to the police ana
the government. He was elected to the
duma while he was still in prison and was
released after the election.
Mr.. Nekrasoff. another member Of the
constitutional democratic party. was for
merly land captain" an official OF the
government having charge Of the affairs OF
the peasant communes. He was banished
because of his opposition to the schemes
of the governor of his province concern
ing local matters and for trying to pro-
tect the peasants from persecution.
Not Revolutionists.
All of the men I have mentioned are
prominent in private life as they are in
huential in the duma. They are all MEM
bers of well-known families: they are all
large property owners, and several of them
are fortunate enough to possess great
wealth. They are in no sense revolutionists.
Their personal interests as well their
cause Of duty to the public would lead them
to do whatever is in their power to sustain
the government in all just measures and
promote the welfare of the people, They
have been punished. however. by imprison-
ment and Punishment, for expressing their
own judgment concerning the best means
to accomplish that object. They have been
e. IL 20 hat
repetition of the French revolution in Rus
STA is inevitable unless concessions are
made by the throne to satisfy the spirit
of progress among the people. In their
efforts to guide that spirit in such way
as to produce the greatest good to the
greatest number they have been declared
enemies of the state" The car already
has confirmed and approved their judgment
by granting all and more than they ever
asked up to year ago, but the cOnces-
sions were forced from him by fear of the
overthrow Of the throne, and in each case
before he was willing to grant the demands
of the people represented by the men
have described, they had driven their
stakes still farther forward and had broad
ened their platform.
Another class among the members of the
duma have suffered still more The MEM.
bers of the labor party. the social demo-
Gratis and the social revolutionists are COW
cred with scars. Several have served terms
of imprisonment; a still larger number have
suffered exile, and many of them. like st.
Paul, have been beaten with stripes In
fact, almost every member of the left has
had a personal encounter with the des-
potism, but in most of these cases the pun
ishment was provoked by the violation OF
law, by the use of foroce and by conspira-
cies of a revolutionary character.
If the roll were called and all the MEM
bers of the duma who have at any time
suffered punishment from the government
for conscience sake were asked to step for
ward, probably three-fourths OF the entire
number would respond.