The Indianapolis journal. [volume], February 07, 1904, HOME SUPPLEMENT, Image 35

About The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904

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HOME SUPPLEMENT
SUNDAY JOURNAL.
B. S. "sN 5? 'S? V
FEW FOREIGNERS comprehend
how absolute is the power of the
Czar All in Russia is his
UNDREAMED OF LENGTHS to
which his subjects would go to carry
out his imperial will
HIS AUTOCRATIC POWER, fos
tered by the Church steadily increases
even in this democratic age
By WILLIAM THORP
A BUSY American hurried into the office of
the Russian Consul-General in New York
the other day to ask for some information
about Russia. As he stood by the wicket
Kate of the outer office, waiting for admission, the
Consul-General happened to notice him.
"Kindly remove your hat, sir," he said. "Do you
not see that you are standing in the presence of His
Majesty the Emperor of Russia?" and he pointed to
a colored portrait of the Czar on the wall.
In every Russian Legation and Consulate through
out the world there is or, at least, there ought to
be a similar portrait, and everybody who sees it is
obiiged to take off his hat and do reverence as if
he were in the actual presence of the ruler of all
the Russias. When such observances are exacted
in a bustling American -kyscraper, where scant rev
erence is paid to anybody or anything, it becomes
easier to understand the absolute, willing submission
of more than 90 per cent, of the Russian nation to
the will of one man.
Few American, although they talk glibly of the
despotism of the Czar, really comprehend the lengths
tf which that submission goes. Henry Norman, the
well-known English publicist, who is a leading au
thority op Russian affairs, told a striking story on
this head. He said that, during his recent travels in
Russia, he remarked to a Russian statesman that the
Trans Siberian Railroad would not realize the ex
pectation formed of it by the military party, be
cause it would be impossible to convey large masse
of troops, over the line to the Far Fast within a
short time.
WOULD ABANDON ALL
INTERNAL COMMERCE
IF NECESSARY
"And. pray, why would it be impossible?" asked
the statesman.
"There would not be enough rolling stock avail
able?" replied Mr. Norman.
"Rut every engine and carnage in Russia would
be put there if necessary."
"Surely that would not be possible." objected
the Fnglishman. "It would disorganize the entire
1 onimerce of the country, and bring ruin, and even
starvation, to tens of thousands of your people."
"I see you do not understand us yet," said the
Russian. "If the Czar gave the word to take every
railway carriage in Russia and run it across the
Siberian Railroad and throw it into the China Sea
at the other end. who. I would like to know, would
. re vent it? Certainly, nobody in Russia would have
the audacious insolence and wickedness to attempt to
do so."
There M the real secret of the Czar's power over
his people. Disloyalty is. to the Russian, not only
a crime in the eyes of the law. but a heinous sin in
the eyes of God. The priests of the Orthodox
Church are never weary of driving that idea into the
heads of their flocks, but. indeed, they are preaching
to the converted. The average Russian in all grades
of society, but especially in the peasant class, is ab
solutely convinced of the Czar's divine right to
govern him and to dispose freely of his property, his
services, and even his life, exactly as he chooses. So
sacred is the person of the monarch. o utterly aloof
from other men. that even the head of the Church,
the chief minister of God. is not deemed competent
to crown him. The Czar must crown himself.
In the last two or thret years there have been
many strike riots and street tights reported from the
principal cities of Russia: and it has been commonly
said that the revolutionary spirit is growing among
the working classes at a remarkable rate. But it is
doubtful whether this is the fact. The very work
men who stone the Kendarmes, burn the houses of
obnoxious officials, and tinally disperse under the
terrible whips of the Don Cossacks, are usually as
loyal to the Czar as his own generals. They simply
believe that they have been oppressed by greedy
tax-gatherers and tyrannical officials who do not
carry out his will. If only they could bring their
grievances to the knowledge of the "Little Father,
they argue, he would sp. .4ily give them justice.
THE HUMBLEST DO NOT
HESITATE TO SEEK
THE IMPERIAL PRESENCE
This absolute trust in the righteousness of the
Czar often prompts his humblest subjects to ap
proach him with petitions for employment, for relief
from some petty impost, or for the pardon of an im
prisoned relative. His Majesty is always surrounded
by a cordon of secret service guards, but. if the
gossip of St Petersburg is to be believed, these
I etitioners often manage to break through and talk
Litl
' Kiiiifw
with him. especially when he is staying at his favorite
country estate. Tsarkoe Selo.
The curious thing about the Czar's power is that
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1904.
-171
it is on the increase, although this is supposed to be
a democratic age. Nicholas II. ha far greater auto
cratic powers than Peter the Great or Catherine had.
This is due to the steadily increasing power of the
Church, which teaches so insistently the doctrine of
the divine right of the monarch.
sc.
REMARKABLE AFFECTION
with which the Emperor is regarded
by his people of his empire
THE RUSSIANS believe that he iz
nearer to them than any other mon
arch now reigning is to his people.
HOW FAR THE CZAR rules and
how far he is ruled by his subtle,
ministers
Rut the Czar, though placed upon such a lofty
pedestal, is yet nearer to his subjects than most
other monarchs. A host of ancient traditions an I
customs bring rich and poor, lowly and mighty, t
gether in Russia as they do in no other country in
the world.
A Russian gentleman, who was entertaining an
English guest at dinner, pointed to the servant who
was waiting upon them and remarked to the Eng
lishman. "That man has been kissed by the Czar."
The Englishman expressed surprise, and the Rus
sian explained that his servant, when in the army,
happened to be placed on sentry duty in the garden
of one of the Czar's palaces 011 Easter morning.
When the Czar walked out into the garden soon
after sunrise, the sentry saluted and said, "Voskress
Christos!" ("Christ is risen!") the invariable Easter
greeting in Russia.
The Czar halted and kissed the sentry on tl.e
cheek, replying. "He is risen, indeed." Immemorial
tradition prescribes this answer to the first saluta
tion of the sort, whoever may happen to give it.
ALL RUSSIAN LIVES AND
RUSSIAN PROPERTY
ARE OWNED BY THE CZAR
The Czar owns everything in Russia. The land
and the people are his to dispose of as he sees fit.
In the Russian army recruits are told of a battle in
one of the Central Asian campaigns. The artillery,
badly wanted at the front, was stopped by a deep
ditch. Scores of infantrymen threw themselves into
the ditch and tilled it up, so that the guns could pass
over their bodies to win another victory for the
Czar.
This story is not told in 'Russia as a deed of
heroism, but as an example of the proper relation of
ruler and ruled.
The Czar Nicholas II.. unlike most of his predeces
sors, is a widely traveled man. Before he came to
the throne, in 1894, he made a tour through Greece.
Egypt, India. Ceylon, Japan and Siberia. He wa
away from Russia for the greater part of 1890 and
1891.
In Japan he was warmly received by the Mikado,
and some of the most magnificent entertainments
ever seen in the country were got up in his honor.
A Japanese fanatic, however, attempted to assassi
nate him, and very nearly succeeded in doing so.
That unfortunate incident did much to inflame
popular sentiment in Russia against Japan, although
the Czarevitch did all in his power to show that he
did not regard the authorities as being in any way
responsible.
While in the Par East he cut the first sod of the
eastern section of the Siberian Railroad at Vladi
vostok. He took the greatest interest in that en
terprisc from the time it was first projected by Gen
eral AnuenkotT. and was appointed by his father
president of the Imperial Commission formed to
carry it oifl.
HOW THE CZAR RULES
AND HOW
HE IS RULED
It is a much-debated question, even in the best in
formed Russian circles, how far the Czar rules an 1
how far he is ruled by his ministers Nicholas has
fchown himself to be humane, conscientious, and
sincerely desirous to promote his people's welfare
and preserve the peace of the world. At his own re
quest, during the famine of 1891. he was made
president of the Committee of Succor by his father,
and he worked very hard in the organization of re
lief. His work in the cause of peace is well known
to the world. It is a curious fact that, although
he received a military education and has held several
military commands, he has always entertained the
strongest dislike of militarism.
But Nicholas jv emphatically an autocrat. He has
always insisted CM being an absolute ruler, dis
missing several ministers for acting without his au
thority and rejecting all suggestions to give a Con
stitution to Russia. Unfortunately, it is easier for
an autocrat to make war than to keep the peace
A Russian Czar can make war by a word, but he
might not be able to resist a deluge of facts, figure-,
documents and arguments in favor of war. Hi
ministers can render his autocratic power useless, as
they have done over and over again, by presenting
a case in such a manner as to make only one de
cision possible.
As might be expected under an autocracy, there is
always much scheming on the part of individual
Ministers to gain the ear of the Czar and secure
his approval of their plans and policies before other
Ministers can persuade him against them.
(Copyright, ik4, by William Thorp 1
1