sins, the Krapotkins, the Wyrubovas, the Ortov-Davidovs, the Shirinski-Shihmotovs, were counting out gold into the unwashen hands of a motley gang of ruffians—for the provocation of pogroms, for the commissions of the murders of a Yottos, a Herzenstein, a Goldstein, Stolypin, and others.
At the time when Europe was listening in rapture to the anthems on freedom, equality, and brotherhood, or to the enthralling mystical preachings of the Russians abroad, the very visitors and preachers had taken or were taking a hand in the greedy, tyrannous and iniquitous measures of their Government
The war with Japan, the aggressive policy towards Finland, the harsh and overbearing attitude towards Poland, the policy in the Caucasus and the Ukraine, the persecution of Catholicism, the wrecking of popular education, opposition to all efforts of the more clearsighted politicians, who counselled certain conciliatory offers to the Socialist groups as well as to the protests of educated men—such was the policy of what is now the ancient regime. At the same time the aristocracy, servile towards the Tsar, and cultivating truly byzantine forms of adulation, was debased and descending into ever lower depths and separated itself from the other classes of Russian society.
Descendants of the Ruriks kissed—for the Tsaritsa’s gracious smile sake—the hands of the horse-thief, Gfishka Rasputin, "the court saint" of the Palace of Tsarskoye Selo.
