Arizona republican., 1899-04-17
HELP FOR THE FINNS.
Abrogafion of Rights by Gar
SflrS Them Nightly.
EmiSSarieS From the Old Land-They
ASK for Arms and Money Fifty
Thousand Firms in Northern
r1intna Country.

ly surrounding the head of Lake Su-
peior. this mining regions of northwest
ern Michigan and northern Minnesota
than anywhere else in the United
States. Perhaps this is the reason that
the crushing abrogation of rights SOL
emnly assured the Firms in Russia fer
a hundred years has stirred these
northwestern communities to u hOr-
nets nest of activities, and perhaps
this is the reason, too, why secret
agents Of the Firms have appeared here
in the past two OF three days, coming
from the old country, and are now
very busy among their countrymen.
They are getting as nearly as can be
ascertained-for they work very quiet
ly-contributions of arms, money and
anything else, and these are to be ship
ped off west and across the Pacific to
Russia. They are also looking up
lands for the possible colonization of
thousands of their oppressed Russian
comrades, with the view of moving en-
masse to the northwest if they are un-
able to shake the plans of the czar.
Migration, the agents claim, would in
clude hundreds of thousands of per-
sons.
SO suddenly and quickly has the
blow fallen that has violated all The
solemn obligations taken repeatedly
by the Russian czar since 1909, and SO
completely have preparations been
made by the military arm Of that gov
eminent to suppress any uprisings,
that they have been dazed. They have
planned little as yet for the future.
They say they realize that armed re-
sistance will be futile, but they are a
people loving their liberty and their
rights, and they can be expected to
break cut, however hopeless the cause,
the moment they are supplied with
necessary ammunitions. This armed
resistance and a wholesale migration
are their only hopes. There are 25.-
900 Firms in the upper Michigan min
ing regions, and nearly as many more
in northern Minnesota, many of The
latter being engaged in farming
Among these are men of wealth and in
f1uence, not only with their country
men but with the native Amcrcians rs
well. Some Of the le3.-tng business
men of the region are Films, and thou
sands of them have made fortunes the
past year in the rise of stocks of mines
in which they have been employed and
in which they have been accustomed to
invest their surplus earnings. This
money, they say, is ready i'll any
amount for the aid OF their kinsnlen,
whether for resistance or migration.
One of the newly come agents, who
can speak English, said yesterday:
''The meaning of the terrible changes
that have come like lightning bolt
on us Of Finnish Russia the last few
months, and are now completed by
succession of imperial ukases, you, who
have liberty, canncit understand. First,
you must recollect that Finland was
never conquered by Russia; it was
ceded and voluntarily joined Russia
nearly one hundred years ago on the
honest promise of Alexander, for him
self and his successors forever, that we
should be preserved intact in the en-
joyment Of our old constitution and
privileges. We were a self-governed
people, and approached liberty more
nearly than almost any Others in Eu-
rope. Since the ebginning every Rus
sian emperor, including him now ON
the throne, who is talking peace and
of Europe. have each re-
peated the pledges given us by the
first.
Under our constitution Finland has
been self-governed; it has been little
corner of the Russian empire-the
most absolute desPotism, in which the
voice Of the despot has had no power: /
it has bsen prosperous, happy, con-
tented, while Russia has been swept by
famine, by nihilists, by ignorance. /
Under the constitution we have had the J.
selection of our own Officials, except
the governor, Who was appointed by |
the car, but who must be a native !
noble. We have had exemption. from |
service, our own monetary |
and educational system, our own courts |
and schools, cur own judges ami legis-
lature, all elected by the people; free !
press and speech, and as much liberty |
as the Americans. We have the cold |
est corner of Europe, one that demands !
a constant battle with the winter TO /
provide fer life; one that has seven
months of frozen soil every year; our
people have been 1oor and few but
Finland today is prosperous, i'll re-
markable contrast to Russia proper,
where the natural conditions are far
more favorable. It is to our liberty
hat this is due. We have worked out
the problem of civilization far more
thoroughly than people know
Europe will not listen to us more
than she did to the Armenisns, the
Greeks, the Cretes. So a body of us
have come to America, to the great
west, whsre we have sent thousands
Of our young men in recent years.