The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-02
THE CARS DILEMMA.

The Russian Car is in a very close
corner, one calling for the assertion Of
his own judgment and the exercise Of
powers that must determine before the
world whether he chooses to be just or
subservient. Students riots and upris-
ings occurred in Russia during the
winter and the spring. The trouble be-
gan with protests by the student class
against humiliating and debasing reg
uiations introduced by an over officious
authority
The petition protest brought forth no
response, but the enforcement of the
Objectionable regulations continued.
Thereupon the students demonstrated"
and confusion and noisy manifestations
began. But the demonstra tons did not
go to the extent of destroying property
or taking life or resisting the law. The
Ministers of Education and of the In
terror chose to regard the outburst as
dangerous to political liberty" as con-
spiracy against the empire and its an
ointed head, and accordingly merciless
Cossacks charged the students and rode
them down right and left with whips
plying over the faces of young men who
asserted their rights as human beings.
In protest against such treatment the
university students left that institution.
and those of other educational estab-
lishments followed their example until
all over Russia this significant protest
against tyranny became the order of
of young men, embracing the very
flower of the intellect of Russia, thus
protesting ran up to more than 10000.
One Minister of the Cars Cabinet,
however, more far seeing than the 9TH
ers perceived that such a revolt is a far
different thing from a rising of Cypress
ed peasants, the conspiracies of nihilists
or the threat of internationals. He OBJ
jected to arrest, the lash and Siberian
exile for these young men. He was
promptly overruled by his colleagues.
M. Witte thereupon had the courage to
place the whole business before the
Gar, fling with him statement of
the facts, and appealing to his sense of
Justice to forbid the crime of marshal
ing the students into Siberia, or confn-
ing them in dungeons for asserting
their manhood.
The Gear, perhaps touched by the
boldness Of M. Witte, perhaps alarmed
by his warning, and perhaps moved by
his own sense of justice, ordered an in
vestigation and raised a commission
for that purpose. but, unhappily, with
a military aristocrat at it's head. The
students responded to this by instant
offer to return to their several institu-
lions and trust to the verdict of the
commission of investigation. The other
Ministers. however, notably the two first
named, then realized that if the COM
mission should report against them
they might be called to account for
grave error, and accordingly set them
selves to work to cook up evidence of
conspiracies among the students. which
the latter say never existed. Under
their labors the Car was moved upon,
perhaps brought to fear evils which had
no existence, and so the jails began to
fill up with student prisoners, and hum
dreds, some say thousands, were sum-
marty ordered transported to Siberia.
The colleges and universities were
closed, and when terrorism was COM
plete. the Ministry announced that it
had pacified the country.
NJ White, however, would not be a
party to their procedure, and pushed on
the ves.igation, which having been
concluded the report was submitted to
the Gar. Just what it is is not known,
but 1t is asserted that the Car has let
drop expressions indicating that he is
conscious that great wrong has been
done, that huge blunder has been
committed and that the only right way
out of it would be to take the back
track.
r. he did that, however, he assumed
that he would lower the dignity OF his
;mneriaa crown, and draw upon him the
dislike of the aristocratic. small tyrants
az his realm. The Gear has. therefore,