Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-01
MAKE
A PROTEST
Against the Action of the Rus
sian Government.
MASS MEETING TO BE HELD
And Petitions Will be Signed and Sent
to Observation-Disclosures
of Tyranny.

New York, April 1.-The Finnish-Amer-
lean central committee met at the offices
of the Sirtolaine, the Finnish local news
paper in Brooklyn, in order to discuss
further measures and report progress in
the agitation in his country directed
against the cars recent decree to de-
stroy Finnish autonomy and national eN-
%istence. The chairman read a letter from
the Firms of Calumet, Mich, giving de-
tails of the organization of a Finnish
committee, consisting mainly of lawyers,
doctors and professors of Finnish birth.
The committee reported the unanimous
decision to cooperate heartily with the
central committee of New York and an
nounced the formation of committees of
~Finlanders Throughout the middle west
ern section of the United States.
The meeting, although convened at a
single days notice only, was attended by
several hundred Finnish-Americtns and
a collection of 500 was taken toward pre-
liminary expenses. Further news was re-
| ceived from South Ashburnham, Mass,
where all the Firms, 90 in number. had
signed a petition which is being circulat-
ed throughout the state. A list Of the
signatures was asked for Brownsville, N.
Y. The committee determined to send out
lists at once all through this country and
\ Canada for additional signatures to the
petition which is to be taken to Washing
ton.
Advices have just been received by the
committee from Finland with several in
tereSting items Of news. AS showing how
the hand of Russian persecution is al
ready being felt. it is stated that the Rus
sian governor general, Bobrikoff, has
! compelled the Finnish senate to send or
derS to all ministers throughout Finland
f%orbidding them to criticize the czar's re-
cent ukase. Russian secret service agents
have become active throughout the coun-
try and have been promising farm hands
that as soon as Finnish law has been re-
placed by the Russian, they shall have
all the land they want, which, the Firms
say means theft and Spoliation of the
peasant and proprietors who practi-
cally own most of the arabic land of the
country. This measure, if carried out
these late advices say, would simply re-
suit in the absolute ruin Of all agriculture
al enterprise.
The committee received information
that when the governor general request,
ed his Finnish %adjutant, Capt. Toppelius
to go around among the people of Heels
ingfOrs and vicinity in order to probe
FinniS feeling on the subject of the
cars recent decree, the latter answered
Il am hated enough merely for being II
your service and if I am further required
to go around spying on my own people
refuse d~bsoluteiy.' For this reply Capt
Toppelius has been banisbed to Contra
Russia.
The committee is perfecting arrange.
ments for the holding of a preiiminar.
Indignation meeting in New York, pro.
badly in Cooper Union, in the near uture
Tho I6nn nf SaYlinr tho nntitjon tn Wash
ington is to bring influence to beal
| through that quarter on the delegate;
from this country to the internationa
peace conference.