The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-15
TROUBLES OF The Firms.
A Denial That Their Constitution
Has Been AbrOgatcd.
Iuronds Made Upon It. However,
Where 1t Iutcrfcrcd with the Cen
eruI WcTfare-Thc Increase of tFt.
Army the Principal Grievance.

ST PETERSBURG July I5-The re
cent student riots here and all that they
have involved, have for the moment over
shadowed another question which If not
quit, 50 iuSiStcut. is of paramount i'm
poTtanCe- The manner of its solution will
indicate To the world the nature % Rus
sia's internal policy more clearly than
anything else
Among other hereditary privileges of
Tho Firms are those relating TO army
service They may not b. called upon to
serve tn the Russian Army, and their term
OF service IsonIy about three years to Rus
sia's five. Tho officers of the Finnish
Army must all also be Firms. nor can
this army nr called upon To serve out
side ot the grand duchy. Briefly speak
/ ing. the Finnish people, as whole. have
more liberty AID exist under social and
industrial conditions far superior to those
I'm Russia. 1t is Il rich country, well cuI-
tivated and producing largely
So great are the privileges Of Finnish
subjects that many native born Russians
80 through the fOrmaiity Of changing
their nationality and becoming subjects
of the grand duchy. This IS naturally
distasteful to the Russian Government
as well as the fact itself that Firms have
a greater amount of liberty than Rus
y
vince Then. too Finland is un-Russian.
a state of affairs which the Imperial
Government has time after time taken
measures to overcome in other parts Of
the Russian dominion
CnconGeuial as the Russian Government
found its relation to the Finnish State
there seemed to be absolutely no hon
orable method by which changes could be
effected. The Gar had sworn to protect
the fundamental rights of Finland. and
these fundamental rights could not be al
tered except with the assent Of the four
estates Of Finland. That assent could
never he obtained. At this iunctu-e Pcbe-
donostsoff, the PrOcuratOr Of the Holy
Synod, and other men as reacuonaTy as
he. discovered the fact, or gave birth to
the idea, that the fundamental rights OF
Finland could be interfered with if these
fundamental rights inteTfered with the
welfare Of the Russian Empire. IN other
words they discovered loophole which
they termed legal, in the principle that
the parts should suffer for the whole and
that this principle was an Integral part IN
the plan Of the Russian Government
I3y this decision the abrogati0u OF main
/ tenance Of FinIand's ancient rights would
seem TO rest on the arbitrary interpreta-
ton Of which Of these rights interfeTed
with the welfare OF Russia. It is possible
that. according to some individual 0pin-
ion. they might all interfere with the
standard OF welfare which some individ-
uaI had arbitrarily established TO fit the
/ occasion
Acting according to this precedent, the
/ Cars Govern nent has not abrogated the
Finnish constitution, as has so commonly
been reported and generally believed It
. has simply made certain inroads upon II
where Il ''interfered with the general
welfare Of the Russian Empire" Doubt
less som, OF these inroads have been ten
tative and their extent has been exagger-
ated in the foreign press, but the great
grievance Of the Firms was not with what
has been absolutely done in opposition 10
their ancient rights and privileges. nor
with the number of their rights which had
in reality been CurtaiIed. but with the fact
that thev have hencefOrWaTd no security.
The maintenance of their constitution ap-
parertly no longer depends upon the hon
OF OF their Grand Duke, the autocTat Of
Russia, but upon the caprice Of his min
listers, to whom is given the task Of re-
porting which sections Of their constitu-
ton interfere with the welfare Of Russia.
As far as can be ascertained the actual
present causes for grievance in Finland
are as follows The Finnish army Is TO
be made about twice its prescribed size
ana Finnish soldiers have been ordered in
TO Russia for maneUvTes. The appoint
/ uent Of Russian officers in the Finnish ar
my IS said TO be impending, as wei as the
imposition Of exactly The same tariff as
that which prevails IN Russia At the end
Of three years. when the new tariff law
Of Russia comes into operation
on account Of the so-caIled ''persecu-
3 = If.Er
I chiefly TO avoid new regulations as to ar
my service, thousands Of Firms hs-ve re
Gently been leaving Finland Many Of
/ them have gone TO the United States.
/ There has been great depression through
/ out the Grand Duchy. The intense feel
( ing OF resentment which the Firms have
naturally felt has evoked from them an
expression Of dissatisfaction which has
I spread over the civilized world. The
! Russian Government has not been IN
! mindful of this complaint, and 1t has had
/ and viii have its effect
The Emperor mas already deCreed that
there should be a sort Of last council OF
aup.aI on these questions and few del
1 egates from the Finnish Assembly are
. members OF this council. They are. how
ever painfully in the minority They are
3 SgfI to look pale and hopeless Moreover.
his Majesty has the right to change the
{ decree OF even the majority OF TINS as
srubly in favor OF the OPINION Of even q
minority of one
N Justice to the Imperial Government
{ Il should be said that its action toward
( Finland is probably based on motives far
. removed from those OF tie JOYS Of perSe-
rf1-iau which are freely attributed to it
{ There were undoubtedly, many projects
( Of the Russian Government which were
seriously handicapped by the position Of
{ Finland in the Empire. and from the
: Government point Of view the uG-al-
( most anti-Russian nature Of such prov
. iuces as Finland and Poland must prove
/ a2craEatfuE in many ways our sympa-
rhv is ALWAYS with the weaker and with
/ The oppressed. but the Russian Govern
I rurut has probably had more Vr"vCcauon
( for its various arbitrary acts ihan the
/ world at large is willing TO believe
: So far as the recent treatment of Fin
/ land Is concerned. il certainly seems as
/ II the Russian Government were making a
! great mistake. y lille II Is possible that
/ for the welfare of the general Govern
! meut certain changes may seem aGElS1 BILE
I in the Government Of Finland those
I changes should not be arbitrarily made In
( spite Of the Finnish constitution Heed
, ing the popular clamCr- the Government
Z has already paused to consider before it
{ continues its proposed measures. ana Il Is
1 the general hope that that pause may Doe
/ long enough To enable the Gar and Min
( isrry 10 realize he folly and lack of uriu-
( CirIe # their steps. There IS also a strong
. feeling that the Gar has been acting CON
/ scieHtiously IH the matter. and that Ger
| tain If his ministers are far more 10 be
{ blamed
The next few months will probably show
! whether or not the tide OF genuine irnpe-
/ FIalIsm viii really overflow the Grand
. DUchy Of Finland and wash away its an
! Gent hereditary privileges. II this really
comes to pass. Russia VIII have taken 4
! decided step backward. and the FinEs will
Oh he { D..