Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-03-16
Seized by Police for Protesting for Broader
National Liberties.
WAGE STRUGGLE FOR POLITICAL REFoRA
Declare Without it Russia's Civic Advance
ment is Impossible,
ASK FREEDOM OF PRESS AND CONSCIENCE
Students Publicly Deny that Their
Movement is Inspired Purely by
Academic Conditions and Are
AppIauded by POpuIace.

Correspondence OF the Associated Press) |
ST PETERSBURG. March 1.-Private |
letters received here referring to the re- |
cent Moscow university meeting, confirm |
the view that those of the students who did |
not participate In the disturbances from
American college boy cane rush motives
that is, those who have conscientious mo-
tives. are actuated by political rather than
academic considerations.
The departure of about 100 students who
disapproved OF general politics was followed
by the unanimous adoption Of the following
resolution:
''As the present abnormal situation Of the
higher educational institution is merely a
consequence OF the general absence OF civil
and political rights in Russia, We desire to
do away with the Illusion that ours II
purely academic struggle and to inscribe on
our banner General Political Demands
We are convinced that q normal academic
life requires q total reform In the whole
political system on the basis Of the recog-
milton OF individual liberty. without such
reform we are convinced that Russia will
not make a single step forward, as her best
men are periodically torn from society.
Concessions Demanded by Students.
I'VE demand:
"Ftrst-Personal, corporal liberty (habeas
corpus and similar guarantees are meant).
Standardization Of the press.
"Third-Freedom of conscience.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. privilege Of assem-
bly,.
"Fifth-Responslbillty Of administrative
oficials to the courts on the same terms as
other citizens.
"sixth-Universal. but not compulsory,
education.
"seventh-Equality Of nationalities."
CThe list could be extended, but the above
win sufnce to characterize all the de-
mands.l
1--WE appeal to all thinking Russians on
the ground that It is necessary to call
constituent assembly. since 1t is evid
the present regime is not adapted to tins
carrying out Of this program"
The police and military arrested ali
present.
over Eight Hundred ArrestAs
AT 3 a. m. the students had resolved to
stay all night In order to continue the
demonstration on the streets the following
day. The total number Of arrests In Mos
COW on the day If the meeting, as given by
the Students Bulletin, an illegal journal,
was 867.
The Politico-Academic situation was thus
summed up few days ago by q sympath-
izer with the students:
''It has now come to pass that there can
be no universities or higher institutions for
the training OF the servants Of the state
without q constitution.
"It is apparently useless to argue with
such persons that while a constitution
might be a good thing. higher education is
also good thing. They declare that eome-
body must make a protest or there never
will be any political progress, and that II
the untrammeled students do not lead the
movement nobody will.
Command wide Sympathy,
'Tn spite of their political unripeness.
the students command the sympathy Of wide
circles by their courage. They harbor no
illusions whatever. They know they will
be crushed and that many will be crushed
after them before perceptible advantages
are gained They appear quite willing to
fall beneath the wheels Of the car Of Jug
gernaut, to use their own phrase, for the
sake OF happier generations to come. WILL
ing martyrs to an idea are universally
persistent opponents and 1t is a matter of
regret to those who do not sympathize
with the revolutionary and general tend
encies OF the students that the government
In many ways places weapons In their
hands"
The students report that one Bought
man, senior In the chronological institute.
against whom proof of espionage was
brought, confessed to the university author
tiles that he was in the service of the
political police with salary of so roubles
month. He was among those present In
/, the Peoples theater when the riot occur
I red there, but was not arrested. He has
: been expelled from the school.
Accused as Strike symDsthisers.
! At the command Of the curator OF this
educational district the university author
|. tiles are holding court over the 400 or more
students who are suspected OF having voted
for the strike. Written questions are sent
to these students, with a demand for a
registered reply within forty-eight hours.
7 Students who failed to answer were to be
judged on the reports Of spies.
The questions are:
Il. Were you present at the meetinRF
q. In what sense did you partieipatef
S What else have you to say8"
The students secret committee recon-
{ mended Its followers to answer only the
: nrst question.
Another question was sent out yesterday.
o It was: do you wish TO see the univer-
9 sity reopened7"
g Those who answer mo" will subject
themselves to the loss Of a year.
Q other schools CLOSED.
Among institutions known to have been
: recently closed are the Riga Polytechnium
the Odessa university, the School OF Road
|, and Bridge Engineers and the local electro
technie and chronological institutes. 1t ID
probable that few. IL any, OF the higher
schools are now open.
LONDON March 1b-Tha Iondon Tfrna.
q this morning published 8 dispatch from its
st. Petersburg correspondent saying the
government Of Moscow and the Russian
minister Of the interior. N. sipiaguine. had
strongly urged that the 500 students re
} Gently arrested in Moscow should be de-
: ported to Siberia. but that owing to the
: milder eounsels Of the minister Of educa-
II tion only fifteen OF the students will bs
q sent 10 Siberia. while the others will b
= banished 70 various towns and villages IL
Russia.