The Florida star., 1902-05-16
HOW TO PAC|FY RUSSIA.
Meiikoff Scheme Not Deemed Ad.ous,s
for Crisis.

peen spreading IN this country at such
q rapid rate during the last few years
ana which appears t. be nearing a
crisis. writes the st. Petersburg CORE
spondent or the New York Commercial
Advertiser under date of April IA. One
hears all sorts of conflicting stories as
TO what the emperor expects to do. In
formation from authoritative sources
points &c important reforms. The most
persistent reports have il that Nicholas
IL is inclined TO grant the constitution
which Count Loris Melikoff, the favor
lie or his unfortunate grandfather.
drafted in 1881. This is known in Rus
sian revolutionary circles as the ''un-
dersized constitution" being ridiculed
and viiified as sop calculated 10 bam-
boozle the people and to deaden the
movement for real reform.
The story of the Melikoff reform
scheme is full of interesting detail.
Loris Melikoff was an Armenian by
birth. He was the son of a merchant
In Titiis and was dislikcd in higher
Russian circles as an upstart. During
the last two or three years of the reign
OF Alexander H., when the TerrOrists
Were making attack after attack on the
monarch and some OF his highest OFF,
Gals. Melikoff, who had impressed the
emperor as a level headed statesman,
endowed with remarkable insight and
tact, was made minister OF the interior.
In Februar:". 1881. there was an explO-
sion in the dining hall if the Winter
palace. The czar had a narrow escape.
A few days after that Loris MelkOfr
became the head OF n supreme commits
sion organized with a view to ''pacify-
ing the population" He was clothed
with almost unlimited power and was
generally regarded as u regent.
Soon after Loris Melikoff's appoint
ment to this lofty position he was shot
at by a revolutionist named Molodetz-
ky. The nihilist missed his aim. but the
attempt added TO the sense OF inse-
curity which was growing on the cZar
and quickened his desire to see his peO-
pie "pacitied." as MelikOff was fond of
putting 1t. The latter then drew up his
famous constitution. 1t called for the
convocation of general commission to
examine into the general state of af
fairs and consider questions of reform.
The project was framed in the most
guarded terms and great care was
taken TO keep out of ii anything which
might contain anything like direct
suggestion regarding the granting Of n
constitution. Moreover the plan rec
loI loF oil l.n of hn
throne. the representatives to be elect
ed being regarded as loyal subjects
commanded TO express an opinion rath-
er than deputies or representatives or
the people in the western sense OF the
term. In addition, the elections were
hedged about by all sorts OF provisions
and were to be So conducted as To leave
everything in the hands of the crown.
There was not the slightest hint at real
representation or at anything like an
honest. though rather limited, constitu-
ton.
Still. IL Is quite possible that Loris
Melikoff meant well and that he chose
this '.undersized constitution" of his as
the best sort of entering wedge. At all
events, there is some reason To believe
that If the party Of the will of the
People 0he underground organization
which was responsible for all the pollt-
ical assassinations and attempts of the
periOdD had been aware OF the exist
ence OF such Il project the life OF Alex
ander II. would have been spared. In
deed. they had declared repeatedly III
their pronunciamcntOs as well as In
the speeches of their leaders ut the big
political trials that they were pledged
to abandon the terror" the moment
the cZar granted the country Tree
speech. Although thc project of LorlS
MeIikoff did not contain the remotest
allusion To any reform in that direction,
vet certain privileges along the lines in
question would have followed, as
matter of course. from the general
trend OIL the measure.
The project was returned To LorlS
MelikOff with the approval OF the car
nj IL O'Clock on March L., lSNl. FOR
further consideration by the cabinet
after which March 1Gl 1t was 10 be
published in the imperial Messenger
Two hours after the cZdT returned the
document he was Killed by nihlllstS 5
bomb on the Ekatcrininsky canal
AlaNnp1pr III rruu the same project