The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-11
REFORM SCHEMES IN Rsus,A.

4
The history of the Cars manifesto of
March II is reported to have been as fol-
!. lows.
Minister Plehye several months ago be-
gan studying all the archival material
| about the constitution of Loris Melikov-
| He formulated project TO establish
modified form OF zemsryo county council
or local government board) in the province
Of Minsk, the zemstyo having been es-
tabiished hitherto in only thirty-four
provinces of European Russia. The pro-
| ject for Ninsk contemplated a sort OF
| appointive zemstvo, instead of the repre-
sentative institution that now bears this
| name Minister Plehve told people in
| Minsk that il the scheme worked well
| in this province 1t would be extended TO
| all the western and northern provinces
| comprised IN the former kingdom OF Po-
land and the general governments Of
Kiev and Wilma. and that ultimately this
| type would supplant the representative
Zemstyo in the present ZerDstvo provinces.
About the same time Mr. Sharapov.
! a Siavophile writer, issued brochure en-
| titled. Autocracy and Zemstvo." It was
printed abroad and attracted much at
| tention. Instead of the provincial zemstvo
he recommended the division of European
| Russia into six or more districts and the
, creation of a council for each of them.
composed of appointive representatives
of local interests. According to the pro-
gramme, each of these councils would
have representative in an advisory coun-
Gil sitting in st. Petersburg. No eff
| fort was made to separate Legislative
and executive functions in this scheme.
nor to define the relations of these coun-
ellis with the ministries
These ideas reached the emperor
through the editor of a meteorological
journal called Climate. Mr.. n. A DEM
chinsky. Mr.. Demchinsky has devised
new theory of weather prediction and
receives a subsidy for the weekly news
paper he issues. He has been severely
attacked in scientific circles, and he pro-
cured an interview with the Gar few
months ago at Livodia in order TO per-
suade the latter to continue the subsidy.
Before taking leave he is reported TO
have said:
Your Majesty, 1 have something else
to say; at the risk of your displeasure.
/ must beg permission to tell you the
truth"
What is the truth?' the Emperor is
said TO have asked. "Tne truth about
what?'
Mr.. Demchinsky then spoke OF the pre-
vailing discomfort among all classes and
of the consequences that might ensue IL
it were not appeased. He procured per-
mission to write at length on the subject
cautiously worded memorial. ending by
saying that the writer would submit de-
tailed plan If expressly commanded to
do so. He received this command and
obeyed il, adopting the Sharapov plan.
Mr.. Demchinsky's memorial was shown
to Prince Meschersky, and it is be-
lieved that he assisted the Emperor in
preparing the first draft of the manifesto.
This was submitted to Minister Piehve.
in
the latter called together FIR. Lopoukhim.
chief of the department of police. and
two young officials of his own chancel-
lery, and late the same evening submitted
an amended draft to the Gar. This failed
to satisfy the Gar. and it was a. m.
before the manifesto, as published, was
ready.
This composite authorship is believed
to explain the heterogeneous nature of the
manifesto The central idea is tthe local
committees or councils to pass upon pro
posed laws affecting the various portions
of the empire, in order words the Shar-
apov councils.
Diplomatic circles report that upon be-
ing congratulated over the favorable for
eign criticisms of the manifesto. the En-
peror smiled and said: This is only
the beginning of the reforms that 1 in
tend"
An incident in connectfon with the pub
LEGATION of the manifesto is printed in
the Saratov Listok. The manifesto was
placarded in that city. Groups of peas
ants surrounded it and listened atten-
lively as ii was read.
You must have read IL wrong" said
one peasant after another when the read
ing was finished
How SOP
Because you left something out"
An educated peasant was called on to
read the manifesto. He. too, failed to
satisfy the listening crowd. Surely
they reiterated, you are leaving some
thing OUT
That Something for which the Saratov
peasants strained their ears in vain, says
the paper, was an order TO distribute the
landlords lands among the peasants. That
is what they have confidently expected
for forty years