The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-13
The Cars Reform Decree.

The Cars Reform Decree.
The decree of the Gear Nicholas provid-
ing for religious liberation, some expan-
sion of the civil liberty and autonomy for
the local communal assemblies and dis
trict assemblies. and the general strength
ening and development of Russian rural
life, is somewhat too indefinite In its
terms to permit Of any intelligent judg-
ment, of the real extent to which the re-
,formatory purpose may go.
The decree issued yesterday was in
celebration of the birthday anniversary of
the cars father Alexander III. 1t may
be remembered also that the decree al
most synchronizes with the assassination
of the cars grandfather in 1881. Twenty
years before his assassination, Alexander
II. had enlancipated the serfs from a
slavery worse than the former negro slav-
cry In the south, and although the dis
turbed relations gave much trouble for
years, successive DEGREES resulted to the
advantage of the peasants, who comprise
nearly so per cent of the population of
European Russia. 1t is because OF their
great preponderance in the country that
this ameliorative decree has been issued,
for Of late, there have been symptoms of
discomfort and characterization among this
class, generally the most loyal to the
car, even when, the nihilists were most
active In their plottings and assassina'
tions of Russian officials.
There Is in the decree not single init
nation that there is any ultima te pur
pose Of the car to introduce parliament
airy government. His father was credited
with an inclination that way, but the
activities Of the nihilists soon led him to
abandon his liberal ideas and resume the
absolutism of the Moscow czars, who first
threw off the checks imposed and actual
lied by the assemblies of the people upon
the cars Of Novgorod and Pskof.. :, =
Again, while religious freedom Is pro
claimed for all religions outside the Holy
Orthodox Greek church, Of which the car
is the head, an appeal is made by the
car for a. revival of the zeal of the eccles:
iastics who have heretofore conceived zeal
to be the exhibition Of the most pernicious
religious intolerance toward the dissenters
from the state church. The Jews have
been treated like dogs and Jew batting Of
the most deadly kind has been diversion
of the orthodox. The mandate of toler-
ance from the head of the church may be
obeyed and may be evaded. At the same
| time, spirituality is at very low ebb in
the state church. The Russian peasant
| cares only for the ceremonial features of
his religion, and has unbounded confidence
| in the miraculous power Of rites and icons
or holy pictures, which are found in every
house. '.~: .-
| What the czar proposes to do for the
peasantry is to make a little more flexible
the measure Of liberty and autonomy they
now possess. Alexander II gave them the
zenstvo, kind of local administration
experimenting the action Of the rural com
munes and looking to the material and
moral welfare of the population. Eacl,
village or group of families holds it's lands
in common, each family receiving a share
according to the number of members in
the family, the distribution being made
and tax liability determined at popular
meeting. The greater portion of the land
of Russia has, since the emancipation OF
the serfs, passed into the hands of the
peasants. They have a detestation of wal
and generally have no sympathy with
the nihilistic and other revolutionary doc
| trines. The car proposes to release them
from compulsory labor and correct abuses
of the local administrations, whose officers
are elected by the people. The peasantry
through their great numerical superiority
stand for the Russian nation, which lacks
internal union and agreement, the peas
ants and the superior classes having but
slight connection, while the army main
tains extraordinary Importance. Whether
I the car will bring out the constitution
which his father is credited with con.
structing. with the intention Of making
a constitutional monarchy Of Russia, but
pigeon -holed it when nihilistic threats
confronted him, is problemat teal. : Russia
Is not yet ready. by educa ton or inclina
ton, for constitutional principles and In
situations. These will come gradually. "A
sop for the peasa ntry is as much as she
can stand at present. As to religious
freedom, that Is the most gratifying prom
Use in the cars decree. Yet to such re
form the retrograde element In Russia will
present powerful opposition, especially i
the Jews are included In the scheme.