Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-03
MINISTERS REACH AGREEMENT
They Think That Constitution T.
 Necessary in Russia.

G
 St Petersburg. Dec 2o.--Finance Min ister Witte ana Minister of the Interior Plehve have reached 6 settlement of the recent difficulties between them. The terms Of the settlement. however,, are not known.
 Both ministers are now being quoted in the most positive terms as self-con- fessed constitutionalists and as ready to advocate constitutional reforms in Russia as soon as the country shall be ripe for them. Minister Witte has ad- mitted to President Shipov, of the Mos COW Zemstov executive committee. that the constitutional era was approaching rapidly. The Zemstvo people say that Minister von Plehve has expressed him. self in the same sense In private con versations, although somewhat more guardedly. NJ. von Plehve is reported to have said: T am convinced that q constitution is necessary in Russia but there is great deal of preparatory work to be done first'
 The dismissals from office and the official reprimands, together with police supervision and other measures em- ployed against the members of Minis ter Witte's agricultural commission, have. placed the minister in a somewhat embarrassing position towards these men. NJ. Witte is quoted as having said recently:
 T deem it my duty to inform the emperor of every word that may be said during the commission hearings in polite phraseology, and at the last meeting of the general commission I intend to gather together all the vari- ous declarations that have been made and to answer them to the best of my ability. As president of the commits sion 1 answer for it that no such ex- precision of opinion. couched in permis- sfble language will have any conse- quence whatever. no matter how sharp they may be in substance.''
 Private letters from Rostov. on the Don, convey the information that the strike there is not confined to the state railroad shops. but affects equally many private workshops and factories. The political cnarcater of this strike has not been concealed from the begin ming The demand of the strikers at the railroad shops are in large part the same as the students have popularized namely. personal freedom freedom of the press and speech. and freedom of organization and meeting. The men 1ASO aNhldAu ~ SlloEJeT4 WOFk day. more pay, more tolerable shop rules, etc.
 During the recent gatherings at Ros. to9 ii is reported that from 10000 to 15.000 persons assembled in the streets md that revolutionary speeches were made. The Cossacas were called in to break up the meeting. The first time they advanced on the crowd the people lay down upon the ground before the advancing cavalry. The Cossack horses veered off at this unexpected spectacle and the soldiery were unable to use their leaden tipped whips to advantage
 Tn the course of the trial of eight men and seven women. who were ar rested in Saratov last May for Dartici patton in a street demonstration in honor of Balmashoff. the assassin of M Sipiaguine. all the accused admit ted that they participated in the scene intentionally. and they boldly defend ed their course on political grounds The women prisoners were medical students of practicing physicians as sistants. The trial has been con. cluded. but the sentences 7e not yet been announced.