Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-28
PROGRESS WINS
EVEN IN RUSSIA.
Cars Manifesto Regarded as a
Victory for Policy inaugural.
cd by Prince MlrSky
AN EPOCH MAKING DOCUMENT.
Raising Of Peasants to au Equality
With Other citIzca Second Only to
Emancipation Of the S.rIs,

81. Petersburg, Dec 2I-Whlle En-.
peror Nicholas manifesto ON Russian
reforms coupled with the government
note Of warning on the same subject
leaves no doubt that Il is the nrm IN
tentlon OF the emperor 10 maintain up-
impaired the autocratic principle which
no observer here ever imagined
he would relinquish. and not yield to
the zemstvos demand for national
legislature. the program OF reforms out
lined is broad one, and II It has not
been preceded by the agitation OF the
last month probably would have been
accepted with universal reclamation in
Russia as extremely liberal
The raising OF the peasants to an
equality with other citizens OF the emf
pire is alone practically second only to
the emancipation Of the serfs, but hard
~ less important are the guarantees
which the manifesto directs TO be In
corporated IN the laws for the protec-
ton Of the personal liberties OF the peo-
pie against the abuses Of administrative
arbltrariness The measures taken I'M
der the state Of siege are no longer per-
mtable except in cases Of crimes
against the state The increase IN the
independence and scope Of the doumas
and the zemstyos as well as the crea-
tion Of smaller gemstyo units, the def
mite protection Of the Jews Armenlans
and other unorthodox sects and the re-
vision Of the press laws are all on the
lire Of the zemstyo demand.
The extremists Of course are not sat
isaed and many Of the moderate lib
erals are disappointed. The government
note threatening drastic measures In
the event OF a continuation Of the vain
agitation, which the government con-
sdered necessary IN order to put q stop
to the existing ferment, Is resented
deeply by them and II Is feared Will IN
flame rather than allay the present agi-
tation. Harsh measures II Is UNDER
Stood however, will be avoided, and the
government expects that the sold ma
ture Of the reforms offered will gradu-
ally draw to It's support all except the
extreme radicals.
Fully as important as the govern-
ments response 20 the zemstyosts Is
the position IN which NJ Witte is placed |
by Confding the reforms to the commit
tee OF ministers OF which he Is presl-
dent. The old finance minister becomes
the man of the hour, confirming the re-
ports that he is again In high imperial
favor Moreover, this body the duties
OF which heretofore have been purely
perfunotory are raised 10 the highest /
dignity and institute for the first time a |
species Of ministerial responsibility |
which Is apt TO make the committee OF |
ministers real cabinet In addition 10 |
the ministers six grand dukes are MEM |
bers OF the committee. As the imperial |
manifesto directs the committee to as !
certain the best method" OF carrying /
the reforms into effect some papers,n not |
ably the Russ, find IN these words that |
the committee may call IN zemstyO rep |
resentatives
The general opinion Is that the mani. \
festo represents Victory for Minister
syiatopolk- Mirsky and the conservative
liberals over NJ. Pobodlenostseh, aud
practically places the strong comb.ua-
ton OF NJ. Witte and Syiatopolk- Mrsky
behind the governments program. The
vagueness In which the reforms are
outlined gives possibilities Of expansion
or limitation, according to their IDEAS
With a man OF NJ. Whites domination
and force at the head OF the committee
OF ministers the general belief Is that
he viii control In the end. Those allied
with the zemstyoists express the inten.
ton Of continuing them despite the gov
ernment's note Of warning They be-
lleve that the dlsslnllarlty OF the two
documents will enable them to continue
the fight on the ground that the mani
festo is IN a conClliatory spirit and rep.
resents the views Of the emperor and
that the government note Is the work Of
the Bureaucracy
The response Of the people generally
and OF the extreme liberals and revo-
lutionarles to the governments action
Is awaited with intense interest No one
lmaglnes that any Of these classes will
be satisfied. but upon the course they
have elected TO pursue viii depend the
question Of a possible crisis IN the near
future.