The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-28
RUSSIANS WILL NOT
CEASE AGITATION
Result of the Cars Manifesto
and Government Note of
Warming

ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 27.-While
Emperor Nicholas manifesto on Rus
sian reforms. coupled with the govern
ment note of warning on the same SUBJ
ject, leaves no doubt that it is the firm
intention of the emperor to maintain
unimpaired the autocratic principle,
which no observer here ever imagined
he would relinquish, and not yield to
the zemstyo demand for national leg
islature, the programme of reforms out
lined is a broad one and If it had not
been preceded by the agitation of the
last few months would probably have
been accepted with universal acclaim
in Russia as extremely liberal.
The raising Of the peasants to an
equality with other citizens Of the enl-
pire is alone practically second only to
the emancipation of the serfs, but hard
ly less important are the guarantees
which the manifesto directs to be in
corporated in the laws for the protee-
ton Of the personal liberties of the
people against the abuses of admins
trative arbitrariness. The measures
taken under the state of siege are no
longer permissible except in cases of
crimes against the state. The increase
in the independence and scope of the
doumas and zemstvos as well as the
creation of smaller zemstvo units, the
definite protection of the Jews, Armen-
ians and other unorthodox sects and
the revision of the press laws are all
on the line of the Zemstvo demands.
May lnfIame Agitation
The extremists, Of course, are not
satisfied and many Of the moderate
liberals are disappointed. The gov
ernment note threatening drastic meas
ures in the event of a continuation Of
the vain agitation which the govern
ment considered necessary in order to
put a stop to the existing ferment, is
resented deeply by them and it is fear
ed will infiame, rather than allay the
agitation. Harsh measures, it is un-
derstood, will, however, be avoided and
the government expects that the solid
nature Of the reforms offered will grad
ually draw to it's support all except the
extreme radicals.
Fully as important as the govern
ment's response to the zemstvoists is
the position in which M. Witte Is
placed by confiding the reforms to the
committee Of ministers Of which he is
president. The old finance minister be-
comes the man of the hour, confirming
the reports that he is again in high
imperial favor. Moreover, this body,
the duties of which heretofore have
been purely perfunctory. is raised to
the highest dignity and institutes for
the first time a species of ministerial
responsibility which is apt to make the
committee of ministers a real cabinet.
In addition to the ministers six grand
dukes are members of the committee.
AS the imperial manifesto directs the
committee to ascertain "the best
method" of carrying the reforms into
effect. some papers, notably the Russ.
| find In these words that the committee
may call in zemstvo representatives.
Victory for Conservative Liberals
The general opinion is that the mani
| festo represents victory for Interior
! Minister Sviatopolk- -Mirsky and the
| conservative liberals over M. Pobie-
donostieff, procurator of the general
| holy synod, and the reactionaries and
practically places the strong combina-
| ton of M. Witte and Sviatopolk- -Mirsky
behind the governments programme.
The vagueness in which the reforms
| are outlined gives possibilities of ex-
pansion or limitation according to the
ideas prevailing. With a man of M
| Whites domination and force at the
head of the commission, the general
belief is that he will control in the end
Those allied with the zenistve.sts ex-
| press the intention of continuing the
| agitation despite the governments
note of warning. They believe that tht
| dissimilarity of the two documents will
enable them to continue the fight on the
| ground of the conciliatory spirit anc
views of the emperor. and that the
| government note with its covert threat
| of repression is the work of the bureau
| cracy against which their campaign is
| aimed. The response of the people
| generally and of the extreme liberals
and revolutionaries to the government
| action is awaited with intense inter
est. No one imagines that any of thess
classes will be satisfied, but on the
course they have elected to pursue viii
depend a possible crisis in the neal
future.
Moscow Continues Warm