The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-27
The Czar's Reform Ukase.

& The Czar Nicholas has, in the closing
Aavs of the year 1904, added to- the
memorable events which have dis
i ttinguished it., the. reform ukase fore
shadowed in the manifesto of March IL,
1908, declaring to his people how much
administrative and other reform he is
willing to grant and outlining the pro-
posals under consideration by the com
n,ittee of the four great councils Of the
bureaucracy. W. ..-'Sf.>,'
The czar refers to the recent petit
tion Of the zemstvos or provincial as
sembIies, expressing their reform needs.
but he ignores the leading feature of
that petition, the call for constitution
aud national assembly or parliament
where the whole people may be repre-
gented in the administration and making
Of the laws. The ear, indeed, told the
Zemstvo representatives who sent in the
last petition to that effect, that state
or national affairs were none of their
business, and zemstvos were limited by
law to local matters. The ukase lndl-
Gates that the autocratic government
shall not be impaired in any way. The
zemstvos, who were permitted by the
czar few weeks ago to assemble and
formulate their demands, gave an i'm
petus, indeed, to the agitation Of far
reaching reform, which is likely to con-
tinue in various forms of activity.
] The ukase is expressed in the rev
erential spirit peculiar to Russian au-
fhorities 1t certainly holds out the
promise of needed reforms in the local
administration, but goes no further than
4 did the terms of the manifesto Of 1903,
which emphasized the Importance Of
4 Strengthening and developing the well
fare and the fundamental pillars or Rus
sian village life and of the local no.
bility and peasantry.' The czar would
not bring the laws as to peasants into
. unity with the general imperial legisla-
tion, in order to promote the security Of
that estate which is recognized as con-
sisting of free citizens possessing full
nights. The first need, according to the
4 ezar, is the safeguarding of the laws
which hold up the autocratic govern
ment as supreme. Then follow pledges
FOR the full development of the powers
ofsthe provincial and district assemblies
as intended by the czar Alexander Ii. IN
1864. who. wished them to represent
adequately the three estates of landed
proprietors. rural communes and munich
( pal corporations. A notable declaration
favors the equality of persons of all
GLASSES before the law and the unfit
cation of judicial procedure and indie:
pendence of the courts thruout the EN-
pbre-something in the way OF re
form which has never existed in Rus
ssia, where inequality before the law anc
I sthe murder of Justice in the courts have
& been the rule, with a few exceptions OF
dgeent treatment.
l. 81 The feature of state insurance TO-
SWprkmen is another proposition Of ben
AeVolent. despotism borrowed from Ger
Mnlany, but nothing is said as to thu
/ Epfoposition of the manifesto of 1908
{ sor touching the cooperation of the stat
! Acredit institutions and of the mobiles
IL sand peasants banks in the bettermen
Il sof peasant conditions.
8 III A revision of the extraordinary law
sshgaiIlst disturbers of the public peace
like the nihilists is announced, but tn
Eczar retains for the authorities powe
Il ITO enforce them, when the safety Of tn
state is menaced, while the application
sof methods is to be limited and re
n #strained something new in Russia an
Snot acceptable to the reactionary ele
X sment. The announcement Of religion
I Federation made last year, but not actr
#alized is repeated, with the recomme1
%uation that all limitations to the exe]
seise Of such right shall be removed
which is good thing for the Jews an
| &other dissenters from the Holy Ortht
Sdox Greek church, if they get it. Lin
citations of the rights of foreigners
Russia is declared off, except when tn
8interests of the empire and good of til
speople require their retention-not
Sery satisfactory outlook for America
&citizens Of Jewish birth, who fail /
have their American passports reco
Snized in the czar's realm.
y The last proposition, the removal
%unnecessary restrictions from the pres
sif carried out, will do more to aid tt
liberal element in Russia to continl
# successfully the agitation for furth
reform than anything else. It all d
Hpends upon what the czar means
S unnecessary restrictions. " The pre-
censorship in Russia has always been
clustering disgrace to Russia s boast /
being a civilized power, as is Il
slaughter of justice in her courts.
N M The car, in the actuaization of Il
proposed reforms. will have against hi
the reactionary element, which is clos
IL braided into his administrative cou