Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-19
RUSSIANS AROUSED
Strong Sentiment Growing
for Elective Franchise.
MAY PETITION CZAR
MOVE FOR LIBERAL GOVERN
MENT BY ZEMSTvoS MEMBERS.
Important Meeting Today - Liberals
Want a Direct Voice in Admin
istration Of Affairs.

ST PETERSBURG, November 19-Today
! may mark a red letter day in the Russian
| calendar About a hundred representatives
! of provincial zemstvo assembled private
| ly at O'Clock this afternoon with the
| avowed purpose of presenting to Emperor
! Nicholas through Interior Minister Sviato-
| polk-Mirsky a truthful picture of the In
| ternal conditions of Russia, coupled with
! recommendations pointing out in PLAIN
| toms the necessity for calling legally
| empowered constituent assembly to have
direct voice in the government. The word
constitution" however, will be carefully
avoided
The liberals have been greatly excited by
the DEVELOPMENTS of the last few days. The
meeting was to be held at the Duma, or
city hall, but at the last moment official
auspices were refused, the emperor Will
drawing his consent.
Many of the Zemstvos representatives at
| tribute the emperors attitude primarily 70
| the influence of Grand Duke Ierg1s. NJ
Poedonostseff, the procurer general OF the
| holy synod and NJ. Sassonoff member OF
| the council of the empire, and indirectly to
| such reactionaries as Merchersky, Strumer
| and Sudainsky. The two latter IoTmeriy
| were the late Interior Minister Won Plehve' $
| assistants, who were promoted to the coun-
Gil of the empire.
Prince Mirsky's Motives Held Good.
When Prince Sviatopolk-Mirsky dispensed
with their services the specter Of constitu-
| ton was successfully raised, according to
| their view. They are not disposed to crit1-
| else Prince Sviatopolk- -Mirsky, whose good
| intentions they do not question.
They believe he is powerlesS, but never
| theless they express disappointment at me
fact that he yielded. Prince Sviatopolk-
Mirskys friends, however, nave another
side of the story. They insist thit ne ac. t
ed in the sincere conviction of what he be-
leved to be to the best interest OF the
zemstvo development.
They explain that when the minister pc
gan the negotia tions Nj. Shipof and Pc
trunkavich and Prince Ivoff were sent 10
explain what the meeting proposes TO 90,
and the minister found that instead q.
thirty-four presidents whom he had lnViteo
about one hundred representatives were u
be present, and that they proposed TO go
much further than their powers authorlzeo'
They were in no sense official representa-
tives chosen by the zemstvos to present d
memorandum to the government.
When the emperor declined to grant per
mission, however, Prince Sviatopolk- Mir
sky informed the representatives mat al
though official sanction was declined they
couId meet privately police protection be-
ing guaranteed. Moreover, he himself at
once drafted law for submission TO the
council Of the empire authorizing the
zemstvos to elect delegates to sit in con-
sultative body in connection with the de-
partment of rural affairs of his ministry.
This law will be Immediately promulgated
in order that the zemstvos at their APP
preaching meetings in December may
| choose representatives.
Majority Determined to Speak.
Prince Sviatopolk Mirsky's idea that Ill
| digested, precpitate action might wreck
the prospect for the future was supported
by number Of the zemstvo representa-
tives here, but the majority, although mod
crate in their views, rejected the advice OF
their colleagues as being simply sop to
a whale, and entered the meeting this al
ternoon determined to speak plainly
Their program has negohat1ve and
positive side The first consists in the
adoption of a sort of reductio ad abSur-
dunn argument in the form of a memoran-
dunn, in which they will attempt to show
that the existing conditions in the empire,
with constant unrest and disturbance re-
sulting in an increase in the revolutionary
pre- paganda cannot continue.
The course of Russian history will be
traced to show the ebb and flow Of liberal
ism and 1t will be ccntended that the
liberal tendency Of the government, which
began in the reign of Alexander II, was
Ieally checked after the Polish insurrection
and only briefly revived in the days of
Loris- Melikoff. The positive memorandum
will recommend the calling of a constituent
assembly as the best means of securing
legal expression of the views Of the nation.
The radicals and some student OrganiZa-
tions had planned sympathetic demonstra-
ticns in front of the Duma in favor of end
ing the war and calling a national assem-
bly, but with the place of meeting Of the
zemstvos' represer tatives secret the dem
OF strations will probably not occur.
Mirsky's Position.
One of Prince Sviatopolk- Mirsky's init
mates, speaking to the correspondent of the
Associated Press today, said the ministers S
position regarding the meeting was being
misrepresented. He declared the zemstvo
presidents had tried to take advantage of
the invitation extended to them, 1t being
understood when the invitation was issued
that the conference would be principally
for the purpose of the cooperation of the
Zemstvos in the Red Cross work, which the
late Minister Won Plehve refused to sane
ton But when the presidents came for
ward with a program for the broadeSt dis
| cussion of all the general questions of the
| empire and wanted to commit the govern
ment in advance to their decisions the min
| lister took the position that as such matters
were entirely beyond theif legal competency
| their meeting could not be held under gov
| ernment auspices.
polk-Mirsky has in nowise changed his
| position toward the Zemstvos was cited the
appointment, just announced, OF Nj. Su-
| roussof to be governor OF IVer TO sue
| ceed Prince Shernsky. one of Won Plehve's 8
| appointees, who Is a notorious reactonary,
and who was selected by Won Plehve large
| ly because of his opposition to the zem-
stvoS.
Demonstration at Moscow.
| MOSCOW, November 19.-Popular DEM
onstrations occurred here today, owing to
| the refusal of the authorities to author
| ize an official meeting of the zemstvos' rep
| resentatives at st. Petersburg. Crowds in
| the streets in front of the palace OF Grand
| Duke Sergius, governor general of Moscow.
| shouted Down with the Moscow Gazette" :"
| the only newspaper in Russia which is
| fiercely opposed to the ZemStvos. Later
| the crowds voluntarily dispersed.
The zemstvo supporters here telegraphed
| to NJ Shipoff, president Of the Moscow
| zemstvo, to make final effort to induce
| the government to allow the meeting to be
| held under official auspices.
Ask Freedom Of Municipal Elections.
| ODESSA, November ia majority of
! the city councillors have petitioned the
| government to restore the freedom of
| municipal elections and debates as guar
anteed under the law Of 1870 and also to
| suspend the state OF siege.