The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31
RUSSLA'S FOES WITHIN
IRE IS STRONG IS THOSE
TO BE FOUND WITHOUT

poison and underground mines charged
with terrific explosives.
The Social Revolutionary party, like the
Social Democratic, has its headquarters out
SIDE or Russia, and the same network OF
secret branches in all parts of the Russian
Empire. 1t maintains printing establish
ments in several European cities, and SNUG
giles its seditious literature across the Rus
sian frontier and into every district of Rus
STA with the same adroitness and daring
skill as is shown by the agents OF the So
cial Democratic party.
The pamphlets circulated by the Russian
Social Democratic party are argumentative
and educational in style, while the mani
festos and proclamations published by the
social Revolutionary party are infiamfna-
tory appeals to the people 10 assert their
political rights by violence and force of
arms. Opinions differ regarding the respec-
tive strength of the two parties among the
population of Russia, but competent judges
incline TO the belief that the extreme physi-
cal force men excite more sympathy than
the constitutional political reformers, who
are opposed to violent methods.
The Jewish Revolutionary party conducts
a successful propaganda among the perse-
cutec lsraelites of Russia, and the Students
Revolutionary League spreads political dis
content among Russia's intellectual youth.
WORK AMONG THE PEASANTS.
During recent years all parties have paid
especial attention to the work of propa-
ganda among the population of rural dis
tricts, with the result that the Russian
peasantry is becoming permeated with rev.
olutionary ideas to the same extent as the
urban workmen. Evidence of this has been
afforded by frequent rebellions in remote
provinces, where the peasants have made
desperate efforts to throw off the yoke of
Russian government. The whole truth
about the risings in rural districts never has
become generally known outside of Russia,
| for the Russian censorship takes care to
suppress accounts of instructions which
| reveal The extent of the Russian peoples
hostility to their own government.
The alarming degree to which the Russian
| nation has become saturated with sedition
| is best shown by the spread of revolutions
| airy sentiment in the army, which, under
| the prevailing system of CONSUMPTION, con-
SlStS of the healthieSt young men from typ
| zeal families from all parts of the Russian
| Empire. In every case during the last eight
cen months in which troops have been en-
| ployed to suppress popular uprisings there
| have been soldiers in the ranks who have
resolutely refused to fire on their fellow
citizens. They have been placed under ar
rest and sentenced to long terms of penal
servitude for INSTRUMENTATION, but unde-
| TERED by these exemplary punishments SOL
dlers continue TO disobey orders in the same
circumstances. In one case, a few weeks
| ago, soldier stepped out of the ranks at
Wilma and killed the colonel of his regi-
| ment in full view of the assembled troops
| of the garrison rather than carry out or
ders TO shoot on riotous strikers Hundreds
of similar refuSalS to shoot on political
malcontents have been recorded in the Eu-
ropean newspapers during the last year and
| g half.
| FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES.
| Nor has this revolutionary sentiment been
| confined to common soldiers. There have
| been many cases in which officers have re-
| fused to give their men orders to fire on
| crowds of people assembled for purposes OF
| political demonstration. The Russian gov
| eminent became so alarmed by the spread
4 Of IN. he
| special commission was appointed to
| travel around Russia to all the garrison
! towns TO investigate the exact degree of the
prevalence of sympathy with revolution
| lists among officers of all ranks. This COM
| mission has not ended its inquiries but
| the reports which have already been for
| warded to ST. Petersburg show that a sur
| prisingly large proportion of Russian off,
GERS must be reckoned strong partisanS
of political reform movements
Another striking proof of the extensive
| ramifcations of the revolutionary parties is
| afforded by the knowledgs which they pos
| sess of all the secrets of the court, the gov
eminent and the administrative DEPART
| ments. Again and again the Russian revo-
| lutionary newspapers have been able to
| publish secret communications addressed by
| the Car to his minister's by the ministers
| TO local authorities, or by the Russian War
Office to commanding generals throughout
| the country, often before the communion
| tons in question reached those for whom
| they were intended. The Russian revolu-
Il
| Germany, is acknowledged by the London
| Times and by all the leading journals of
| Europe to be the most authentic source of
| news about Russian internal affairs. Rus
| sian reVOlutiOnists could not look behind
| the scenes at the Russian court unless they
had friends and supporters in the very
| highest circles of the Russian bureaucracy
| and St Petersburg society.
| THE GATHERING STORM
| Perhaps the best picture of this gradually
| gathering storm is given by a Russian
nobleman living abroad who recently re-
| turned from his annual visit to relatives in
| Moscow.
Until this year." said the traveller. at
| had treated the talk of revolutionary
movement as moonshine; but on returning
| to Russia this time / was struck by the
| change in the faces of the people The
/ peasants and the workmen have a scowl-
| ing expression; they are no longer respect
/ full: q large portion of them have lost
| their religion, and nearly all are filled with
| revolutionary spirit.
| Although rigid press censorship prevents
| anything like detailed accounts of the
| trouble to cross the Russian frontier, en-
| issaries of the various Russian democratic
societies which find sanctuary in Germany
4 bring stories OF whose authenticity there
/ can be little doubt.
| OF several recent disturbances the author
| tiles regard that at KEN to be of the
| most serious. SO active did the revolution
4
the railway shops and factories of the
town that a general strike was only avoided
| by prompt action by the governor. Proc
lamatiOns posted in conspicuous places by
| the police now threaten with arrest any
one detected in distributing seditious litera-
/ ture. while any three or more individuals
/ refusing TO dispense at the first request of
| the police become liable TO fine of 1915 or
| three months imprisonment, without the
privilege of trial. The police force of
| Kieff recently has been strengthened Is per
| cent, while special spies mingle with work
| men of all classes.
1t is evident the government fears out
side agitation even more than trouble
brewed at home for the police have re-
doubled their vigilance over the movements
\ of visiting foreigners in the last two
| months. Every immigrants credentials are
| most carefully examined at the frontier
and more than one traveller has been turned
back for the good of the country" In
| st. Petersburg searches constantly are
| being made for persons not registered in
| the police books and the recent visits TO
private houses TO ascertain whether per-
| sons not known to the police were resid-
| ing therein indicate plainly enough that the
| authorities believe foreign agitators in con-
| siderable numbers are in the capital
The treatment received by political pris-
/ oners is adding fuel TO popular indignation.