The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-11-26
THE NEW RUSSIA.

II the vgliant sentry on the ou1posts of Mukdcn
could know what was transporting in St PETERSBURG.
1t the soldier OF the at Port Arthur could hear
the hymn OF freedom resounding in the capital Of
Holy Russia" Then indeed, would they feel
thrice armed i'll the knowledge that Ugh ing fo~ the
ear they were fighting for new Russia and for
all its people
\ mighty change IS about to take place. is al
ready taking place 1t would not happen had it not
been for war and the crushing defeats of war
Russia has been brought to its senses through adj
yersity, and lucky indeed is the autocracy that
yields dependence, albeit reluctantly upon the COM
mon people.
Ever since the minister of the interior was
removed by an anarchists bullet, emancipation
and reform in the government of Russia took
practical turn. Reform emphasized by the APP
pearanee OF Sviatopolk Mirsky upon the scene a
man the opposite in everything to the powerful
tyrant removed By assassination Courage was inn
parted to rcformers by the cars manifesto, very
liberal when we consider Romanoff obstinacy as
synonymous with oppression. But the real work
of reform initiated by the Zemstvo and if
carried out successfully, to them and to the new
minister of the interior must new Russia testify its
birth
The Russian zemstvo is provincial assembly
made up of representatives of the peasants, the
landowners of the towns, and the landed proprie-
tors the noble landowners being the influential
members 1t has been the aim of the bureaucracy
since the zemstros were created to cut down the
limited powers originally given them, to prevent
their discussion of other than purely academic
quest-e and above all to prevent any attempts at
unity of action among them. The bureaucracy has
been successful in this and the provincial assemblies
have been made, from its point of view, quite
harmless.
1t is, indeed, startling to witness an I'm
formal gathering of delegates from the various
zemstvos. A year ago conference of that kind
would have been impossible 1t is still more start
ling that the members of the conference should pre-
pare memorial to the car i'll which they say it is
necessary for national development that there
should be national representation in the form of
special elective body enact laws for the country.
The memoriasts condemn the bureaucratic sys- /
TEN. They ask that rural self-government be re-
leased from administrative tutelage; that greater
measure of civil and political rights should be con-
and press shall be free.
Russian censorship is not so rigorous it has |
BEEN but it is stated that the ST. Petersburg papers
have printed neither the conclusions nor the dis
clissions of the conference. They not sure OF |
their ground. They are by no means certain that
the car will act favorably ON the memorial. While
the papers print nothing educated Russians know
all that is going on, and those among them who
long for freer institutions in a state of i'll
excitement They can think of little
else.
The Chicago Tribune is of opinion that the ear
will not grant all the memoralists ask for, and that
whatever influence the autocracy and the church
nay have will be exerted to prevent his complying
with single request. But if he grant anything
hat will be progress The fact that the memorial
from the quarter that it does, Is to be
presented is progress.
The proverb .He who goes slowly goes safely,
applies with special force to Russia. Rapid and
.adical changes might spell revolution and anarchy
What most Russians need Is education III the ele-
nentary principles of government, and that can
oest be given them by the grant of larger measure
IF local self government than they now enjoy The
emstvos should be given greater power and brought
INTO closer touch with the people.