Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-11-26
NOT OPTIMISTIC.
Russian People Hardly Know
What 10 Expect.
zemstvo Meeting Is Called Great
victory-The Memorial Which Was
Prepared viii Be Presented to the
Gear by the Minister Of the Interior
Many Of the Delegates Leaving
for Their Homes.

he Zemstvo meeting being accomplish
3D. the only remaining questions relat-
ing to aid OF the wounded and dis
ressed, many. of the members are al
ready leaving for their homes.
At the last moment the form OF the
memorial was altered to make 1t ap-
pear an expression of 'the hope that it
3 the wish of the emperor to summon
q national assembly"
With the removal of the idea that
he memorial represented opposition 10
imperial authority, every vestige OF dis
sent vanished The practical result OF
The meeting as represented by the EN-
peror's response is now of all-absorb-
ing interest
The memorial will be presented to
Interior Minister Sviatoopolk-Mirsky
and by him personally win be trans
mitted to his majesty. There is no
clew as to the outcome.
The general idea In government cir
lies and even Of many OF those VINO
participated in the meeting, Is that 1t
nation is so unprecedented that even
the best informed hardly know what to
expect
One of the most prominent members
of the Zemstvo delegation said to the
Associated Press:
"The general opinion Of my col
| leagues is the reverse of optimistic.
| Therefore, it is mistake to raise
hopes that are doomed probably to dis
| appointment but hope exists. Probably
| there will be the usual attempt to tenn
porize. We may not get all, but we
should get something.
The emperor is kind-hearted and
sincerely desirous Of helping the people
ir he became convinced where the III
lerests of the people and government
lay, but he is surrounded by influences.
the court and the imperial family,
which are opposed to anything like the
suggestion of q constitution.
"Of only one thing are we certain
Interior Minister SviartopOlk-Mirsky
will present the memorial to the en-
peror. How far or whether he will In.
iorse 1t at all is not yet known, but
he will place it before his majesty II
it costs him his position in the minis
try.
mo matter what the immediate re.
suit however, we have gained re-
markable victory. We have put into
concrete form our opinion that the
present system in the end must spell
ruin or revolution.
1.-THE emperor knows the character
! of the men whose names are attached
to the memorial They represent the
best blood and thought OF the empire
We are not revOlutionaries. We don
believe the people are prepared Tor
republic We support the monarchica
idea. but we believe 1t must be a con
stitutional monarchy and the emperor
must choose between the moderate pro
gram we offer or eventual revolution.
"If there is no result now we viii
continue the work Of agitation ant
education. There will be larger ant
a stronger meeting next year. II tn
meeting Is forbidden in st. Petersburg
then it will take place in Moscow
Kieff or in an open field II necessary
"The movement will gather headwa,
as time elapses. We have risked on
liberties and we shall not retreat. TIL
law which makes agitation for al
change in the form of government pur
ishable with penal servitude is still Ii
force. We are all amenable, but 6
long as Prince SviartOpolk-Mirsky 4
I minister we know we are safe.
III he falls we take our chances, a
!. though we feel sure the governmen
would not dare to reverse the policy {
r liberalism which has received such a
t impetus since Won Plehve's death.
"The moment Is propitious for col
n cessiOns. The government is In dif
8 cult position and needs the support an
d sympathy of the people. believe som
0 thing at least will be granted.
q "A free press would be the creates
n step short of calling national a
o sembly. II only the A, b. C's OF II
program are conceded the rest OF Il
d alphabet will inevitably be drawn
II their wake"
N The idea of submitting the progra
to the district Zemstvos was aba
doned as all of them are subject to co
10 troll of the marshals OF nobility, mar
le of whom are not in sympathy OF libe
o. alism and check might be risked
ir some future minister of the interi
10 might be able to present opposition
many of the district Zemstvos as pro
that the people are not In harmon
with the spirit Of the memorial.
!, Consequently 1t was decided tn
~ each member of the assembly act
w. cording to his judgment as to the met
~ cd for spreading the agitation.