The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-17
.BOBRIKOFF'S END
NOT UNEXPECTED
SLAYER OF FINLAND's COVER
NOR GENERAL A HERO.
The Assassination, However, May
Cause Additional Suffering for the
People Story Of the Awful Condi-
tons that Prevailed Under Dead
Rulers Regime.

The end Of General Bobrikoff, gov
ernor general of Finland, who was
assassinated yesterday, has long been
predicted not openly, of course, but
in the privacy Of the home, the office
and the club. Young Schaumann may
not have rendered his country a SER
vice by his rash act, for unless the
Russian nature has been changed, the
death of General Bobrikoff will be
followed by reprisals in which the
whole people will probably suffer.
Still, he will be added to the list of
Finland's heroes, and no matter how
brutal the next governor may be, he
can hardly equal the hated Bobrikoff,
and he is very likely to be much more
humane. Undoubtedly the young
patriot was wise to commit suicide, as
the most terrible punishment Russian
cruelty could devise would have been
melted out to him.
Finland is in a deplorably pitiful
condition in consequence of five years
of Bobrikoff rule. The taxes have
been piled on the people at fright
full rate in spite Of the fact that in
| dustry and commerce have been dim
| inished as the result of misrule The
revenues of the country formerly were
! sufficient for all purposes, but altho
education and public works have been
greatly neglected the Russians have
been able to extract large amounts for
extra expenses.
Where the Money Goes.
The department of the police has
drawn most heavily upon the Finnish
resources. It's added expenses during
the period under consideration
amount to no less than 1855, 900
marks, and represent an increase OF
1888 per cent! The next in order is
the Russian treasury, which has been
enriched by 100000 marks Then
| comes the department OF instruction.
in the Russian language, for which
$4,000 marks have been expended;
then the governor generals depart
ment and it's suboffices, with an added
expenditure of $4,000 marks; and
finally, in the list of large sums, the
gubernatorial and provincial depart
ments, whose expenses have been IN
| creased by 443,000 marks.
OF smaller sums expended during
the same period we have, first, the
senate, which has received l72,0OO
marks; then the means placed at the
cars disposal, 10000 marks; the
whose purpose is to prevent the spread
of enlightenment, $4,000 marks;
Russian school inspectors, $4,000
marks; gratuities, $4,000 marks; and,
finally, the cars picture, which adorns
the hall of the senate, II, 900 marks
At least 100000 marks have been ex-
pended without the slightest benefit,
and, in many cases, With lncalculaOle
d injury to the country.
Heavy as these burdens have been,
they are only experiments in the work
of pressing out money. During the
present year Finland, in addition to
the ordinary expenses of the govern
ment, must pay nearly 100000
marks for the Russian gendarmerie,
100000 marks into the Russian
treasury and 1000, 900 marks into the
war fund, which, tho collected by
force, is advertised as a gift.
Education Stihed.
Commerce and industry have been
at a standstill during this period, and
in consequence of the stagnation, de-
| cav has set in. In education and Gull
ture Finland must eventually reach
the pitiful condition Of unhappy 70
land Already libraries and reading
rooms, established by the. voluntary
contributions of the young people
societies Of Finland, have been closed
under the pretence of purging them
from t'unwholeson1e and dangerous
literature,; most Of the inlportan
books, periodicals 4 and newspaper:
from abroad have been prohibited be
cause they might contain principles
antagonistic to the political code o
RUSSIA; the teachers anu !llotl 1871
have been continually watched ant
interfered with by the Russian schoo
INSPECTORS and gendarmes (some Q
them have already been carried t
Siberia); while the usual allowance
to institutions for public instruction
and recreation have been graduall
cut down, and in many cases abol
ished altogether, because there is n
more money in the treasury for sue
purposes"
Tn the main, all the things Of whic
the people complain have emanate
1t directly from Bobrikof.