The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-30
Prince McStchersky DIS
 cuSSeS Russian AfIairS.
sEFoRMS ARE NEC ECESsARY
At Same Time. a Consf ituii6n
 Is Not Needed. s
vast Massrsty q PssDls q sns - Havs ae cs.esDtssa q sbs ns- sDs.-dAiiasses q Cs.sssi.sss1
 Il 0svssnnsst.

< St. retersbur9, Nov. n .Pstlce Mestoher1ky, editor Of The 0roeH4oAzn and the foremost spokesnan of the autocracy. holds that tho inaug1ratio4 posed n Russian has been uotue11x pyejudiced by ~the. irresponsib1s aGlte- ton for . constitution which is noW ies progress." Autocracy, ho couo1dor1- vital to the life and future greo<n64G of Hussia as nation. liberal re> forms. he maintains. are neceeGnfys hut they cannot bs introduced exeeC4 bv the autocracy. ' ls
 Moreover. declares the prinee, 6 mapped out for gFAduat introduqklen when the whole work waa sthxoSfn Into confusiou by the liberal reboun4 ae~ companisd by . discussion Of . cd1stl~ tuition which followed 1xiuiefey xoxs Plehves death. Speaking to tho Ae- sociated Press today Prince Nestcher~ sky said:
 ''rhe qussfion is often asksd, Why not introduce q constitutionf
 Russia might as well ask an Amer- ican or a Breton. why not introduce autocracy7 A constitution is just as nc essary to Great Britain or the Unf- ted Sts es as autocracy is for Russfa. Russia. without autocracy. is whAe would cease to be Russia. The great-f est contemporary Russian statesmen. men of the most commanding intellect. like M. Witte, are of this opinion
 Ignorance Of the People.
 "ccnstitutionai government is tmpoe- sible in Russia for the simple reason that the vast majority of the people have not the slightest conception of It's meaning. There are perhaps too.- 900 who want a constitution, and they do all the talking, while the remain- ing 150,O0o, ,000 are voiceiess. the in1- pression goes abroad that the aenti- ment of the majority of the nation de- sires change in the form of gover9- msnt. If a constitution were fntro- duced tomorrow. 1t would be ehort> lived for the simple reason that it would be based upon the wishes or ideas of the people and therefore ft would only impede real and lasting re- form.
 'constitutional government would prove an actual danger. because the nation includes races like the Poles :, and those of the Baltic territory who are nor eadvanced and developed than the rest. They would consequently soon obtain a predominance in the par lament which would call forth the op- position of the great masses of the people and lead to the disintegraticp of the nation.
 Reforms are Wanted.
 We want reforms. not a constitu- ton. I contend that reform is attain able only through autocracy The tna- perial manifesto of February, 1904. laid down on a basis of reform which, the Government was carefully prepar- ing and gradually but surely carrying out when von Phleve's untimely end put & sudden stop to the work. The fundamental idea of this reform Is to, extend local government by the crea- tion of small zemstvos. thus bestowing the widest possible measure of self government.
 plete reorganization of the present form of zemstvos whereby local af- fairs would be sumbitted to the control of those immediately interested, and questions affecting the provinces at large would be referred to g represent tative provincial council under the Presidency of the Governor. Once local govternment should be established on firm bases. 1t was the intention or the sovereign. to reform the central administration at St. Petersburg.
 .sThis probably would be begun with the idea of ministerial responsibility. The council of the ministry. which fs now a purely perfunctory body. would sit under the presidency of the sover- eign, thus doing away with the irre- sponsibiIity of ministers. At present each minister has his own program or policy. often in conflict with other min isters.
 Safeguard Against Arbftrariness.
 ''The reforms would next include tho introduction of representative members in the Council of the Empire. giving the nation a voice in legislation The Sem ate would be restored to the primary function for which 1t was created by Peter the Great. of controlling the ad- ministration of the law, thus becoming strong safeguard against arbitrari- ness in administration.
 This logical and comprehensive scheme was suspended by von Plenves murder. His successor. who is the very embodiment of kingliness and honor, marked his entry into office by an ap- peal to the confidence of the people. This appeal, unfortunately, was mls- understood The effect has been to set tongues wagging and newspapers talk ing. and the Russian press Is not sur fciently developed, owing to the re- strictions under which 1t has suffered, to appreciate the merits Of sound con servatism.
 sTha talk at oncve became wildly iiberal in tendency. Then came the meeting of the Zemstovists. Q people carried away by eloquence and fervor in excess of zeal, outran. the furthest ambition of their chairman. M. ShipoH. and memoriaIized the throne for reg uIar constitution. The result has been to confuse the whole issue of reform. unon which the autocracy was intent
 "Personally, I do not attach much ,mnortance to this movement. nor do anticipate anything in the nature or