The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-02-22
CAR SEES WORMNGhEN
Grants Thirty-four Delegates an In
teryieW at Tsarkoe SeIo.
PROMISES TO RELIEVE TROUBLES
After a Dinner the Representatives Were
Driven to the Railroad Station in Roy
NJ Carriages-Leaders Announce Their
Faith in the Little Father IA Being

st. Petersburg. RuSsia.--In Tsarkoe
Seio Palace Emperor Nicholas met
thirty-four workingmen. representa-
tiveS OF eleven trades assemblies in st.
Petersburg. declined to hear their
grievances. but informed them that his
| Ministers were awake 10 the conditions
existing in the empire. partly caused
by the depression in trade following
| the declaration OF wal between Russia
| and Japan. He announced that all the
promises formally made by him on
December &c Of last year would he car
ried out, but that the people must
| be patient.
Having said this Informally to the
| workingmen. the Emperor read from
a printed copy an address to the dele
! cation. When he had ended he caused
Il copy of. his speech to be handed to
each person. suggested that they go to
! 4 ~neighboring church to pray, and that
| after the religious service General
Hes$e, Minister of the Imperial Court
and commandment of the palace, would
! conduct them TO dinner in one OF tie
wings of the imperial building. The
workingmen, overcome with the kind
ness OF the Emperor, simply bowed
their thanks.
! They meekly followed their orders
Nv going to the neighboTing church.
where they prayed. kissed the ikons,
and placed candles before the shrineS.
Then General HesSG. accompanied by
Grand Duke George Mikhailovitch. at
tended the labor committee to a build
ing formerly used as a high school near
the palace. where 4 Sumptuous dinner
was set. The leading members of the
workingmen'S deputation proposed the
health of the Emperor and drunk 1t
several times as they cheered for his
happiness and safety.
Emperor Nicholas received the work
irgmen in the audience hall of the
Alexander wing Of the palace. After
al informal talk he read an address.
After their dinner the delegates were
conducted to the main road of Tsarkoe
Selo. where the royal carriages were
awaiting them 1T a point near the lpl-
perial Pavilion. whence they were
driven to the station and took 4 train
for st. Petersburg. The men were
wholly overcome by this interview
with their Little Father" and on their
return trip said their faith in him had
not been shaken by the bloody events
Of Sunday, January %. They an
lounced that they would advise the
workingmen to accept the present stu
alton and await the action Of the. Eli
peror and his Ministers.
At night it was announced that the
imperial family had given $4,000 to
aid the relatives Of the victims. and
further good feeling was made when
the employers distributed q statement
announcing that. while they did not do
it as Il matter of justice, they would
pay. as a matter of charity, all work
ingmen vino went OH strike and who
needed for the necessities Of life the
wages lost. The employers also made
public the statement THAT wages would
be increased, but that the question Of
regulating the hours would have to be
settled by the Government, as it would
be unfair for n employer to compete
in 4 nine-hour day with another en-
nloyer having q ten-hour day.