The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-10
BY P. A. DEMENs-TvERsKoY.

4 ID "A. DExIhE41N 81 V ELfSShO1.
Is it revolution? Is it not awful
Are the Russian people ready for self
government? What is Zenstvo? what
do you think will be the results OF
the events in st. Petersburg?
These and many other like questions
am piled with nowadays by my
| will try to answer them. to the best of
my ability, as the attention of the
whole civilized world is today riveted
upon my unfortunate country, and
the thinking public.
| In 1872, while living on my ancestral
| estates in the province of Tver, be-
tween st. Petersburg and Moscow, I,
| elected Marshal of the Nobility of the
| Province, and subsequently, President
of the local Zemstvo, positions to which
| 1 was thrice reelected, the term of SER
vice being three years. / resigned in
| 1880 and emigrated to this country in
1881. For several years I enjoyed the
distinction of being the youngest man
filling these important posts in the
whole empire. AS an Honorary Judge,
L also occupied the position of Presi-
dent of the Court of Appeals of the
province. I was member of the Lib
eral party and up to today have many
well-posted friends in Russia, with
whom-as we'll as with the Russian
press-I am in constant touch, and can.
therefore, speak advisedly of the pres
ent crisis, my outlook being largely
tempered by twenty-four years resi-
dence in the United States, which has
taught me many useful lessons of the
general social conditions of the human
race.
RUSSIA UNDER ALEXANDER II.
Immediately after the Crimean war
and the death of Nicholas I, during the
youth of Emperor Alexander II, Rus
STA enjoyed an unprecedented period of
prosperity and regeneration. The whole
social system of the vast empire was
reformed. Twenty millions of slaves
We're liberated in 1861 with land al
lotment to each person; comparative
liberty of the press was established in
1868; old star chamber court proceed
fngs were abolished in 1864 and the
criminal and. civil cases substituted.
The new codes of 1864 were humane
just and assured prompt administra-
ton of justice: the best European jur-
lists declared them marvel of SIM
plicity, humanity and good sense.
CREATION OF THE ZEMSTVOS.
In 1866, the zemstvos were created.
Zemstvo means local self government.
oil a
of all classes, to administer their own
local affairs, like public education, pub
lie health. the poor and destitute, road
ways. ferries, etc. The first law on
the subject, 1866, granted them a very
wide scope of action, a really demo-
cratic, elective personnel, and practically
independence from the Crown officials.
Hopes were openly expressed, that in
the course of time they would educate
the people up to self-government and
so develop into a true representative
Healthy evolution would
accomplish the inevitable change from
to representative forms of
without the bloodshed and
upheaval that always accompanies such /
changes in the history of other nations. |
The best men of that time in Russia
gave up their lucrative government /
positions, their life abroad, or in the |
large cities, and flocked to their estates |
to help in the rejuvenation of the |
A MIGHTY MORAL WAVE.
A mighty moral wave swept over the |
land. calling the thinking, educated |
classes to their duty toward the father
land, toward the ignorant, starving,
former slaves, to elevate the culture
and the civilization of the interior. I,
with thousands of others, left a mill
tary career a career coveted and hon
cred in Russia, to go to my estates and
put nv shoulder to the common wheel
IF country work The luxury and ease
Of life in the capital were gladly ex-
changed for the primitiveness and
-oughness of a remote country village
existence.
Naturally, the reform work was not
,arried on without some opposition;
he Conservatives, the so-called Kre-
,ostniki or defenders of slavery and
,ufocracy. were bitterly opposed to any
,eform but they were in a small mi
,ority and the Liberals. for the time be-
ne controlled the Car and the gov
HALT IN THE REFORM MOVE.
Effective one 1t was-was called by the
,loody Polish insurrection of 1863. 1t
,becked the reform movement very
,erceptibly. Alexander II. began to hest
ate and when, in 1866, the first attempt
m his life was made by Karakozoff,
,e became alarmed at his own sympa-
HES and the reaction set in, slowly
mt surely In the meantime, the Con-
eryatfves were strengthening their
orces. and the Radicals made their first
npearance on the political scene. While
turing the decade 1855. practically
N the educated elements of the en-
ire with the Car and his govern
nent in the lead, were heartily work
ng in behalf of the reform movement
he following fifteen years, 1861. wit
,essed a fierce struggle, which grew
yer more bitter, between the Conser-
,atives. and their direct allies, the
bureaucracy. and the Liberals or the