The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-11-07
.ED|CT OF REFORM
IS TO Be ISSUED
FREEDOM or THE PRESS WILL BE
GRANTED IN RUSSIA
Another Decree Will Grant Amnesty
to All Present Prisoners Except
Murderers--Count Whites
Conference.

= st. Petersburg, Nov. 2.-The text of
the edict by which the much desired re-
form of freedom of the press will be
granted to Russia, which has from
time immemorial been held in the pow
er of the censor, will be published to-
morrow
The original message making the
announcement was sent to the office OF
the Novoe Vremya last night by Count
Witte, the new premier Count Witte
asked all the editors of st, Petersburg
to meet with him tonight and at that
time the measure was discussed. The
eoitOrs were asked to read the edict
carefully and then suggest any am.
ments to it that they might have 10
make. The final wording OF the edict
was then agreed to.
With the proclamation of this right
of a free press the beginning OF a new
era Will really dawn. For centurIes
the people have been kept in ignorance
because OF the muzzling OF the press
and nothing was allowed to reach the
masses unless approved by the govern
ment. The change means that the news
papers will have the right to put the
facts concerning any matter before the
people as they exist, while through
their editorial columns they may also
help mould public opinion.
The granting of the right of freedom
of the press will be accompanied by
another concession to the'people, which
has been the subject of much agita-
tion as has the fight for a free press
A decree will be issued at the same
time as the other edict granting am
nesty to all present prisoners who
have been convicted since 1899, except
persons charged with murder or at
tempted murder.
The agitation which has continued
since the czar's manifesto granting a
constitution was issued was in a great
measure due to the desire of the peo-
pie to secure amnesty for political
prisoners. 1t is hoped that the grant
ing of this demand will have a great
influence for good and will assist ma
terially in bringing order out of the
chaos which has prevailed throughout
the provinces.
Tonight's advices received here show
that the disorders have continued and
in some cases the disorders have grown
worse. Odessa, Moscow, Warsaw, Nish-
ui-Novgorod, Orel and other centers
were the scenes Of disturbances yes
terday and during the night. Some of
the later dispatches indicate however,
that the revolutionary movement, IN
certain quarters is weakening. st.
Petersburg itself was fairly quiet to-
night and it is hoped that the example
which it is setting in the steps which
have been taken to end the general
strike will be followed by the rest of
the empire.
The greatest disorders occurred in
Odessa, where the scenes of bloodshed
are described as being a hundredfold
worse than the Kishinnef massacres.
The latest advices from there, however,
stated tGat the military had taken
charge of the city and with the assist
ance of the volunteer militia. of stud
ents was restoring order.
At Nishni-Novgorod anti-semitic
outbreaks, similar to those which oc-
CURED at Odessa, although not as vio-
lent, lasted throughout the day and
the greater part of the night. The at
tack on the Jews was started because
they INDUCED in a revolutionary dem
onstration. Many Jewish shops were
looted and hundreds of persons in the
Jewish quarter were injured during the
riots. At Rostoff-on-Don, street fight
ing occurred. The rioters fired many
houses and looting was general.
At Minsk riotous troops fired into
shops which had attempted to open
for business. At Orel there were anti
Jewish demonstrations in which many
Jews were killed and wounded.
Reports received from Tashkend
stated that Cossocks fired three VOL
leys into crowd which was holding
demonstration in celebration of the
issuance of the cars manifesto and
many casualties are reported.
At Kherson "loyalists" made an at
tack on the Jewish quarter. Shops
were pillaged and all Jews who fell
into the hands of the rioters were Sc
verely handled. Many were killed and
wounded during the fighting. The most
recent dispatches from there state that
the disorders are being kept up by the
'loyalists"
Similar attacks on the Jews are re-
ported from VyaZma, where the Jewish