The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-02-03
CAUSES LEADING
TO THE REVOLT
For Forty Years Russia HAS
Been Drifting Toward the
Present Situation.
ZEMsTvos' CONVENTION
Gathering Few Weeks Ago Started
the Movement Which Led lmme-
ditely to the Red Riots Now
Prevailing in the Land

leaps and bounds within the last three
months, until 1t Is strong enough to
enhst 100000 workingmen In its be-
half in the city of ST. Petersburg alone,
Is not a modern development in the
ears empire.
From that day, February 10, 1860. on
which Car Alexander H., in an i'm
perial rescript. protested against the
political doctrine of the sovereignty Of
peoples, the demand for freer gov
ernment. for equal rights, for freedom
of press. speech and conscience, for the
equality of the people. has grown with
out ceasing.
Alexander II. recognized the demand
OF his people for more liberty by de-
creeing on March 8, 1861. the total
emancipation of 25,000,000 serfs
throughout the empire.
First Appeal in 1861.
In November of the same year the
asking for political constitution.
Alexander II. disregarded 1t and be-
gan a system of reactionary measures
intended to suppress the growth of the
sentiment for popular government.
Again. on January 25, 1865, the mobiles
requested the czar to establish con-
stltutional form of government and
to establish parliament with two
houses of Representatives Again Alex
ander II. declined.
In March, 1866, the mobiles held their
first national assembly to demand an
extension of political rights. Although
they failed OF their general purpose,
they received notable concession for
the Russian people--the right of trial
by jury.
In 1870 began the strdent agitation
sor popular government. In January
OF that year a widespread socialist con-
spiracy among the students of the
u III mi,
Its leader was Serglus Netsch. Hun
dreds of arrests followed and many OF
the students were imprisoned or exiled
to Siberia.
Nil1iIist Terror Begins.
The student conspiracy was followed
by the Nihilist movement In the lat
ter part OF 1871, Immediately after the
Paris commune. the Society of the
Dolguscinzi' was formed at Moscow,
and in 1872 the important Society of
the Craikovzi" was organized at st.
Petersburg, with branches at Moscow,
Kdeff, Odessa. Orel Taganvog and
other Russian cities.
Both these societies had for their
purpose the revolutionary propaganda
among the Workmen and peasants
For five years these Nihilist socie-
Ties prosecuted their work among the
worlSinen and peasants. making little
progress. They finally abandoned the
effort and again turned their attention
to the students.
In 1877 the Nthilists had become SO
menacing that general attack was
made upon them by the government.
-Four hundred and ninety three per-
sons. men and women accused of be-
longing to the Nihilist conspiracy, were
placed on trial at one time, beginning
on October 81, 1877. The trial ended
on February 9. 1878, One hundred and
sixty were sentenced to prison at hard
labor, ninety We're acquitted and the
rest exiied.
Assassins Take Up the Work.
Then began the reign of terror, Vera
zasulitch Cor Sassulitch) inaugurated
It by attempting the assassination of
General Trepoff, then, as now, the
chief of the Russian secret police Her
scheme was followed by the rapid
spread of the revolutionary propaganda
at Kieff, MOSCOW, and other large
cities. Nihilist trials We're In constant
progress.
August 49,, 1868, General de Mesent-
zoff. chief Of the ST. Petersburg police,
was assassinated In the streets In
broad daylight Military law then SUI
perseded civil trials.
December II, 1878. the students pre-
scented a petition to the czarevitch (aft-
erwards Alexander III.,. complaining
OF grievances Instead OF granting
them redress the authorities attacked
the students with Cossacks. The stu
dents replied with an appeal to the
people.
February %. 1870, Prince Demetrius
kr&potkine, governor of Kharkoff, was
-assassinated. March rs, 1879, an at
tempt was made to assassinate Cen
eral Drentelen. chief Of the st. Peters,
burg police.
Under Rule of Martial Law.
An. A
@ ukase establishing martial law in the
provinces of st. Petersburg, Moscow.
Kieff, Odessa and Warsaw. Arrests
trials. convictions and executions Of
nihilists We're Of almost daily occur
renee.
On December l. 1879, began the series
of attempts to assassinate Alexander
n. On that date the imperial train
waa undermined and an explosion OF
dynamite wrecked the baggage car. No
one was hurt
Three days later revolutionary man
ffesto was spread broadcast over Eli
ropean Russia justifying the attempt
y On December IL :. plot to blow IN
the winter palace was discovered and
frustrated,
& On February II. 1880. another plot to
blow UP the wih.er palace succeeded.
An explosion of dynamite and gun cot.
tUll 1lA LIE + unQer4 the dining
room of the ear killed eleven soldiers
and wounded forty-seven. The car
escaped
A panic In government circles fol-.
lowed General Loris Melikoff was an
pointed president of supreme ex-
ecntiye commission and given almost
Equatorial powers to suppress the peo-
pies demands for freedom and q voice
In the government
81, No man ever tried more faithfully
to- serve the car and the people than
did General Loris Melfkoff He told
the GEAR. Alexander IL, plainly that
the peoples demands must be heard,
Il Enc ouraged by Alexander III. Gem
eral MelikOR drew up program of re-
forms. He urged the car to call
agreed 800
General Melikoff,s plan did not re-
atrtct the autocratic power of the
cal. 1t merely provided for a general
commission, to be constituted as fol-
lows: il 8s s73s
first, the thirty.two provinces were
to eject one oi. two Representatives
each y propottion to their population.
These Representatives were to be
elected by the zemstvos.
8 Second. the municipal assemblies of 4
ersburg and Moscow were to
electi two representatives each. and
hose OF few ether cities one each.
Third, where no local self-govern-
~