New-York tribune., 1905-11-24
FOR RUSSIAN LIBERTY.
Zemstuo Demands May Lead to
Concessions.

ST Petersburg Nov. 23-Premier Witte was
in constant communication in the night and
this morning with NJ. Guchkoff and his other
lieutenants at Moscow in efforts to compromise
on some of the declarations in the resolution
adopted yesterday by the Zemstvo Congress
He has no hope that the policy recommended
by the congress will be completely satisfactory
to the government. as the Constitutional Dem
ocrats have the bit in their teeth and will not
listen even to the words of their former idol,
Nj. Petrunkevitch.
Nevertheless the declaration in favor of uni
versal suffrage and the transformation of the
national assembly into constituent assembly,
will grow less distasteful to Count Wftte in
course of time. Many Liberals believe the Premier
is obliged to make show of opposition for its
effect upon the Emperor and court, but 1t is
privately known that he has been convinced
for some time that the elaboration of a constl-
tuition containing the charter of Russian lioer-
ties to which the Emperor will swear allegiance
is the safest if not the only outcome from the
present situation. 1t would at the same time
.buttress the government against possible at
tempt at reaction hand and fortify 1t
for the fight against the revolutionary forces
the other.
But he regards 1t as vital that the moderate
conservative majority should draft the consti-
tuition While ready to agree, therefore to uni
yersal suffrage the Premier would never con-
sent to direct suffrage for the ignorant peasan-
try of the villages in the country His schene
is for indirect elections through one set vi
electors in the country and direct elecuohs III
the cities, being confident that this would IN
sure the return of conservative representatives
from the country.
Practically all the other demands OF the
Zemstvoists which properly come under tne
executive branch of the government the Premier
nrobablv will be willing to concede, except the
extension of amnesty TO political prisoners VINO
committed murder or other serious crimes The
trial and punishment of officials and police
guilty of participation in the massacres VIII
meet with the Premier's approval To-day he
summarily dismissed the governors of 1aroslaV'
EstIand Perm, Tomsk Kazan and Neldyart
and the prefect of Odessa.
The extreme radical wing of the Zemstvoists,
who are afiIated with socialist organizations,
denounced the propositions of the majority to
sunport the government under any circumstances
as being the bssest treachery The leader
of the Social Democrats informed The Asso-
ciated Press that if the Premier agreed to uni
versal suffrage 1t would be a hard blow to the
,4,o,.rv orea mutations and would compei
them. when it was demonstrated thaI 'iie sup
u+ars Of democratic republic were in the
lirInTi
against the constitutional monarchical regime
the weapons which they have been using against
the autocracy.
The zemstvo Congress has received petition
asking that it declare itself in favor OF the
autonomy of the ancient kingdom OF Georgia
No action has yet been taken however elther
on this or on similar request from Folailo'
which was sustained in a brilliant speech by
Count Verublevsk
Premier Witte is being bombarded by tele-
Grams from all parts of Poland praying lor
the abolition of martial law and the granting
of autonomy The demand for the autonomy
of Poland has encouraged the Lithuanians to
make a similar demand. The Premier has re
ceived petition asking that autonomy be
granted to the provinces included in the old
territorial limits of the kingdom of Ltthuan1a.
Cbich include wilma. Grodno. Kovno, part of
Courland. and portion of suwalki which are
now comprised in the limits of Poland, but
which the netitioners wish to be taken away
from Poland and joined to Lithuania