Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-10-31
REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA.
Empire of the Gar About to Become
a Universal Slaughter House.

d
to wipe out every vestige Of the pres
ent government, and end, no man can
tell where. The crisis has been immi- :
nent since shortly after the outbreak
of the war with Japan, and has been
expected to develop at any hour since
the recent establishment Of peace.
The trouble is inherent and funda-
mental. Russia Is the most absolute
and. despotic government on the face
of the earth. .che empire includes
more different kinds Of people who are
more widely separated by both longi-
tude and latitude, and having more
different kinds Of religion. The gov
ernment Of such a people In accord
ance with any representative system
Is manifestly impossible, and that such
a government as is necessary should
be satisfactory to people who are really
fit to enjoy liberty Is abserd.
The origin of the present unrest Is
in Russia proper. Poland and Finland
have ever stood ready to join any
movement looking to the embarrass-
ment of Russia, and there are hundreds
of different political and religious In
terests working to the common end OF
a successful revolution.
There has never been any real OBJ
lection to Emperor Nicholas, except
that he Is believed to be too weak.
The opposition everywhere has been
to the grand dukes, his uncles and
cousins. They have sought to govern
without regard to the interest or con-
Germ Of the people. They have given
privileges and concessions right and
left to cliques and factions, and ground
the masses under the heel Of oppres-
sion. Complaints Of whatever nature
l. rutf n
ishment, Imprisonment and BAN
ishment, until now the people, will be
satisfied with nothing short Of an en-
tire new order of things.
At a loss as to which way to turn,
the czar recently brought himself to
the point of commissioning M. Witte
20 organize a government. M. Witte
signified his acceptance of the commits
sion only on condition that he should
have the power Of naming as members
of his cabinet whomsoever he might
deem proper, and that the members OF
the cabinet should report direct to
him; that under no circumstances
should anybody go to the czar over
his head. The czar is understood to
have consented to this arrangement,
and the information Is that M. Witte
has been trying to organize a cabinet
from the various parties with view
to trying to harmonic them. He has
not been successful.
M. Witte is said to stand for freedom
Of the press, freedom Of assemblage.
freedom of person, and freedom OF
suffrage, to all of which things the
grand ducal party has been steadfastly
opposed.
The present crisis has been brought
about by a strike extending through
out the empire. All the railroads have
been tied up for weeks, no newspapers
are being printed and the manufactur-
ing establishments are at a stands:Nl.
st. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa and
other large cities are full of troops.
provisions have reached prohibitive
prices and starvation Is threatened.
Gables of yesterday told Of rioing
and bloodshed at Odessa, Moscow and
Tifiis: but as yet the outbreak Is be-
ing held in more or less restraint. A
dispatch of Sunday from st. Peters,
burg summarizes the situation In part
as follows:
Most interesting by far, however, is
the news from Moscow, the real Rus
sian capital, where, according to pri-
vate reports, the municipal council and
the committee Of public safety are sit
ting continuously, and where a strug-
gle Is momen:arily expected between
the League of Russian Patriots" a
reactionary organization led by the
priests, and the newly organized mill
tia and students. The Moscow NUM-
cipal council is also reported to have
sent an ultimatum to the emperor de-
manding the promulgation Of q con-
Stitution.
Although 1t is impossible officially to
confirm these reports, they seem to ad-
NIT of no doubt that the anti-govern-
ment forces have the upper hand.
The government Is no longer in COM
munication with the forces In the far
east except by cable to China.
The situation cannot we'll be exag-
gerated. With the present indecision
of the emperor the government has
neither a head nor a policy to meet the
crisis and things seem to be drifting
openly declare that the government
has ceased to exist and that nothing
remains to his majesty except to alb
dicate. With a firm hand at the helm
and a rational policy, however, all
might quickly be changed.
The strikers apparently are with
out funds and must soon be exhausted
as was made evident by the action of
the strike committee here practically
being forced to hold up the city for
food.
Representatives Of the Associated
Press drove through all sections Of the
city today. Troops were everywhere
in evidence as II to overawe the peo-
pie but although there were many ru-
mors of bloody collisions. none of them
could be authenticated. There were
great crowds of workmen in the indus
trial quarters but their behaviour
was orderly.
All the military reserves are kept
closely in barracks under arms and at
the Horse Guard barracks, back of Gen.
Trepoff's chancellory, the horses are
kept constantly saddled, ready to
emerge at moments notice.
The Russian capital Is like city in
the possession of foreign army. To-
night again the soldiers are bivouacing
in the darkened and otherwise deserted
streets. The Nevsky Prospect alone
is flooded by the glare Of the great
searchlight fixed on the spire Of the
admiralty building.
The streets are dark and deserted
by all save the patrols.
Many meetings were held tonight In
various quarters Of the city at which
the workmen, encouraged by the sue
cess of the movement, were jubilant.
The better classes as rule, are keep
ing closely to their houses
The government and the liberals are
at a loss to know whose Is the con-
triving brain behind the great strike.
The directing hand Is invisible though
its workings are plainly evident. 1t Is
thought the strike may have been d.
rected from Switzerland or Germany,
and executed here through the Social
Democratic organization In which rep
resentatives Of the workmen and the
students are equally active. The or
ganization Is able to sway the great
student body through its student
members and everywhere today the
students were seen mingling with the
workmen and taking an active part In
their movement.
AMERICANS IN RUssIA.-The condi-
ton of affairs in Russia formed the
basis of a dispatch received at the
state department Sunday from Spen-
Ger Eddy, the American charge at st.
Petersburg, who said the situation was
very alarming. The dispatch was the
subject of a long conference between
Secre: ary Root, who returned to the
city from New York early in the even
ing and Mr.. Bacon, the first assistant
SC crets ry, who has been acting as the
head of the state department during
1tv or YQ6