Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-16
SLAV PEASANT
REBEL At TAXES
Continued from Page One.)

thrust aside, even IL the decision is
finally favorable.
"Precipitate action is impossible, al
though the people, who are laborfng
under the stress of extreme excite
ment, seem to forget that for such
sweeping innovation time is necessary
to formulate and elaborate the scheme
for the electorate, composition and
functions of the body.
Reasons of state exist which might
make 1t inadvisable to summon such
body during the continuation of the
war, since the government Is unitedly
of the opinion that peace is impossible
now. But If the zemsky TABOR Is to be
convened at the conclusion of the war
a proclamation should be issued now.
Yet, no matter what the emperor's de-
cision may be, the manifesto on re-
forms on which the committee of min
listers is working will be productive of
great good. The misfortune Is that
all the discontended classes are for the
moment skeptical. They are using
every weapon to embarrass the gov
ernment while 1t is engrossed with the
war The situation is deplorable, but
not critical.
There may be trouble and dis
orders, even on a comparatively large
scale, though there will be no crisis
unless the discomfort extends to the
rural districts. In my opinion that is
only possible If some great catas-
trophe, such as a general failure of
crops or an epidemic of cholera, takes
place. Then, with famine to frighten
the country. coupled with political agi-
tation in the cities, no one can predict
what may happen"
1t is understood that one of the ar
guments used by the court against the
revival of the zemsky TABOR is the
fact that the body in the old days
welded immense power, being itself
responsible for the elevation of the
Romanoff dynasty to the throne. 1t
might, therefore, undertake If again
called, to elect a new ruler. Generally
speaking, the position Of the opposi-
ton of the zemsky tabor is we'll
NOiNNu NuAtOAAollS III hONoS uhOSSO"
Gazette, the leading exponent of the
absolute autocracy of Russia in which
it is prophesied that any system of
national assembly will lead to a strug-
gle between it and the emperor which
inevitably will end in the overthrow
of the autocracy. The article draws
parallel between the present politi-
cal situation and the Nihilist terror
ism, which almost wrung a constitu-
tion from Alexander II and after his
assassination confronted Alexander III
with a choice of alternatives.
The article continues: "Then, as
now, the public press loudly proclaim
ed that without a parliament or
zemsky TABOR Russia must fall. Even
government circles were so inundated
by an insignificant group of terrorists
that it came to believe that Russia
could be saved only by the zemstvoists
instead Of the sensible power OF the
autocratic sovereign.
But Alexander understood that the
first consideration for the welfare of
Russia was the restoration of order.
The government and not the people;
the emperor and not the zemsky
tabor, then rescued Russia from revo-
luton. What was true then is true
now; the emperor must again save
Russia"
Unrestricted Suffrage
M. Souvorin. editor of the Novoe
Vremya. discussing the proposed as
sembling of the zemsky tabor, quotes
the view of a high parsonage close to
the emperor as outlining the plan by
which the outlying districts would be
treated as are the colonies of the
United States, but maintaining the
principle OF unrestricted suffrage, de-
claring that the mujlk has as much
right to vote as the university gradu-
ate, and saying 1t is essential that the
proceedings be conducted In Russian.
This parsonage figures that the
zemsky tabor viii consist OF 1900 mem
bers. Upon the question as to when
the zemsky tabor will be initiated he
made no definite statement, saying the
date had not been determined uponi
| vVhethar now or at the and of the war