The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-05
TELEGRAPH HERS ARE
 AS STERN AS EVER
City is Quiet But Tension is
 Extreme
WITTE CALLS ZEMSTVOlSTS
Refuses to Yield Direct Suffrage to the Country Dstricts-St. Petersburg Streets Thronged With
 People.

St. Petersburg, Sunday, December 2, 9 D. m., via Eydtkuhei.en. East Piufaia. December 1.-The city remains quiet but extreme tension prevails. Armed patrols of cavalry and infantry are in the streets, , especially in the neighborhood of the tele- grap office. The telegraph and postal tie- up remains complete. Soldiers and em- ployes of other departments are being used to deliver portions of the vast ac- emulation of mail.
 | The telegraph operators met yesterday 8 threat to discharge them today unless they returned to work by resolving to prosecute the strike until their demands are satisfied.
 | The Leagues of Leagues which is issu- ing decrees like a veritabe provisional government has openly defied the pre- fleets warnings to walking delegates and | agitators that any attempt to persuade employees to leave their work, would lead to their arrest and the imposition of q fine of $250, and is issuing a counter proclamation warning not only the Rus sian but the Finnish operators to work at their peril.
 NuInOTltlcS Are COnTlQenLs The authorities express confidence that the strike will be broken in a few days, but the basis of their optimism is not stated. The immolation of Interior Min ister Durnovo seems to offer a way of retreat for this government. This in- wolves another surrender before the yic- torious proletriat.
 Count Witte is now convinced that the Emperor by acceding to the demand for universal suffrage may still find a com mon ground on which the government and the moderates and the extreme ele- ments can stand If this fails to stay the headlong march of events, the procama- ton of readymade constitution might be tried as the last card. Then nothing would remain except the proclamation of a dictatorship.
 Competent judges of the situation believe that a dictatorship while it might re- strain the rising flood temporarily, would only increase the dimensions of the cata- clysm, and when the dam goes, sweep the government and dynasty away to com mon ruin.
 Witte Invites Delegations.
 In order to convince the zemstvoists that the government Is honestly trying to meet the wishes of the moderate and sub- stantial clements Count Witte has in- vited not only a deputation of the Mos COW congress. Nm. Petrunkevitch, Koko- shkine and Mouromsteff, but a number of other zemstvoists. Prince Troubteskoy, Dmitri Shipoff M. Guchkoff, M Kuzmin- kara and M. Vieff to participate in the sessions of the cabinet on the election law, which were continued last night and today. Count Witte appealed to the pat riotism of the zemstovists, saying it was their duty not to infame the situation, but to cooperate in saving the country from complete anarchy.
 A decision was reached to grant prac- tically universal, secret and equal suf- frage to males 25 years of age on the basis of one representative for each 25,O00 of the population. but Count Witte re- fused to yield direct suffrage to the country districts, where there will be q double set of electors. Unless the ex- tremists are willing to accept this solu- ton, the support of the moderates will not greatly improve the situation. as the latter in the present crisis are al- most a negligible quantity. Perhaps it is too much to hope that the social revo- 1utionary leaders, drunk with the success achieved can be induced to cease their efforts which are now entirely directed to winning over the army.
 The threatened strike of the police and houseporters today did not materialize.