The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-01-28
RIOT and BLOODSHED IN
ST. PETERSBURG.
Hundreds of Insurrectioners
Shot Down in the Streets.
Uneasy Is the Head That Wears Crown.

Uneasy Is the Head That Wears Crown.
For months past there have been evidences
| of great unrest among mechanics and Iaborers
throughout Russia. and on January 20 a peti
ton was sent to the Gar signed by thousands
of men asking relief from their condition OF
slavery. Friday nights dispatches gave the
| following particulars:
THE PETITION
''Sire We, workmen, inhabitants of ST.
| Petersburg of all classes, our wives. children
| and indignant parents, come TO you, our SOW
! erign, asking for protection. We are poor,
| prosecuted, burdened with labor beyond our
| strength. We are inSulted, treated not as men
| but as slaves, who ought to bear their cruel
| fate in silence. We have suffered, but we are
being plunged deeper in the mire and deprived
| of our rights.
'.Uninstructed, stifed BY destituton and in
! Justice, we are perishing. We have no strength
! left. Sire, we have arrived at the extreme
! limits of endurance; we have reached the ter
ribe moment when death is to be preferred
| to a continuation of our intoerable sufferingS.
| We have left our work aud informed our EN-
| ployers that we will not resume until our de-
mandS are conceded. We have not asked
much; we have asked but for means Of hvli,
| hood, without which life is a burden and labor
! continual torture.
''Our first request is that our masters should
| investigate our case. They have refused.
! We have been denied the right to put forward
our claim, 1t being held that such right is not
recognized by law
! Turing COUNTRY TO DOWNFALL.
| After referring TO the eighth day de-
mand and other points in their case the pc
! titiOners continue
| ANY of us who dared raise his voice in the
/ interests of the people Of the working classes
/ has been thrown into prison or transported
| Kindness and good feeling have been treated
as crime. The bureaucracy has brought the
| country to the verge OF ruin by shameful
way. 1t Is Turing the country to its downfall.
I'VE have no voice in the heavy burdens
1 imposed; we do not know for whom or why
this money Is wrung from an impoverished
! people and We do no, know how it Is ex.
! pended This state of things, contrary 20
divine laws, renders life impossible. Il we're
better that We should ala perish, we workers
and an Russia. Then good luck 10 capitalists
aud eXploiierS aul poor, corrupt officials, rob
bers OF the Russian people
Assembled before thy place. we plead
Cur salvation. Refuse not aid aud raise
thy people from their tomb. Njve them means
81 worsiug ont their own destiny. Rescue
them from intoerable oticaIdom. Throw
order that they may rule the COUNTRY with thee
Create for Thy people the happiness Wrenched
from Us, leaving us nothing but sorroW and
humiliation.
IET rs ALL rs FEEE
I'VE pray your Majesty graci0usly 70 re
ceive our demands, which are Inspired hy q
desire for your Majesty and our welfare and
the consciousness Of the necessity ct escape
from an iutolerlble situation. Russia Is TOO
great and her needs are too varied aud uumer.
ous for officials only to rule
National representation j. indispensable.
as ouly the people themselves know the
country real needs. Refuse not thy ard but
order q couvocatioB OF representatives Of all
classes, including workmen Let al be free
and equal ia the elections, and TO tins end
permit the election Of constituent assembly
by general secret ballot That = our chief
demand. in which all else ceulers. /, Is the
sole baln for our wounds. which viii other.
wise speedily bring Us death.
"A single measure, however, viii mo- heal
al our wounds. Therefore. We acqullnt sou
frankly aud openly on behalf Of the whole oi
the Russian working classes, a. To a father,
wi3h our further demands
READY 10 Dis. THEY SAY.
After making these demands The petition
concludes as follows
These, Sire. are our principal needs. salts
faciioa whereof can tree Russ,a from slavery
sud misery, make her prosperoa, and enable
zorkmen 20 organize ia defense Of their la
terests against their capitals, exploitation aud
Official robbery which are sitting The people.
Order and swear they shall be satisfied and
Won will make Russia happy and g3aunns aud
iuscrbe your namr forever "a the hearts 1i our
people and their posJeEiy, while shea.d you
rerulse and reject our prayer Ne wi.i de 10
this square before your palace.
We have nowhere else 10 90. Only two
paths are open 20 Us. either toward liberty
and happiness or 10 the grave. Should oar
hives serve AS a holocaust Tor suffering Russia
W. shall not regret the sacrifice, bur sbai! bear
il willingly.
rRoors ARE CALLED ON
A detachment Of the Moscow Regiment vas
called out 10 the afternoon owing 10 tbs threat
euing attitude OF 500 strikers al ShApchals
tobacco factory The employees ofthe factory
decided TO join in The strike, but the military
did not intervene and returned to their bar.
racks. The factory vas closed.
The strikers are freely making threats Of
violence. The police do not interfere, but ia
any case they would not De capable Of con
trolling the agitation 10 the proportions II has Z
now attained Troops are held ia readiness
for emergencies. The strikers are pArading I
the city and closing shops
More than a hundred thousand persons are I
now out.
Reports from the Interior are 10 the effect 4
that efforts are being made to induce work 4
men in other cities 10 join and make the /
strike general throughout Russia,
HARANGUED BY Priest.
The strike priest, Father Gopon. is going I
from assemblage 10 assemblage addressing /
the workmen. The managers OF the big con I
Germs here have formally decided 10 refuse 20 I
treat with any persons except their own work
men, bat they are ready to adjust all the 4
points in dispute except the eight hour day.
which they say is a matter for the Government I
10 decide, legal wovkdAy IN Russia IS Il f
hours. The employers are willing TO allow 4
committees OF woTkmen 70 fix the price Of 4
piecework and the payment Of the men while [
striking
NAY PLUNGE CITY INTO Darkness
The printing establishments are closing and 4
the newspapers may be forced 10 suspend 4
publication. The greatest danger is shut
down of the electric light plant, which would 4
throw the city into darkness, when reign Of 4
terror might ensue.
Practically all the small establishments in
81. Petersburg are already closed ia response ,
to the demands of the strikers. The latest /
establishments closed include the Alexau.
drovsky Machine Works. 1000 men; the
Steiglitz Thornton Cotton Spinning Factory. I
300 hands; the State Distillery, the Keller
aud Beckman DistilIeries, the Russo Amer
can Rubber Factory. the Yukoff Soap Works,
the New Cotton Spinning Factory, the State
PLAYING Gard Factory, the Nargouine Paper
Mills. the Atlas Machine Works. Wolf
Max's Printing Works, the Imperial Glass
Works and many smaller establishments, each
employing from 10 to $50 men.
The petition was not acted upon by the
Ministers of State, nor would they allow the
Gar 10 hear verbal appeal from Father
Gopou.
Wednesday nights dispatches say: The
Gar has inspired proclamation by General
Trepoff, Governor General of ST. Petersburg,
and Minister Of Finance KokOvseff, Offering
some hope to the strikers. In this proclama
ton, which was issued tonight. it is set forth
that the Gar has instructed the Ministry of
Finance to draft law lessening the hours Of
labor and to elaborate ''such other measures
as will legalize workmen's discussions of their
needs" The order for formulating state
system Of workmen's insurance, previously
Id A 1VrT I