The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-04
CAR NICHOLAS
ISSUES RESCRIPT
People to Have a Voice in the Gov
eminent.
MIDDLE COURSE is TAKEN
roo SOON TO TALK OF AN AS
SEMBLY.


few members of the court, and with the
empress at his side. Emperor Nicholas
this afternoon affixed his signature to
a rescript containing his majesty's de-
cree to give elected representatives OF
the people an opportunity to express
their views in the preparation of the
laws of the empire
This is the autocracy's final response |
TO the agitation in favor of participa- !
ton by the people in government. !
which has brought Russia in the last
few months almost to the brink of rev. /
OIutiOn- No condition in the regime Of
autocracy is involved for the present. |
and it means neither d constitution nor /
a national assembly.
AT the same time it recognizes the /
principle of the peoples right To he /
heard regarding laws under which they !
must live. Whatever the result may 4
be. the document is sure to mark an /
epoch in Russian history as important /
as the signing Of the emancipation J
manifesto, the twenty-fOurth anniver- ,
sary Of which it was intended to sig |
nalize.
The signing Of the document came at
the end OF a dramatic scene, the climax
of which was an impassioned speech by
Emperor Nicholas to his ministers, in
which he declared that he sought only
the welfare of his subjects.
4 am wiling" the emperor said, ''tO
shed my blood for the good of my peo-
pie"
From the lips Of a high parsonage
who was present when the rescript was
signed, the Associated Press is able
10 give the following authoritative
statement:
The action Of the emperor today is
not a step toward representation, but
the actual grant to the people Of the
means whereby their duly elected rep
Tesentatives can place before his ma
jeSty their views of every important
measure affecting them. and recon-
lnended by the counsel of the empire.
Moreover, If one reads the rescript
carefully. one win see that il contains
q distinct promise of something I'm the
future It's small beginning Will not
involve the surrender Of the principle
of autocracy now, but what it may
evolve in the future only the future can
determine.
We do not expect that it will meet
the wishes of radicals and extremists
OF any class; nothing would satisfy
them but the complete overthrow Of the
z existing regime. We do hope, however
that after mature elaboration it will
meet with the approval Of moderate
men who are sincere weII-wishers of
the country.
People Not Prepared.
The emperor has been much maligned
and misunderstood abroad. Nobody ap-
preciates the trials and suffering he has
endured the last few months He has
been represented as indifferent TO the
conditions of his people Nothing could
be further from the truth. Not only the
welfare of the people, but the greatness
OF Russia, is his sole care. For him the
two are indissolubly linked For this
reason he refuses to surrender the auto
crduc power IN FAVOR OF a constitutional
regime. Why2 Because he is convinced
as he virtually says in so many words in
the rescript, that the people are not pre-
pared for popular government. The
heterogeneous elements of the population
Poles Firms, Tartars. Armenians Mon
gols and other races-are only held to-
Eethcr by the autOcracy, whose end would
mean the fall of Russia as great state
But the emperor recognizes the strength
OF the cutlery against the bureaucracy
as manifested by addresses and memo
Tlals voted by all classes of society, and
has yielded TO their demand. The peoples
representatives can make known directly
to him their views concerning every law
which the council of the empire pro-
uSses-
,YI"The manifesto and the rescrlpt must
De read together To Americans the for
mer doubtless will appear as a strange
medieval document: but il must be re-
membered that it is the emDeror'S word
10 his people in every condition of life
scattered from the white sea to the
Black sea. and from the frontiers of Ger
many TO the Pacific. 1t will be read in
every church, in every hamlet of the
empire It is personal appeal to the
hour of trial. and should be read in that
light The rescript, on the other hand.
j. addressed TO the minister of the in
terror Under the Russian law. only no.
bles have the right to address memorials
TO his majesty in person All other classes
must communicate through the minister
Of the interior The Tescript. therefore
must be regarded as his majesty = reply
70 the vast number Of addresses adopted
10y zemstvos municipalities, educational.
commercial and professional associations.
and even eommunes'
Details to Be Worked on.
Proceeding. the parsonage above quoted
who probably himself will be one of those
entrusted with the elaboration of the re-
form scheme, explained that the details
all remained 10 be worked out, but in
general way ne revealed the important
fact that IL is not the present intention
OF the government to have Representatives
of the different classes sit together TO
deliberate on the laws, but that the rep
Teseutattves Of each class Will be cOnsti-
Tuted into permanent body, elected at
stated periods. The jurisdiction of each
body viii be limited TO the expression OF
views on the particular legislation af-
fecting such class Moreover, the sittings
OF the different classes may be held at
different times. Thus representative in
no sense will constitute assembly to
formulate or discuss laws avoiding there
BY the danger from cOnvocatiOn of
general representative assembly. which.
like the states general of France, might
take the reins in its own hands and
bly,.
The humor in which the rescript will
be received IS awaited with the keenest
anxiety. Extremists are expected to de-
nOuncc the government for steering a
middle course. yielding something IN the
form OF popular government while re-
tanning the essence of autOcracy. but the
government does not hope TO satisfy this
class. II il RIFLES the mOderates TO the
support of the government IL viii be sat
isfied.
The workmen left their meetings in St.
Petersburg this afternoon threatening to
renew "A general strike. Tonight the
streets are again full of Cossacks, and
A%very preparation and Drccaution has
Shecn taken in anticipation of possible
trouble tomorrow.
Extra editions Of the Official Messen-
ger containing tho imperial manifesto
and rescript. have been distributed in ali
the industrial quarters this evening and
the documents will be posted at every
street corner throughout the country to-
morrow.
The Associated Press Is officially in
formed that the refusal of the worImen's
uItimatum demanding the release OF their
fellows arrested since jan y and free
publication OF the proceedings of the con-
Citation commission. was because the
government realized that the forces be-
hind the workmen were political agitat-
ors The freeing of those arrested would
simply reinforce the wOrkmen. and open
meetings would be held not 70 adjust
strike differences. but to make rcVOlu-
1forfarv speeches for dissemination
sngOugh the press.