The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-05-06
CARS EASTER GIFT
REAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CON.
UPON HIS SUBJECTS.
a Historic Event Of Highest sIOnih-
eanes-Means Millions o. Dollars IL
Taxes WIN BE Abolished to the peas
antry-Llbsrty Of ccnseisnes Has
Been Repeatedly Proclaimed.

Been Repeatedly Proclaimed.
St Petersburg. May 2.-ReaI re-
ligions freedom. conferred upon his
subjects by Emperor Nicholas as an
Easter gift is a historic event OF the
highest significance. in comparison
with which the remission Of millions
Of dollars Of taxes to the DeasantFy, a
long list OF decorations and six pages
OF promotions of bureaucratic OficIals
are hardly worth comment.
Liberty Of conscience has been re
peatediy proclaimed, and Procurator
PObedonossten an his famous reply TO
the evangelical petition Of 1888, con-
tended that II existed in the empire.
The fact is that as a trysting place all
religions have been tolerated In Rus
STA. but none has been allowed 70 tres
pass upon the orthodox faith as
enunciated from the mosque that faces
the church on the Neysky In ST.
Petersburg. People were free 10 re-
main true TO the religion Of their faith
ers. but were forbidden to make prose
lytes. Everybody might enter. but
more might leave the orthodox church
without FORGETTING all civil rights in
Guiding the right to inherit crown
property. and in the train Of that pol
Icy. prosecutions Of every conceivable
character were directed against the
Rasholniki or decedent sects. and es-
peciaily the old believers. Among the
Raskolniki are numbered a thousand
and one queer and rustic heresies bred
Of the great schism caused by reform
Of the ancient liturgy and augmented
by the suppression Of the patriarchate
by Peter the Great.
The old believers. who chung 20 the
old liturgy and made the sign Of the
cross with three fingers instead Of
two. were broken up into numerous
sects. some discanding priests and sac
raments and some trending toward
free love and immoral practices, while
others instituted an episcopate and
priesthood Of their own and dealt with
all innovations OF the west as inven-
tons Of the nti-Christians. eschewing
the coffee and sugar and considering
shaving wicked. The latter survived
countless prosecutions for years with
cut legal recognition. but nevertheless
became commercially the ahlest class
ia Russia Morality and wealth were
The secrets OF their strength.
The humber dissenters have had a
much harder time, being hunted down
until secretly they gave rise TO a horde
OF strange sects. The Studists and
Molkans OF southern Russia: now the
principal nonconformists. who might
be described as the Quakers OF Russia.
have made tremendous progress in re-
cent years in spite OF prosecutions
which often have driven them east
ward and made them pioneers Of Rus
sian colonization. There are in all
About Il. 200 600 OF these dissidents.
The emperor's act will also affect
about 10000. O0o belonging TO alien
faiths, such as the Jews. Catholics and
Lutherans Of Poland and the Baltic
provinces. the protestants Of Finland
and the followers Of Islam and Buddha
In the Urals. the Crimea, the eau
casus. Turkestan and Central Asia
These figures are only approximate.
While the emperor's approval Of the
action OF the committee OF the minis
tiers distinctly holds to orthodox as
the state religion and creates the
usual commission to work out many
details in connection with the or
spring Of mixed marriages during mi.
nority. legitimization OF marriages and
registration Of deaths and births, Il
also rescinds a number OF acts aimed
specially at various religions and es-
tablishes the principle OF absolute free
dom OF worship and the right Of every
Russian who becomes Of age to
change his confession Of his faith. II
also contemplates relief Of Catholic
and Poles from the present vexatious
restrictions as TO preaching the cate
chism. the Russian language, etc.
Logically, the emperor's action In.
wolves a complete reversal Of the Rus
sian policy OF seeking national unity
in conquered provinces in religious
unity.
Easter Sunday, which Is the occas-
sion in Russia OF a general inter
change Of visits. both official and per.
sonal, and OF generous hospitality.
passed OF with entire quiet in st.
Petersburg. and no disturbances In the
provinces have been reported.
Japan's Advantage.