Evening journal., 1905-02-02
GAR IS WILLING
TO AID WORKMEN
Says He Forgives Them and
Will Investigate Griev-
ances
RECEIVED BY RuSSIA'S RULER

OI IEIOISDuIkt FtNs & q o0AuA
assurances Of his intention to amel- |
iorate the conditions and remove the
causes. in so far as they are eco
nomic which led TO the recent strike. !
we're delivered by Emperor Nicholas |
Yesterday to worlingmen representing !
all the leading factories Of St. Peters |
burg, who at his invitation journeyeo
to Tsarskoe-Selo and we're received |
in audience in the hall OF the Alexan-
der palace, where he has bis winter
residence.
This interview face 70 face with
their little father" in whom their
faith has not been shaken by the
events of the bloody Sunday OF Jan
uary %. has had a far greater and
more reassuring effect than any num-
Der Of proclamations by ministers and
governor generals, and the workmen
of st. Petersburg are now generally
| inclined to accept the promises of
! Governor General TrepOffff and Fl
nance Minister Kokoson at their face
value. The gift Of the imperial fam
| lily OF S25,0 900 to aid the families Of
/ the victims Of the conflict on January
% also has had an excellent effect,
and as the news slowly permeates
the laboring classes OF Russia 1t is
expected that it will make them con-
tent TO wait for the promised re
forms.
Like a wave caused by the falling
OF a stone, the strike movement. how
ever, is spreading over the great sea
OF Russian industrial life; and while
St Petersburg and Moscow. where
the trouble began. are now placid, the
workmen of Poland and other prov
inces are not yet calm, and the ripple
has reached to far-off Irkutsk and
other Siberian towns.
Emperor Nicholas adopted the ira
ditional fatherly tone in his talk with
II the workmen yesterday. He chided
them for allowing themselves to be
misIed into engaging in a movement
imperiling the internal order Of Rus
sia and aiding the foreign foe. and for
attempting to demand by force what
: he otherwise would be willing TO do
voluntarily. The workmen received
/ the royal assurances Of reform with
cheers, and after a lunch at the i'm
perial table returned to st. Peters
burg in the best Of humor TO report TO
their fellows. as enjoined, the words
of his majesty. No attempt was made
by them to present their desires,
which already are sufficiently evident
On arriving at the palace work
men were admitted to one Of the halls.
The emperor entered the hall accom-
panied by Grand Duke George Mix
= hailovitch. General Hesse, the minis
e ter tof the imperial court and the COM
= mandant of the palace. The work
men bowed deeply to the emperor,
who said; "Good-day. my children. "
The workmen replied: 1--WE wish
your majesty good health"
The emperor then said: q have
D summoned you in order that you may
hear my words from myself and com
municate them to your companions.
The recent lamentable events with
such sad but inevitable results have
= occurred because you allowed your
p selves to be led astray by traitors
and enemies TO our country. When
they induced you to address a petit
ton TO me on your needs they de-
y sired to see you revolt against me
. and my government They forced you
. to leave your honest work at period
when all Russian workmen should be
laboring increasingly in order that we
might vanquish our obstinate enemy.
Strikes and disgraceful demonstrations
: led the crowds to disorders which
Obliged and always will oblige the au-
I thorities TO call out troops. AS a re-
. suit innocent people we're victims.
d know that the lot of the workmen
b is not easy. Many things require i'm
. provement, but have patience. You
will understand that II is necessary
q TO be just towards your employers
!. and to consider the condition of our
industries. But to come TO me as a
n rebellious mob in order to declare
! your wants is a crime. In my solici
tude for the working classes l will
' take measures which will assure thai
everything possible will be done tc
improve their lot and secure an in
II vestigation of their demands through
! legal channels. am convinced oi
i the honesty Of the workmen and theil
d devotion to myself, and / pardon theil
$ transgression. Return to your wori
= with your comrades and carry out the
S tasks allotted to you. May God assist
you"
! At the conclusion OF his speech tht
: emperor told the members of the dep
:. utation to communicate his words tc
4 their comrades, and said be would
= supply them with printed copies o
j. his address.
e After leaving the palace the depu
-, tation proceeded to a neighborinl
u church, where they prayed, and, aftel
: kissing Ikons, placed lighted candles
= before the shrines. Subsequently the,
were given dinner in a building which
formerly was the high school of Tsar
koe-Selo.
y FOUGHT IN BITTER COLD