The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-02-03
CAUSES LEADING
Ito THE REVOLT
For Forty Years Russia Has
Been Drifting Toward the
Present Situation.
zEMsTvos' CONVENTION
Gathering a Few Weeks Ago star.ee
the Movement Which Led lnme-
diteIy to the RED Riots Now
Prevailing in the Land.

n in Russia. which has grown b
leaps and bounds within the last tire
months. until it is strong enough t
enlist 100000 w-orkingmen in its be
half In the city of s.. Petersburg alone
Is not a modern development in tn
cars empire.
From h a day, February l3, 1850, OF
which Gar Alexander IL. in an m
perial rescript. protested against th,
political doctrine of the sovereignty o
peoples. the demaad for a freer gov
eminent, for equal rights. for freedom
Of press, speech and conscience. for tn,
equality of the people, has grown With
out ceasing.
Alexander II. recognized the demane
of his people for more liberty by de
creeing on March 8. 1861. the tota
emancipation of $4,000, 0o0 serfs
throughout the empire.
First Appeal in 1851.
In November of the same year the
mobiles themselves signed a petition
asking for a political constitution
Alexander II. ~disregarded 1T and be
gan n system of reactionary measures
intended to suppress the growth of the
sentiment for popular government,
Again, on january %. 1865, the mobiles
requested the czar to establish a con
to establish a parliament with two
houses of representatives. Again Allen
ander III. declined.
In March. 1866. tho mobiles held their
first national assembly to demand an
extension of political rights. Although
they failed of their general purpose,
they received a notable concession for
the Russian ~people-the right of trial
by jury.
In 1870 began the strident agitation
for popular government. In january
of that year u widespread socialist con-
spiracy among the students of the
Russian universities was discovered.
Its leader was Sergius Netsch. Hun
dreds of arrests followed and many of
the students We're imprisoned or eXiled
to Siberia.
Nihilist Terror Begins.
The student conspiracy was followed
by the Nihilist movement. In the lat
ter part of 1871, Immediately after the
Paris commune. the Society of the
Dolguscinzi' vas formed at Moscow,
and in 1872 the important Society of
the Craikovzi' was organized at St.
Petersburg. with branches at Moscow,
kteff. Odessa, Orel. Taganvog, and
other Russian cities.
Both these societies had for their
purpose the revolutionary propaganda
the workmen and peasants.
For five years these Nihilist socie-
ties prosecuted their work among the
and peasants, making little
progress. They finally abandoned the
effort and again turned their attention
to the students.
In 1877 the Nihilists had become so
menacing that a general attack was
made upon them by the ernme
Four hundred and ninety three per-
men n women accused of be-
longing to the Nihilist conspiracy. We're
placed on trial at one time, beginning
on October 81, 1877. The trial ended
on February 8, 1873. One hundred aud
sixty We're sentenced to prison at hard
labor. ninety were acquitted and the
rest eXiled.
Assassins Take Up the Work.
Then began the reign of terror. Vera
Cor Sassulitch) naugurated
1t by attempting the assassination of
General Trepoff. then. as now, the
chief of the Russian secret police. Her
scheme was followed by the rapid
spread of the revolutionary propaganda
at kieff. Moscow, and other large
cities. Nihilist trials We're in constant
August 16. 1868, General de Mesent-
zoff, chief of the st. Petersburg police.
assassinated in the streets in
broad daylight. Military law the SUI
perseded civil trials
December II, 1873, the students pre-
sented a petition to the czarevitch (aft-
erwards Alexander ILL.,. complaining
OF grievances. Instead of granting
them redress the authorities attacked
the students with Cossacks. The stu
dents replied with an appeal to the
people.
February %. 1870, Prince Demetrius
governor of Kharkoff, was
assassinated. March 25. 1879, an at
tempt was made to assassinate Cen
eral- Drentelen. chief of the st. Peters,
burg police.
Under Rule of Martial Law.
On April II. 1879, Alexander III. issued
ulSase establishing martial law in the
provinces of st. Petersburg. Moscow.
KEN, Odessa and Warsaw. Arrests.
trials. convictions and executions of
We're of almost daily occur
rence.
On December 1. 1879, began the series
If attempts to assassinate Alexander.
II. On that date the imperial train
was undermined and an explosion of
dynamite wrecked the baggage car No
was hurt.
Three days later a revolutionary man
festo vas spread broadcast over I.u-
'opean Russia iustifying the attempt
1t h assassination of the car.
On December II g plot to blow Nh
he winter palace was discovered and
frustrated.
On February Ii. 1850, another plot ia
blow up the winter palace succeeded.
An explosion of dynamite and gun cot
on in the suardroom under the dining
DOM of the car killed eleven soldiers
wounded 1orty-seven. The car
escaped.
A panic in circles fol-
owed. General Loris Melikoff was ap-
pointed president OF a supreme ey-
commission and given almost
ictatorial powers to suppress tho peo-
lies demands for freedom and a voice
n the government.
No mar ever tried more faithfully
o serve the cZar and the people than
i'd General Loris Melikoff. He TOLD
czar. Alexander H.. plainly that
he peoples demands must be heard.
Encouraged by Alexander III. Gem
raj Meiikoff drew up Il program of re-
orms. He urged the czar to call a
institutional convention. Th ear
greed.
General Melikoff's plan die not re-
the autocratic power of the
Ear. 1t merely provided for a general
ommission, to be constituted as fol-
First. the thirty-two provinces We're
} elect one or two representatives
in proportion Il their population.