Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-16
SUFFRAGE AGITATION IN RUSSIA
Mobiles Working Upon Cars Fears to
Prevent Action.

In spite of Emperor Nicholas personal in
cl1nat1on in favor of the Zemsky sober, as
intimated to Count Leo Deonovitch Tolstoi,
the imperial decision to summon this par
lament has not yet been taken at st. Pc
tersburg The emperor is carefully weigh
ing arguments for and against the plan be-
fore committing himself to this course. This
statement is made upon the authority of
perhaps the most liberal of the emperor's
ministers, who very recently stated that
the question remains under consideration at
Tsarskoe-Selo.
Il myself have frankly urged upon his
majesty" the minister said. 1.-The view that
the time has come when the people should
no longer be denied voice in the govern
ment and the same counsel has been given
by many others who, like me, believe that
the moderate liberal element which has
been drifting away can thus be rallied to
the support of the government. His majes-
ty received our views Sympathetically, and
believe is personally inclined to adopt
the course we suggest. He now is carefclly
celebrating upon the subject. 1t is no Sc
cret, however, that powerful influences
trary view, and advancing strong argu-
ments which cannot lightly be thrust aside,
even if the decision is finally favorable
1t Is understood that one of the argu-
ments used by the court party at st. Pc
tersburg against the revival of the zemsky
sober is the fact that the body is the old
days welded immense power, being itself
responsible for the elevation of the Roman
off dynasty to the throne. and that there
fore, it might even undertake, If again
called into being, to elect new ruler. Cen
orally speaking, the position of the oppo-
sition of the zemsky sober is well voiced
eGitorially i'll yesterdays Moscow Gazette,
the leading exponent of the absolute
tocracy of Russia
The article draws parallel between the
present political situation and the nihillistic
terrorism which almost wrung a constitu-
ton from Alexander II, and after his
sassinatiOn confronted Alexander III with
choice of alternative, and continues:
But Alexander understood that the first
condition for the welfare of Russia was the
restoration of order. The government, and
not the people; the emperor, and not the
ZemSky sober then rescued Russia from
revolution. What was true then is true
now; the emperor must again save Russia.
Suppose the government were turned
over to such men as composed the ZemStvo
congress, who met without the consent of
the ruler, adopted resolutions and otherwise
instigated the people to open revolt. If
real power We're lodged in their hands the
result would be prompt defiance of the
ruler and an open quarrel resulting either
in terrible civil war or the dethronement
of the autocracy by revolution.
Those who imagine that such dangers
can be avoided by restricting representation
to privileged classes need only remem-
Der France and 11S9 when the third estate
irgulfed the other two estates executing
the king So in Russia a Zemsky sober of
the privileged Zemstvo class would be only
a stepping stone to universal representa-
tion which would be bound to destroy the
rule of the autocracy and the Russian
state"