Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1905-11-13
A THORNY
PATH TO
FREEDOM
Russia Determined on a
Baptism in Blood.
MODERATES ALLOW ANARCHISTS
FULL PLAY OF PASSIONS
Failure Of Reform Elements TO Uphold
Count Witte Encourages AgitatOrs
and Party Of ViOIeace TO End
AutOcracy by Murder.

st. Petersburg Nov. 12-With each
days developments it becomes more
apparent that Russian reforms have
learned little of theNlessons of history
and that Russia is destined, like other
countries before her to travel a tn or
ny pata to freedom. She seems deter
mined to pay the heaviest price for her
/)litical education. This perhaps IS
not strange considering that all the
Intelligent classes are engaged In a re-
volt against the old order of things.
the modera fists for the moment clasp
ing hands with the Observation-Disclosures
TO accomplish the downfall of the au-
tocracy. The result is that all the re-
form elements are distruStful of the
government and take pride in holding
aloof as If everybody connected with
the government was contaminated,
and there is no solid conservat tlsm ele-
ment to act as a brake upon those
who shrink from no political expert
menis. no matter how reckless.
The various groups into which the
liberals are splitting and even those
who advocate the very Constitutional
ism into which Count Witte is seeking
to conduct the government seemingly
anarchy than lift finger to aid him
The leaders display anything but dis
interested patriotism having political
ambitions. and being convinced that
the present Is only a stop-gap govern
ment until the dOuma meets. They
prefSr to no5jeopardiZe their own flu
ture by taking office in a government
marked for sacrifice, yet they appre-
ciate. as does Count Witte, that the old
faction Which ruled so long at court
would s1ike to renew the struggle for
reaction. unhorse the new premier and
jettison the whole reform program.
They admit that Count Witte Is the
only man in the present stage of tran
sltion capable of coping with the court
camarila; nevertheless they refuse to
assist him to get firm seat in the SAT-
die.
No Danger of Reaction.
The danger of reaction is hardly
worth serious consideration, however.
even the discounted advocates of the
old regime realize that The emperor's
step Is irrevocable. that n could not
Withdraw II he would and that any
attempt simply to place him in the at
tltide of a usurper of the peoples lib
critics would precipitate an immediate"
crash in which he would be sure to
lose the throne. Nevertheless. the
failure of the reform elements TO
break with the social democrats and
cooperate WITH count Wltte may
prove disastrous and encourage the
extreme agitators when would be api
10 provoke continuance OF clashes ana
excesses ana IN the ehd torce the gov
ernment to resort TO extreme meas
{t.f ts.1 n
ures, which, being interpreted as
return to a policy OF repression migh'
precipitate uprisings.
Fortunately something IKE reallza-
lion of these dangers Is coming nom"
io'a small but growing class OF lbef-
ais For instaWe Prince Eugene
Troubetskoy. who declined to accept
the portfolio OF minister or educatloi'
because The parry TO which ne Is az
filiated is committed to constituent
assembly, In an open letter to the
public advises the people to sui
port the government in It's efforts To
restore tranquility, and Dimitri Shl-
por and NJ. Gutchoh who also de-
clined portfolios, have returned To
Moscow with the intention OF organ
izlng a distinct party OF moderates 70
aid Count Wltte,
The influential Slovo has become the
organ of The party of order. ana
even the Russ, while endorsing the ac-
.tlon OF the zemstvoists in refusing Of
fees, thinks they could with proprietN
select a committee to act In the ad-
visory capacity With the government
The spread of the Agraran disord-
ers In Saratoif is new and threaten
ing phase OF the situation, emphasiz-
ing the necessity of quieting the eoun-
try II is significant in connection
with the fear OF mutiny among the
troops that the council for national de-
fense has taken occasion to issue q
public statement to the effect tina,
army reftrms for the betterment OF
the condition Of the men, including
Improvement Of food and clothing and
Increase of pay. are under considera
lion.
The retirement OF Count Lamsdorn
mipster OF foreign affairs, when the
douma meets again is certain, but he
may continue In office till then. lie
Is fitted neither by temperament nol