New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-08
RUSSIA'S STRUGGLE FOR A CONSTITUTIONS.
LENDING LIBERAL REVIEWS THE CAUSES AND RE
SUITS OF NATIONAL AGITATION.

NAL AGITATION.
CT the first revolutionaries The movement termi-
aSe9 VIII n the catastrophe Of March 1881 the
were obscure and deaf to the preachngs of social
Ism. Inc industrial prOletariat was only lust horn
and was still weak. and the revolution was throt-
Ned by the government its inception Reaction
rs III ne.a sway Even the public. frightened by
I3r {wenty-ive years all was gloomy. The reforms
TolStoy - "a
AUTOCRATIC BONDS TIGHTENED.
Meantime the industry Of the couptry developed;
economy took place. Life became more conpli-
with well defined nterest o s9 hem IS o
me basis OF these interests and grew in political
aspirations, but the forms of life were as before
pressed in the iron wise Of Bureaucratic despotism
Iroyincial and municipal sef-goVernments were al
tered till they were unrecognzable. ana their
tvity was almost completely paralyzed. The peas
antry by the introduction OF the Institution pro
y1ncial chiefs (zemsky nachalnks), was again al
most turned into a condition of serfdOm The tri-
bunaI, Just, quick, merctful and equal for ALL
was replaced almost in its entirety by trial by 'ad-
minIstratve order" Martial law took the place Of
an laws almost everywhere in the empire. The
press referred by the censor became eloquently 81
in the hands Of the government became weapon
for the strengthening of ignorance and prejudice
and the energetic protection of the clercaD and
for the political depravity Of the younger genera
ton.
The The growing public lie forces orc were making them,
riots have been almost continuous The work
mems movement also grew and strengthened. In
ana rsyoted: ReT9!utto1ary parties were reorgaI
eble material in the rapidly growing factory proe-
! tariat 1t even invaded the peasantry, where the
being compelled TO go TO the cities to earn their
bread during part of the year. Above all,
ing its members chiefly in provincial circles
START OF PRESENT MOVEMENT
The political movement which in the last few
months aroused the whole of Russian society really
| fHvp 4Rrao
me student movement which in the course of the
test AGAINST 9 5b oy open expression Of public Pro
centre OF public attention. irrevocably carried
by the Moscow students, The series Of political
whole course Of 1902 the noted Rostoff strike man
HeSauon IN the fall OF that year. the general strike
! industry OF the South Indicated the powerful de-
ssel9pm9nt Of the workmen's movement, led by the
SiPagui9e on april TO- 1902 opened the sanguinaTy
OF time the most prominent and hated leaders Of re-
In the spring of 1902 the peasant riots broke on,
| IN me Black Earth governments. Terror and agra.
~ ta aso[deGs among the peasants bear witness to
me e9Glal-Revolutionaries In 1901. February
the provincial workers engaged in aiding the "n
!afioh IN agricultural matters At this meeting was
provincial units. radical means of drawing
meeting. in which participated, besides the chosen
L5ueIs OF the zeHstvO element, the represent
OF the so-called third element" e. those intelii-
gem zeInsty9 workers whom in reality falls all
acf,vjty nr 81 4b Talng measures Of the economic
hrst step toward the closer union of ali the zestvos
direction at the kustar meeting I'm St Betereburs5
! anu at Jhe hremen's meeting in Moscow In the
ganized on the initiative and under the direct lead
ZeTospo o. CaG pI9slqent Of The Moscow government
union OF the provincials the working out Of a uni
in view the work to be done IN the 95 f96
was Gre 1ut1opizeq by the government Here
IN IN. me existing system. and here first worked
out q programme.
WORK OF REPRESSION BEGINS.
At about the same time the foreign paper "osvo-
appearance, its task being. to unite and cement
me the HtoyincIaI constitutional party. The work of
zemstYo able to express itself sufficiently fully
views upon the existing order Of things The work
Of the committees possessed great agitatory sig
to the further consolidation and organization the
! party. In the commission ION the mpoverishment
Of the Centre" In the autumn OF 1904, 10 which were
Invited The zems1yo rePreSentaIyes vas again
GolieeIEe 9eCa ij 20 ohe government OF 'he
The close of 1898 and the beginning Of 1901 are
Petersburg. that Of the workers in technical edu-
cation and the Pirogovsk meeting Of physicians.
The sessions were sort OF public meeting at which
! the advanced workers from the whole country
Of peaceful progressive activity with the existing
governmental organization, and were one in the
demand for immediate radical reform. These meet
ings were significant aign OF the complete po-
1 utiCal maturity Of the liberal classes society
and represented further step forward in the open
political agitation and propaganda of constitutional
ideas in the broad circles the educated classes.
The movement for freedom grew irresisubly in
| extent and broke through the surface. But the
government asleep. Led by Plehve it in
| defatigably carried energetic, and one might
say heroic fight with the internal enemies"
Prisons. deportatons the galley, fogging, bullets
and gallows, all were brought into play against the
1 revolutionary movement. Thousands Of wOrkmen,
/ peasants and educated reVolutlonarles filled the
prisons were deported. Administrative order and
/ bureaucratic Tribunals couId ,haId!y Keep pace.
| Over the corpses of its faithful servants the
| government marched inhexlbly 10 the gloomest re-
! action The radical proVincials leaders Of the
| liberal movement, like the reVolutionaries were
| subjected TO punishment The government deprived
/ them Of share in public work, and even deported
| Qlsbanded. In the autumn of 1903 the Moscow
! Zemstvo underwent a revision; in the summer of
| 1904 the Vyatka and Kursk ZemstVos. The object
| OF the reVisions the search for anti-goVern-
mental ACTIVITY on the part or the zemStYos. But
all was in vain; in spite of all the terrible repres-
| slons and discomfort rapidly spread, broader and
! oeeper, the opposition Of the ZemstVos end the
/ liberal classes became stronger. the hydra OF
revolution was not TO be killed
WAR AS AN ANTTDOTE.
In the fall OF 1903 the clouds war lowered over
| the Far East The possibility OF with Japan
| approached. BY means of wise concessions Russia
4 widespread public discomfort, the government al
lowed itself 10 be se0uced by eXtTavagant plans OF
an ultFa-aggressiye foreign policy. chertshng the
| nope IN TINS way OF guarding and strengthen
ing us prestige In the international and its
credit on the European bourses.
! In addition, there Is reason TO suppose that
/ IiehNe, VINO exercised tremendous influence on
me entiIe governmental policy, for He