New-York tribune., 1905-11-07
RrNSIA AND HER FOES.

Amid the smoke of arson and the blood OF
massacre and all the horrors of an orgy per-
haps unsurpassed since the days of the French
Terror there comes inspiring news from Russia
1t is the announcement that the government
means to stand by its reforms. and not 10 be
driven from them either by the excesses of
anarchists or by the worse excesses of reac-
tionaries In that the keynote of the new era
clearly sounds. We remember only too well
how different it has been hitherto when a
Nihlist outrage or Jew W-baiting provoked by
the reactionares sufficient TO turn umor-
Gus government right about and TO send oacR
to the pigeonholes the best devised and most
generously meant reforms. Count W1tte is
more resoute He has put his hand to the
plough, and few stones or brier roots in the
fallow ground will not cause him TO relinquish
his hold. THE reforms will be infexiby car
''ried through No efforts of the enemies of
reform will prevent this being accomplished
1t is quite clear too that the government-or
Count Witte-realizes who the enemies of re-
form are, and that they belong to the two dia-
metrcally opposed classes which we have men
toned. and the pernicious activity of which
has been. as it seemed to u.s. apparent from the
first The conduct of the desperate reaction
aries was recently set forth by Maxim Gorky
in phrases which are doubtless as true they
are vigorous:
The parasites feel that the hour of their agony
is approaching and that death is near: but they
wish to live and so they struggle far
they able against the will of the people
cowardly. dishonesty and basely. They are
raising from the depths of life all that Is dark
and evil; everything that is selfish venal and
low: and they have melted this dumb mass of
brutalized beings against the best people OF
the land in order to crush them and to Keep
the power in their incapable hands II
but for another wear . These evil parasites
have drawn around them for the protection OF
aot,s CIT tSAyn in fna try
most ignorant OF the people. to use them against
those who sincerely and unself1shly desire gooo
and freedom
The socialist extremists on the other hand.
have set forth their attitude toward the
reforms in unmistakable terms. in current
manifesto:
Is it not evident 10 every one who does not
wish to close his eyes that the imperial dourna
is only a new fortress Of the old autocracy
Pressed to surrender, the government lies ana
then laughs in It's sleeve counting fully on on the tte
peoples blindness and stupidity. All the
arguments of the well meaning but shortslshted
people in favor of the douma have been thought
out by the enemies and betrayers of the people,
and only political fools repeat them. The, way
of the revolution is clear The douma is an OBJ
stacle in the way. That obstacle must De re-
moved.
Such are the foes of Russia to-day, and such
are their plans of campaign 1t is most au-
spcious omen that the man who is now at the
practical head Of affairs and understands
them both and Is prepared to deal with them
with indexble resolution. He sees, too, and
does not hesitate to remind the people, that
such enmties, if successful. would threa ten
the empire with ACKNOWLEDGMENT and that their
success and such a resultant catastrophe are to
be averted only by raying of the people to
the governments support. We cannot think
that such an appeal will be in vain. Now. for
the first time. Russia has a government and a
policy worthy of the support of the people. If
they are not supported, the loss to the people
themselves will be inestimabe. n such circum-
stances they will surely prove their fitness to be
| a free and sovereign nation.