The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-01

1t IL my own belief for which, however,
| have received no concrete grounds from
any member of the administration, that the
Government will be compelled by current
public opinion and by the methods which
that opinion is forcedly employing 20 oon-
woke the representative assembly known
as the Zemsky Sober, but if this expedient
is resorted to it is greatly TO be feared that
in pursuance of It's obvious aims the
Government will simply rehearse the
experiments tried by the first Gar OF the
Romanof dynasty and summon the spokes-
men of the Russian people for certain spe-
cifo purposes, but either without any feet
i've control over the nations expenditures
or any adequate influence upon national
legislation. Such an institution certainly
would not satisfy public opinion, but as
even that innovation could not DO inaugur-
ated without considerable freedom of tho
press il is highly probable that the con-
test would then assume less violent forms.
HOPE FOR THE PRESS.
'Symptomatic Of coming change is the
following fact: member of the staff OF
liberal journal. who was recently released
from prison was summoned by Governor
General TrepoH and shown a copy OF the
paper issued yesterday, which was dis
figured by the censor's red pencil mark.
Gen. Trepoff exclaimed:
These red lines mark Passages which
-oann -syqegtzenst yet, AxEseAStore -XSsssss
must be careful not TO repeat them or else
your journal will be suppressed for good.
Be patient one week or at most ten days.
Surely that is not long. By that time the
creative labor which is now being vigor-
ously carried on will. we hope, be com
pleted. Then you journalists may find
yourselves freed form many Of the tram
mels that now hamper your activity
WANTS TO WIPE OUT THE STAIN.
The correspondent of the Chronicle also
intimates that it ia the intention Of the
Government TO modify its methods now
that it has shown the people that ii cannot
be trihed with. The correspondent says ne
has intervio we'd one Of the highest OF the
Russian Minister'S whom he quotes az
saying there il no doubt whatever that
the Government has decided to consider
the worllmen's demands and to satisfy
them as much as possible. very high
persona GO will preside over secret COM
mission for this purpose
Referring to the events Of Jan. % the
Minister said the Gar was bitterly sorry
now and was busying himself with the well
fore OF the people, who do not accuse him,
but accuse the leaders who misled them,
The Car is determined to wipe out the
stain on Russian history.
The Minister declined to say what re-
forms would follow. but NJ Witte will
preside over the commission to inquire
into reforms affecting the peasants, and
he will be assisted by many professors
and economists.
The Standards correspondent, like the
correspondent of the Telegraph aludes to
the possibility Of the summoning OF a
national assembly II only In the hope of
securing popular support for the war and
ending the chaotic internal conditions He
says it is the firm conviction Of those best
qualified to Judge that the granting OF
national assembly will inevitably lead to
some form Of constitution, whatever might
have been the intention with which the
Government started, however limited might
be the powers Of the assembly or however
restricted its representative character
The correspondents also state that the
clauses of the reform ul;ase Of Dec. rs nrt
being steadily considered. An official
statement regarding these reforms rather
val uely announces progress of the reform
committees work, which, II is declared, in
cludes the decision TO take steps assur-
ing the realization of the scheme.
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