The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-24
TIE oRItIs IN RrSsIA.
Hope OF Constitutional Government
Throu Kh the Zemstvo Movement.

Through the Zemstvo Movement.
To THE Error or THE SUN-SU; Mo-
nentous as !s the news from ST. PetersourR'
IL does not yet indicate a general revolution
throughout Russia II may prove 10 ne
only a revolution In the capital similar 70
the emeutes In Paris that changed govern
ments but not the political system in France
We must wait few days or perhaps weeks
TO see
A revolution that should spread over all
Russia would be no light thing for the rest
Of the world. II would give the incor-
poreted nationalities that have been rulea
with rods Of iron their opportunity, ana
the 100000 Of Ukrainians In the south
OF Russia, from whom come the best part
OF what il called the intelligence of the
country, might find themselves in the LEAD
The Fnlanders with their unauenchaoie love
OF liberty, and fortunate In their proximity
to free country. will be sure to avail theln-
selves Of the occasion with moro imam
chance OF success The Poles, enjoying
the advantage OF a relatively free Gshcia
along their southern border can anoru 10
disregard the enrnity OF their German
neighbors on the west. while the Armenla,iS
and Georgians Of the Caucasus ana tne
other subjugated races OF that region WIZ
profit by their dlstance from the genera
disturbance.
Regarding the situation from INSIDE
what lies before Russia ia general ui-so-
luton OF it's present territorial orgaiiiIa-
ton and the creation Of number oil snaller
natlonalities, or a great federation under
new conditions For the outside World
especially that part Of IL which lsmore par
ticularly interested In Russia's finances tne
latter termination Of present troubles "oulu
be the better There would DO GOVERN
ment TO deal with. In the former event thete
would be no Joint responsibility. and IT rs
about "a certain as anything oan be that the
peoples OF the separated and independent
nationalities would accept no Individual
responsibility for debts about the creation
of which they had not been consulted ana
which they had not approved
The reaction OF such a result would DO
felt all over Europe, but mostly IN France
in dangerous financial and monetary
| upheaval 1t Is this aspect OF tho situation
that holds out tho beet hope al solution
giving wider liberty 70 the Russian nation
without e complete subvorsion OF the
empire. The great manipulator' OF world
finance have it In their power to bring 1t
about by making 1t understood that the
autooraoy and its oppressive bureaucracy
cannot obtain another kopeck of money or
credit before satisfaction is given to the
legitimate demands OF the people of Rus
sia, the least being that they shall have the
right TO a voice in some way in their own
government Stepniak, the late well known
Russian revolutionist, always held In his
L., tkAe Urn
and that the safety OF the rulers Of Russia
lay in according TO the people the right and
power OF utterance. A brutalizing tyranny
might for time keep them dumb, but in
the end the explosion that would sweep
everything away was bound to como. The
question now Is whether that moment has
arrived or whether we are only witnessing
a local furry like the old time Partisan
barricade days.
On the determination OF that question
! depends the result OF the war in the Far
! East Should the spirit that has been
| evoked in st. Petersburg by the contumacy
| of the Cars advisers and the bureaucracy
spread over all Russia the position Of Gen.
| Kuropatkin and his armies in Manchuria
! is not one to be envied. The triumph Of
the Japanese arms will be assured through
! the revolution in Europe, and an entirely
new aspect will be given 70 the political
| IA well az the military features Of the war
! and its resultant territorial readjustments.
The hope of the Russian autocraey should
now be that the leaders in the zamstvo
movement. who are all at their posts of
| duty, may be able to preserve the internal
peace Of the country by taking the situation
| in hand and administering the affairs Of
| their provinces In liberal sense, aA most
| Of them have expressed the desire to do,
! They will then be in n position TO impose
| now political conditions on ST Petersburg
and so reverse the old way in France, where
| tho blood stained capital dictated its will
to the French people. In this way the
power OF the Grand Ducal clique and OF the
! bureaucracy would be wiped out without
the unity OF the empire under the Emperor
being seriously impaired and Russia would
be launched into constitutional govern
rnent at far Ices cost deplorable though
what has taken place at ST. Petersburg is,
than has attended similar process in other
countries. r.
New York, Jan 23
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