Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-11-18
S(By Charles Johnston in Harpers
I a. ~ Weekly)


Dramatic and impressive in the
yhighest degree is the dawn of Rus
Ssian freedom. The Duma was al |
sready half constitution. The people |
demanded a whole constitution, and |
Swhen the Gear refused to grant this
1.-THE swhole nation went on strike. The
railroads stopped. The cities were
in darkness. The shops were closed.
For days the darkness lasted, and the
Car, in his remote palace, fought his
fight againstgdoubt and indecision. At
last he yielded, wholly, magnanimous-
ly, and freedom dawned on the largest
white nation in the world. 1t is doubt
full whether history records any more
dramatic act. And not less dramatic
was the reception Of liberty by the
Russian people. They were granted
freedom of speech. Their first use Of
it was to shout for the Gear till they
were hoarse. They were granted free
dom of person. Their first use of 1t
was to parade the streets in honor of
sthesEMpefor, and they crowded to the
BARRACKS, begging the military bands
ItoHead their. procession. The great
lfightfis ended. The nation has won.
sffussfan~ liberty is an accomplished
fact. The concessions made are made
seffee~forqall.- The steps taken can
snever be retraced.
Z CountsWitte stands out as the hero
hof the hour. More than that, he is
.now one of the three most conspicu-
sous personalities in the world, and the
!natfons at whose head he stands is the
ssecond in the world in point of ter
bitory. and the first of the white ma
Stions in population. Count White has
kdeserved well of the Russian empire.
gle has deserved well of the Russian
speople. He has deserved well of hui
smanity. The Gear, left to reactionary
fcounsellors like Pobiedonostseff,
fmight have deluged his land in blood
Eand buried his throne in destruction.
SThe people, led by the anarchists and
frevolutionists, might have plunged in
ITO disorder, misery, and chaos. Count
pWitte bridged the chasm. Possessing
tthe; fall confidence. of the Gar, and
Swith the laurels of Portsmouth still
sgreen upon him, he did not hesitate to
. withstand the Car, and tell him I'M
$Weleome truth. Standing for order,
he. yet came forward as the champion
kof the people, the herald of the peo-
sple's will Yet he made no concession
<stos lawlessness or demagogy but stood
ffrmly for stability and ordered free
fdom. He now reaps his reward, and
kas the head of Russia's first consti
Etutional cabinet will hold the destiny
tof the nation in his hands. He will
sretain the services of Count Lams-
hdorff and of the newly appointed Min
listers of War and the Navy, General
SRediger and Admiral Birileff. General
fRediger is "a Lutheran by birth, and
Shas the system and energy that go
$witb, Germahic blood He was edu-
tcated at the Imperial Corps de Pages,
Gwirsse-goods cadets have the honor Of
ushering at court balls and bearing the
ftfain or The Empress on state occa-
ksions At nineteen he got an ensign's
commission in the Guards, entering the
BSemeonov regiment
For the next four years he studied
Gin the Academysof the General Staff,
swimming a silver medalS for distin-
tguished ability. This is rare honor,
fwhile only two gold medals have been
ngiven since the academy was found
Fed. This is the equivalent of gradua-
Elton from West Point, and the educa.
Stion in theory was soon to be turned
pinto practice; for year later, in 1877,