The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1905-12-28
DECIDE AGAINST
EQUAL SUFFRAGE
CAR AND CABINET REACHES
FINAL DECISION ON ELEc.
TORAL LAW.
GENERAL STRIKE WILL FAIL
LEADERS MAY HAVE TO BEAT
RETREAT TO SAVE THEIR
PRESTIGE.

st. Petersburg, Dec. "a. - The en-
peror and his cabinet late last night
reached a final decision regarding the
electoral law, deciding against the uni
versal and equal suffrage and in favor
of the extension of the law promulga-
ted Aug. 10 last, to include in addition
to the small land owners in the coun-
try, the workmen and the educated
classes, the small rent payers in the
cities. The details of this law were
covered at the time in these, dis
patches. The douma will be convoked
In March.
Strike Likely to Fall.
In high government circles the
greatest confidence is expressed that
the general strike will fail.
So far as st. Petersburg Is con-
cerned the battle certainly Is going
against the revolutionaries.
Unless better results are obtained
elsewhere or the fight enters on a dis
tinctly new phase, the leaders will b
compelled to beat a general retreat In
order to ave their prestige.
In spite Of the herculean efforts Of
the local chiefs to cheer on their fol.
lowers the past ~fortyeight hours
have not produced any extension Of
the strike.
Men Return to Work.
What was gained Thursday by the
strike Of the printers, which was in
complete, was Offset by the return to
work of 10000 men in the Seminov-
sky mills and the announcement that
/ 2 1000 men of the Poutiloff iron works
would go back Monday.
The governments firm stand effect.
lively prevented the strikers keeping
up the excitement in st. Petersburg
by red flag" demonstrations and by
the old plan of marching from mill to
mill to force the men to strike.
NOn-union men, such as the freight
carriers, began an attack on the, strik-
Ors. <ssP sss4l
Some of the leaders already confess
that the outlook is discouraging, and
they express the fear that the organ
iZations were
Guilty Of a BIunder
in striking without due preparation.
Nevertheless they declare that the
provinces can still turn the tide.
The main hope Of the strike leaders
rests on Moscow, to which all eyes are
turned, and where the tie-up is prac-
tically complete.
A telephone message from Moscow
represents the situation there as grave
on account of the attitude of the
troops. it being reported that the ar
tillery was on the verge OF mutiny an
that there was a plot to abduct Go
Gen. Doubasoff, which, however, was
frustrated.
The government has received no
confirmation Of these reports and pro-
fesses absolute confidence in the
Loyalty of the Army,
which it says cannot be shaken by the
present demonstration. 1t is pointed
out by the officials that the only place
where the soldiers are known to have
refused to obey the command to fire
is Kharkoff.
The proletariat, the officials say,
may succeed in worsting the authori-
ties in some places and in disorganiz-
ing traffic everywhere, but they insist
that there is not the slightest danger
of any uprising which could seriously
threaten the overthrow Of the au-
tocracy.
1t is reported that Father Gapon is
returning to Russia to preach patience
and conservatism to his old followers.
Defeat Is Really Victory.
The Russ evidently d%iscounting the
failure of the strike declares that in
any event every defeat Is a revolu-
ZIONIST victory and every victory of
the government approaches it's final
surrender"
1t is reported here that the disor-
ders at Pskoff, 1872 miles southwest Of
st. Petersburg, have assumed great di-
mansions, and at Villorsk, on the War.
saw line, a squadron of dragons has
been besieged for three days.
The news from the Baltic provinces
continues bad. Frederickstad has
been taken by the insurgents and
Kreutzberg is surrounded and stand
ing a siege.