The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-01-21
UNHAPPY RUSSIA
Continued from First Page.

cruel lale III Silence. we nave suHereu,
but we are being plunged deeper In the
mire and deprived of our rights.
"Uninstructed, atlhed by restitution
and injustice, we are perishing. We
have no strength left Sire, we have
arrived at the extreme limits Of en-
durance. We have reached the terrible
moment when death is to be preferred
TO continuation Of our intolerable suf-
ferings. We have left our work and
informed our employers that we will
not resume until our demands are con
ceded We have not asked much. We
have asked but for means Of livelihood,
without which life is burden and la
Dor continual torture.
ANY Of us who dared raise his voice
In the interests Of the people of the
w osses has been thrown into
prise, or transported. Kindness and
good ceiling have been treated as
crime. The bureaucracy has brought
the country to the verge Of ruin by
shameful way. 1t is Turing it to It's
downfall We have no voice in the
heavy burdens imposeS We do not
know for whom or why this money is
wrung from an impoverished people
and we do not know how it is eXpend
ed This state Of things contrary te
divine laws, renders life impossible un
der present conditions.
I'VE pray your majesty graciously
to receive Qur demands, which are in.
spired by a desire for your maiesty's
and our welfare and the consciousness
of the necessity of escape from an in
tolerable situation Russia Is too great
and her needs are too varied and nu.
merous for officials only to rule. Ma.
tional representation is Indispensable.
as only the people themselves know
the country's real needs.
Order and swear that our demands
shall be satisfied. and you will make
Russia happy and glorious and inscribe
your name forever in the hearts of
our people and their posterity. whilst
should you repulse and reject our
prayer we Will die in this square be-
fore your palace. We have nowhere
else to 60 Only two paths are open
to us-either toward liberty and hap
piness or to the grave. Should our
lives serve as holocaust for suffer
ing Russia, we shall not regret the sac
rifice, but shall bear it willingly
The petition was to have been pre-
scented personally to Emperor Nicholas.
A deputation of workmen endeavored
to see his majesty at Tsarskoe Selo
and appeal to him to come TO the Win
ter palace Sunday to be present at an
immense demonstration of the indus
trial classes 1t was planned to have
all the workmen in st. Petersburg,
headed by their leader, the priest, Go
pom, in full gorgeous canonical garb,
march to the palace and assemble in
the great parade ground in front to
present the petition.
This morning the Russian capital Is
seemingly on the verge of an incipient
revolution, thousands of workmen are
parading the streets, and agitators and
fanatics are busy sowing the seeds of
discomfort and half the city in dark
ness and without fire protection owing
to walkouts. The situation is hourly
growing more tense The authorities
have decided TO adopt energetic meas
ures to preserve order, prevent rioting
and oyerawe the violent minded, at the
same time seeking to placate the strik-
Ing workmen by offering satisfaction
Of their demands in so far as they are
just and reasonable, thus acting with
combined flrmness and moderation
The government has augmented the
garrison of the city with $500 cavalry
and 1000 infantry from Tsarskoe Selo
and filed the streets, especially in the
disaffected quarter, with heavy patrols
! of soldiers
The refusal to permit delegation of
workmen to present a petition to En-
peror Nicholas at TSarskoe Selo has
made ii known that the great demon
stration planned for Sunday, with its
unlimited possibilities for an outbreak
will not be permitted to take place.
II is reported that Father Gopon, the
leader Of the workmen, had been quiet.
ly spirited away from his hodyguard
and taken into custody, in furtherance
of the plan to disorganize the elements
that are threatening the peace of the
city.
The authorities believe that by these
steps they have the situation well in
hand and announce that they expect a
peaceful solution of the problem.
The situation had entered on an acute
stage, and the strike has assumed al
open political phase.
In the midst of the fever OF excite
ment over the strike situation the Incl
dent at the Winter palace is attracting
secondary consideration. Grand Duke