The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-19

sfreWed the land with lis Citizens blood.
He shot the workmen when they spoke
plainly about their needs and their in
terests.
yes. for the shooting of workmen,
Mr.. Plehve IS to blame more than any
one else Although he did not give the
word fire, he is guilty because the
shooting was initiated by him as Minister
of the Interior, and by orders of men
who fulfilled the orders of him who had
appointed them. AS he did not punish
the governors he himself sanctioned
their deeds and gave temptation to other
high dgnitaries to act Just as cruelty.
"a. The personal dignity of the Rus
sian citizens during Plehve's government
was subjected to the basest humiliation,
peasants and workmen were subjected
to wholesale corporal punishment Won
Wahl and Obolensky received promotion
and reward. Russian revolutionists
we're beaten and Inundated on every
possible occasion in the police stations
by the policemen and secret police. Rus
sian revolutionists and citizens were hui
inflated and beaten in prisons, and some
times their position there became SO I'M
hearable that they refused food and
starved themselve in protest against
insults.
Heavy Taxes on Hungry
EienNe put On lHt DuHSiA ntdNy
taxes. When the peasants driven to
extremities by hunger, want of arabic
land. and subjected by the land owners,
not seeing and not expecting help from
anywhere tried to obtain bread by force
so as not to die, they were answered
with an increase of taxation. This was
Plehves idea of satisfying national
gard conscientiously all questions which
needs. In this manner he gave them
stone instead of bread In this manner
he deprived the naked of their only shirt.
Plehve exhausted the people, spending
their hard earned money on the devel-
opment of the secret police in Russia
anu on the protection of his own person.
Allowed Massacre of Jews.
IS. Plehve allowed the wllful massacre
of the Kishineff Jews In the presence of
the police; Jews, ola men, women and
children, were beaten and killed Women
were insulted, the property of the poor
Jews was destroyed and plundered. OF
Plehve's participation In TINS wilful mas
sacre the foreign press and the Russian
revolutionary press clearly made men
ton. Further mention of this Is made
in the description of the circumstances
which preceded it and which description
was given in the more or less decent or
gans of the Russian press, How can we
eminent? What right have we to be-
lieve either 1t or the servile remarks of
the Official Messenger? What right have
we to believe either 1t or the servile re-
marks of the anti-semitic newspapers,
when they attempt to exempt Plehve
from participation in this crime, and at
tempt to put all the blame on the drunk
en- crowd of vandals and the peoples
hatred of the Jews. Such articles do
not admit of any trust.
Hated Jewish People.
During Plehves time freedom of
speech and protection was given to only
those papers which could tell lies and
papers which hated the Jewish people,
which during a long space of time tried
to make Jews and Russians enemies and
tried to make the common people hate
the Jews, Poles and Firms. The Jewish
press could not protest, as it was always
being prosecuted in Russia and could
hardly breathe Plehve permitted the
Kishinen massacre in the interest of the
same policy which he had followed in
other parts of the country. He tried as
much as he could to weaken the power
of the revolutionists in order to fright
en- the Jewish malcontents.
1T is known for a certainty that when
the Kishineff massacre was known all
over Russia, Jews of some towns fearing
the same thing. asked for the protection
of the governors and police, and re-
eeived answer that they would be treated
in the same way II they did not keep
quiet.
Press Was Suppressed.
a. Plehve put down ell attempts to
work legally for the people. The press
was suppressed and put under the yoke
os the censor. Zemstvos were suspected
and disbanded. The elected of the zemst-
Yes, who represented the government of
the people, were not allowed to speak.
Plehve held all Russia down on the plea
of safeguard He covered Russia with
network of gendarmerie and multiplied
the police and secret police so that In the
infected atmosphere it was impossible
to breathe.
20. On plehve fails the chief respon-
slbility that in the existing war Russian
blood is flowing like water and the
flower of the land are perishing, its
most healthy and robust citizens are
dying and the peoples money is being
wastefully squandered Plehve is guilty
because he gagged the press and Rus
sian social opinion and did not allow
them to speak about the war in order
to prevent 1t.
Committed BY Plehve and Agents.
two years of the government of Plehve.
All these crimes were committed by
Plehve himself or by his agents, and for
that the party of social revolutionists
found 1t necessary to remove Plehve In
order to save Russia from his future
crimes, and in order to show that such
fearful crimes against the Russian people
could not remain unpublished. That is
why the party of social revolutionists
called its fighting organization together
and gave to 1t the sentence of death on
Plehve, and /. member of the fighting
organization of social revolutionsts with
the feeling of deepest gratitude for the
great honor shown me, swore to do my
duty and carry out the sentence
Had No Personal Motives.
Personal motives for killing Plehve l
had none. Although l am not novice in
socialistic propaganda; although by ex-
perience l can appreciate the awful
wrongs of Russia, l should not be able to
raise my hand against the life of man
from personal motives. To this / might
add that one of the crimes which was
committed In the time of the government
of Plehve, and which | took to heart as
much as If 1t had been directed againstme
personally and against my nearest rela-
tives, was procession of Is collins In the
streets. an unlimited number of wounded
and two files of soldiers. / remember the
awful hecatomb of inhabitants shot down
near me and who were victims of the in
terror policy of Plehve.
How He Was Converted.