The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-18
STRIKE MAY BE CALLED OFF Russian WOrkmen Will Take a Vote. CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY Realized That the Walk0ut
 Was Foolish. At Meeting of Council of workmes'. Delegates It Is Made Evident
 That the Lines Are
 Breaking.
CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY

Though according to surface indfca- 1 tions yesterday the outlook for the speedy ending of the strike was gloomy, the revelations made at a meeting last night of the Council of tho Workmen's Delegates showed that a large portion of the eworkmen were breaking loose from the control of the leaders and were anxious to return to work and plebiscite which will be taken in the various factories probably will result in U decision to abandon the strike today.
 At the meeting of the Council, which was held in the same hall where Faith CT Gapon, Maxim Gorky and other leaders denounced the Emperor on the eve of January 22 tRed Sunday), dele gate after delegate from different fac- tories, arose and reported that the workmen. under tho influence of the uitimatum issued by the employers arl- nouncing that the factories would be shut down indefinitely unless work was resumed Monday. and with the pleading of their wives and of the conservative workmen ringing in their ears, were demanding that the strike should be ended.
 This precipitated a hotely contested debate between the Moderates. who de- clared that the strike in the first in stance was a strategicai mistake and tAaL IL WOua4 DS A &F0ttf GttOT III tatc~ tics to attempt to force the men to re- main in line. and the Last Ditch" fac- ton. especially tae unattached dele- gates, who are members of the Council by virtue of their membership In So- cialist organizations.
 Speaker Becomes Fiery.
 one fiery speaker, who In order to better be seen and heard mounted the balcony from which Father Gapon in disguise had delivered his last address in that hall. thundered his denuncia- tion of those who wished to discon- tinue the struggle.
 '.Even If we cannot continue the strike until the purposes for which U was called are attained" he said, let us not abandon if without iniiicting a real blow on the government. A three day strike is 8 mere pin prick in the hides of that crafty fox Witte and his followers, so let us keep 1t up for a fortnight. The men in other factories of St. Petersburg are daily Joining us, our delegates are closing the pharma- cies and the railroad tie-up Is conn piete. What a figure we will cut in the eyes of our brothers outside of St. Petersburg if they have had the op- portunity of acting on our appeal. If they hear that we have laid down our arms"
 A call of the strike was rejected and 1t was decided to call meetings of the workmen of the factories today for the purpose of laying the situation before them and to abide by their decision. Afte-- the adoption of the resolution calling for referendum 1t was decided to bend every effort to close every store, market and office beginning at II o'clock this morning and to stop all street car and carriage traffic in the streets so as to bring the life of the Russian capital to complete stand still
 The stoppage of the electric plants. whish the Government had succeeded in getting into pat operation. was en- trusted to electrical workers in the va- rious districts. who were empowered to use any and all means deemed ad- visable for the injuring of the ma chinery and the Understanding of the dynamos, even to the extent of de- stroying the plants.
 Release of Delegates.
 Another resolution called for demon- strations to effect the release of the four delegates who had been arrested. It was decided to mass 3.0O0 men in front of each prison where the dele- gates are detained and to hold them there until they are liberated.
 The prefect Of police has published an appeal to the we'll disposed classes warning them that the strike leaders intend to take aggressive action today and asking them to cooperate with the police against the agitators "who are making life unbearable."
 In the meeting the advocates Of the strike laid stress on encouraging news from other places which they said they would be able to place before the work men today. but last nights dispatches showed litle confirmatory evidence of such news.
 A strike has broken out in a section Of the Southwestern Railroad between TasarItsyn and Voronesch. in the lower Volga region, but the demands for shorter hours and higher pay are eco- homie and have no connection with the political aims of the St. Petersburg strikers.
 encouraging to the Socialists. The railroads are still running and the teIaeraphers have hatly refused to con- slider q strike for the political aims of Poland. whose endangered liberties from the ostensible cause of the strike In st. Petersburg. Work is being re- sumed in Moscow and the news from other sections show that the call of the St. Petersburg committee has awak- ened little sympathy. ReckIessneHs of the Reds"
 The utterly reckless spirit manifested bv the Reds" who engineered the pres ent strike, is producing natural re- vulsion of feeling which is shared by all classes of society The prospect of am archy and mob rule which would be the l logical outcome of the present demoral- l ized conditions in both the country dis l tricts and the cities has had sobering 1 influence.
 The lower classes who are always on ! the verge of starvation are growing | bitterly angry against the agitators. | who by these continued strikes are talk | ing the bread from their mouths. and 1 not only without being melted by the l police. but in spite of all the authorities | inc classes are melting reprisals.
 It is the middle classes. however, | which is beginning to rally to the sup mort of the Government in it's efforts | to restore something like order and | nublic tranquility Many of the Liber- als whofought the Government active Iv before the proclamation of the Elm neror's manifesto, are now convinced | that their leaders blundered frightfully | bv refusing to lend their support to |. Count Witte in his difficult task because | he had declined to accept the unQual- |