The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-12
EMPEROR IS
 CONVINCED Car NiChOlaS'S Views Are Changed Somewhat. IN FAVOR OF REFORMS People Should Have Voice In Government. Russian Ruler Announce. That He is No Longer Opposed to HoIdlnR
 Land Congress--strike
 situation.
IN FAVOR OF REFORMS

St. Petersburg, Feb. 1t.--(11s69 D. m. )-"I am not opposed to a zemzky zabor. On the contrary. believe 1t necessary"
 In these words Emperor Nicholas.
 whose word is law, personally declared himself in favor of land congress- and expressed the conviction that the
 time had come to prepare to give the people a voice in government. The Emperors words were spoken in the course of a conversation with Count Leo Deonvitch Tolstol. son of | the famous author, and fully confirm the Associated Press interview with Grand Duke Vladimir on Jan. 31, in which the Grand Duke expressly de- clares that his august nephew was in favor of a zemzky zabor. The serni- | official denial subsequently sent out is now disproved by the aovereign'a statement to Count ToIstoi. The Associated Press this evening saw Count Tolstoi in a comfortable house facing the. Tauris Gardens. Speaking in excellent English. Count Tolstoi said:
 T suppose you have come to hear about my audience at Tsarskoe-Seloe. I am glad to state the bread lines of my conversation with the sovereign. His Majesty summoned me after hav- ing received Q memorial which ad- dressed to the throne, exposing the present situation in the country and
 humbly expressing the opinion that
 the interest of the monarch and the nation called for the removal of the wall raised up by the bureaucracy be- tween them and the urgent need of de- vising means for enabling the sov- ereign to hear the voice of the people and recommending the conversation Of a zamzky zabor. His Majesty assured
 me that personally he was not opposed
 to convocations but on the contrary
 thought 1t necet fvs'- ~.f~~- tion is now gre
 solves itself if sa
 when Is the m.
 'T am not q, a.s
 emperor's vtews Sa M 1 you may ann0i Aas fe people that th. iess XII wssg such as is strictly necessary TOT rils introduction of an innovation of such
 magnitude. The great thing is that the emperor is in favor of the zimsky zabor. This dispels tne legends oh- taining currency abroad and at home that the sovereign mistrusts the peo- pie and is absolutely opposed to the idea of a representative national as- sembly. The legends have sown sus- picion and discontent among the peo- pie. leading to unrest and agitation and aSBraVatinH laD0f movements. whereas if Russians only understood the situation they would refrain from rendering the task of the reformer well nigh impossible.
 None the less I am optimistic, and
 believe we will succeed after all in
 bringing the war to a satisfactory conclusion. Then everything will re- aume it's natural course and reforms. including national representation. will be introduced on a sound basis" | Count Tolstoi does not believe the present labor movement will assume critical proportions. He thinks so- lution of the difficulty would be ma- terially assisted # representatives of masters and men could see the em- peror.
 The emperors words are likely to do more good than any number of 1 proclamations. Count Tolstoi is try4 ing to persuade the men to be patient by means of articles in which ha points out the poor results of sociaI- istic propaganda abroad and thinks te a pity that means have not been devised for approaching the workmen and dis- cussing matters directly with them, instead of leaving the field open tG demagagues. The Count Is conducting philantrophic enterprise in the form of a cheap book store under the sign of "Bobroe Deli' or 'Rood work" in which he sells educational books anc literature in zemstvos schools and 1is braries.