Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-02-16
POPULAR REPRESENTATION.
The Gar Favors 1t But He Is Further
Considering.

St. Petersburg, Feb. Is, 11:1O. p. MI
In spite of Emperor Nicholas person |
al inclination in favor of the Zemsky |
Tabor as intimated to Count Leo Deon- |
ovitch Tolstoi, the imperial decision to !
summon this parliament has not yet
been taken. The emperor is carefully |
weighing arguments for and against
the plan before committing himself to
this course. This statement is made
upon the authority of perhaps the most
liberal of the emperor's ministers who
tonight informs the Associated Press
that the question remains under con-
sideratiOn at Tsarkoe Seio.
= therefore frankly urged upon his
majesty the minister said, the view
that the time has come when the peo-
pie should no longer edenied voice
in the government and the same coun-
sci has been given by many others
who like me, believe that the moderate
liberal element which is drifting away
can thus be rallied to the support of
the government. His majesty received
our views sYympathetically. and 1 be-
lieve is personally inclined to adopt
the course we suggest. He now is
carefully deliberating upon this, but
it is no secret, however, that power
full influences about his majesty are
pressing the contrary view and advanc-
ing strong arguments which cannot
lightly be thrust aside, even if the de-
cisiOn is finally favorable.
precipitation is impossible although
the people, who are labOring under the
stress of extreme excitement seem to
forget that for such a sweeping inno-
walton time is necessary to formulate
and elaborate the scheme for the cleo
. tOraI composition and functions of the
body. Reasons of state exist which
might make it inadvisable to summon
such a body during the continuation
of the war since the government is
unitedIy of the opinion that peace is
/ impossible now"
But if the Zemsky Tabor is to be
convened at the conclusion of the war
| a proclamation should be issued now.
Yet no matter what the emperor's de-
} cision may be, the manifesto on re-
forms on which the committee of min
! isters is working will be productive OF
great good. The misfortune is that
all the discontented classes are for the
moment skeptical. They are using
every weapon to embarass the gov
ernment while it is engrossed with the
: war. The situation is deplorable, but
not critical. There may be trouble and
disorders even on a comparatively large
scale, though there will be no crisis
! unless the discomfort extends to the
rural district. In my opinion that is
only possible by some great catas-
trophe, such as a general failure of
crops or an epidemic of cholera. Then
with famine to frighten the country,
coupled with political agitation in the
cities no one can predict what may
happen.
1t is understood that one CT the ar
Cuments used by the court against the
revival of the Zemsky Tabor is the
fact that the body in the old days
yielded immense power, being itself
responsible for the elevation of the
Romanoff dynasty to the throne and
therefore it might even undertake il
it was again called, to elect a new ruler
Generally speaking, the position of the
opposition to the Zemslly Tabor is well
voiced editorially in today's Moscow
Gazette, the leading exponent of the
absolute autOcracy of Russia. in which
it is prophesied that any system ot
national assembly will lead to a strug-
gle between it and the emperor which
inevitably will end in the overthrow
of the autocracy. The article draws
a parallel between the present politica
situation and the nihilist terrorism
which almost wrung a constitution
from Alexander II and after his as
sassination confronted Alexander III
with a choice of alternatives.