The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-02-09

aud they lack lead
GEN fhhrofF' ership. IL may. too.
be doubted 10 they are agreed upon the
nature Of their political necessities.
Above all. In tho disturbances which have
Just swept over Russia there were no
concert Of action. no uniformity OF de-
mnnd and no solidarity of purpose. In
81. Petersburg. Il seems as though the
Industrial misery Of the strikers was
made a pretcxt by the socialists and rev.
o~lutionnrics, representing but q small per-
centage Of the discontinued, TO make po-
liticnl demands which were really revo-
~lutionary In character. Like n Hook OK
sheep the strikers followed their revolu-
tionnry leaders. paying with their lives
In many cases the penalty Of their conf
dencc and creduiity. And In other purely
Russian centcrs the condition seems TO
have been similar. In the cities OF POI
land and Finland the dcmonHtratnrs, AZ
should be expected. were better organ
lied. There the principal Of nationality
was involved. The Poles and Firms not
only demanded increased political rights.
but are utterly opposed TO Russian gov
eminent and sovereignty Ia any form.
and II In the near future n formidable
revolution II To occur In Russia IL VIII
have its beginning and It's greatest sup
port among the oppressed nationnlitics OF
Finland and Poland.
Not Ripe for Revolution.
Viewing the situation dispnssionately,
there does not seem an encouraging
chance Of successful revolution In Rus
sia In the near future. The justification
for IL cxists-causes which In other lands
would speedily subvcrt the government
sustaining thcm-but the Russian people
have not as n whole reached that degree
Of development. that stage Of political
aspiration. which would lead them
through blood aud fire, through sacrifice
and suffering. 20 free institutions aud po-
litical supremacy.
The peasant classes Of the country
were little affected. II at all, by the re-
cent turmoil. and they constitute an cle-
ment without which revolution IL impos-
siblc. The industrial workers Of the
cities form only two per cent Of the pop
~ulntiun, and not all Of these look higher
than the mere means Of ~suEtcnancc. Evil
IDENTITY then the day Of successful revo-
luton in the empire Of the Czar Is far
distant.
Yet the disturbances muy have a salu-
tary effect upon the government. They
are the voice Of discomfort and dissatis-
faction speaking in The only way that In
open In n country v .&lrc freedom Of the
press and freedom Of speech are denied.
and sooner thar have that voice growing
in volume and intensity. threatening the
stability Of institutions and undermining
national tnua1Nw and FNw9Nw 80 e1Ra Nhrnna
the government may see the wisdom Of
granting reforms. which may stnyc of
that day which. sooner or later. IL bound
to come, when the people shall enter into
possession Of their rights and wipc out
the rule Of caste, SO long the bane Of
Russia and the whitening blight upon
the development of her people.
The Rioting ut Warsaw.
While the disturbances are not yet
ended In Russia. they have reached a
stage whore their futility is self.cvident.
The world is aware how they were ex-
tinguished In ~. Petersburg in the blood
81 their authors. The same rcpressive
measures were applied in Moscow. Riga.
Libau. Saratof and other ccnters Of agi.
tation. and the mailed hand Of militariam
VI fAlANtfAAle "hNttNhA' w W NNAkh Va Inv
knout In Warsaw. LODI and other cities
Of Poland.
At Riga. eight miles from the Gulf Of
Riga, the soldiers and mob came into
bloody conflict. When the soldiers open.
cd Gre great crowds rushed down the
entertainments II the river Duna, hoping
TO escape across the Ice. The latter gave
way and scores are said TO have been
prcciPitatcd into the water. where they
sank 10 death In It's icy embrace. At
Riga the disturbances were purely polit.
ical and were fomcnted by students from
other parts OF Russia.
The most serious disturbances Of any
! outside of 81. Petersburg were the dis
| tinguishing features Of Warsaw. Poland.
There. too. the agitation was political In
nature and there. too. the demonstrators,
10 a greater degree than elsewhere. bold
" faced the solhiery. using reyolvers aud
knives against the representatives Of au.
! tocracy and repression. In the desultory
lighting whics was carried on In the
streets l60 persons. IL Is estimated. were
killed or wounded.
one phase Of the Russian situation
hat created n deep international interest
was the posting II proclRmatlons in va
rious cities, wherein Il was charged that
English agents were fomcnting the trou-
bles and furnishing the necessary funds.
in order TO embarrnss Russia in the work
Of sending rc-cnforccmcnts. naval and
military. 20 the far Fast. Great Britain
took exception Co this, acting In diplo-
matte channels. and the placards were
pulled down and n rchukc was admins
tered 20 those responsible for them.
Another incident which once threat
snei 10 take on nm International impor-
lance was the wounding by Russian
troops Of the British consul and vice
consul In the streets Of Warsaw. The
affair. however. was purely accidental
and the matter quickly subsidized.