The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-06
Nicholas Recognizes Crisis in
Russian Affairs.
Governor General Is Virtually
Made Dictator.
WITH AN IRON HAND.
viii Be Expected to Suppress
Political Uprisings.
Action Creates a Mighty Sen
satiOn in Cars Kingdom.

St Petersburg, June 6.-3:05 a. m.
Emperor Nicholas ukase virtually
creating Governor Trepon dictator has
given rise to a mighty sensation. It is
the imperial recognition of the crisis
in the internal affairs of Russia and
lnstnctively recalls the step taken by
the emperor's grandfather. Alexander
III. Immediately after the attempt to
blow UP the winter palace in 1880,
when he appointed a commission of
public safety headed by General Loris-
Mehkoff. except that the position OF
General Irepon will be more anaIog-
GUS to that occupied by Mehkoff when
later in The same year he was appoint
cd minister of the interior with full
conJroI OF the police.
Reaction and repression" ." doubt
less viii be the quick Interpretation
put upon the emperOr's act as soon as
II becomes known to the liberals.
Burled in the columns of the Official
Messenger and coming almost without
warning, the ukase is not yet generally
known but to the initiated the future
OF Constantine PetrOvitch Pobiedon-
ostselI, chief rOcuratOr of the Holy
synod looms large Behind the
scenes the Old man remains as stern
ana as uncOmprOmising as ever He
letJ what many believe to be his dying
Isarskoe-Selo, where ne spent almost
the entire day with his majesty
Ihe decision to place in the hands
OF the strongest executive in Russia
which Trepof is universally recog-
lized as being, the power to crush
with an iron grasp the political agita-
uOn which has brought Russia almost
to the brink of revolution according
to public belief is the fruit of PObie-
donOstsems visit for so far as can be
ascertalned not a single one of the en-
peror's ministers was in the secret
The ukase came like a bolt from
clear sky. NJ. BOuligan, minister of
the Interior could not face the hu-
initiation and Immediately resigned
and it is not improbable that other
ministers Will follow suit. Tt is ru-
mOred i'm the city that Count Lams-
dorH, the foreign minister, has al
ready placed his resignation in the
hands of the emperor and that he viii
De succeeded by NJ. MuraVieff. former
minister of Justice and now am bassa-
dor SIT Rome. Admiral Alexieff has
also demanded the acceptance of his
denission To md a precedent for the
resignation of minister as protest
against imperial action it is necessary
TO go back to the designations OF Minis
uers LOris-MiHkOff. Miluti and Ig-
natieff, when after the assassination of
Alexander II. Alexander III repud-
lated the liberal policy of his father
by Issuing his famous manifesto af-
nrmlng the maintenance of the auto
the chancellaries of Europe to their
depths and marked the beginning of
the reactiOnary policy that has lasted
until the present liberal agitation be
gan.
NJ. Stumer. an extreme reactionary
who belongs to the Won PIehve school,
it is commonly reported at this writ
ing, will succeed NJ. BOuligan as min
lister of the interior, but it matters
little who may succeed to that port
folio, as its holders viii be a subor-
dfuate to General TreDoff in all mat
ters affecting politics.
In spite Of the popular interpreta-
tiOn. however, that TreDOff's appoint
ment means repression and reaction to
the bitter end the latter conclusion by
no means follows, as it was under
LOris-MelilCOn S dictatorship that the
reform program of Alexander II was
worked out. The same thing may
prove true in this case. Indeed, among
the contradictory rumors which are
current in the city one is to the effect
that the issue of the ukase will be
coupled with the immediate calling of
a Zemstvy Sober. but nothing is def
nitely known and even the emperor S
most influential ministers are not
aware as to what stand he will take.
Whatever he may do, it is neverthe-
less apparent that the emperor has de-
cided that the government shall nc
longer be forced by political agitation
and that the new legislative assemble
shall bear the hall mark or imperial
fashfonfng and not that of popular
clamor.
The decision of the emperor un-
'doubtedly was precipitated by the Rus
sian disaster in the sea of Japan, as
liberals and radicals everywhere were
preparing to make the best possible
use of it in furthering their wishes
The government also viii be threat
ened with peace demonstrations, the
first Of which was to be a biz meeting
of Zemvoists at Moscow today which
General 'Trepof as his first act pro
hibited on the surface of things
therefore. it looks ominOusly like the
placing of Trepoff at the helm to dea
with the internal crisis which the de-
termination to pursue the war is ap
to cause. Indeed, there are rumors
that a general mobilization has already
been decided upon and that the ap-
pointnent of Trepoff was made so as Il
enable the governm ent to carry it out
1t is dangerous to forecast the result
Of the change in the situation As Ions
as there viii be vent for escape steam
in congresses and assemblies pressure
will not accumulate but with the extra
weight on the safety valve and witt
+be fires of internal agitation burning