Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-13
THE EVOLUTION OF RUSSIA.

Russia has been in the throes OF chronic
revolution since several years. a condition
which has been accumulated
Ohronc by the war with Japan. Mr..
Unrest. Lincoln's familiar maxim
that ut Is no time to swap
horses when crossing a stream may not
apply to Russia. whose change of horses
will have been brought about by the revo-
luton. The bombs in the streets of the
capital: the revolt Of the workmen; the
massacre Of functionaries: the disorders at
Libau. Lode, Varsovie, Odessa. and the
monstrous affair Of the Potemkin. which de-
fed tho navy and the government. are
bloody incidents-a death dance-a storm
which appears to have passed and culmi-
mated In the evolution of order.
We are informed by cable that on the
18th instant the csar. yielding to the coun-
sci Of the xemstvos. will convoke the Rus
sian national assembly. an event which
first occurred under the Emperor Alexis
Michaelovitch, the father Of Peter the
Great, In the seventeenth century. Ram
baud. in rec0unting the story OF the Ro-
man0fS. says:
"Sultan Osman sent to Moscow Prince
Thomas Cantacuzen to announce that Tur-
key had already declared war against the
king. The Russians asked no more than
to help him, and Philaret and Mikhaii as
beat their foreheads' to the sovereigns, be-
seeching them to hold themselves firm
against the enemy, for the holy churcnes
Of God, for their czarian honor and for
their own country. The men at arms were
ready to fight and the merchants to give
money"
Some such scene as described above hap
pened at st. Petersburg on the 7th instant,
when the populace gathered before the
Kremlin at the news of the call of the
zemsky sober and amid shouts and hur-
rahs for their Little Father. begged that
he would make peace which exacted
territory; that they were ready to fight
and to give money"
Has Russia at length awakened from her
long sleep? Has the chronic revolution
finally effected her evolution?
vene on the 18th instant will be composed
of more than 500 members, elected by the
people. The project elaborated by the min
lister Of the interior. Bouliguine. was dis
cussed by the council of ministers. and
when submitted at the conclusion of the
session before the grand dukes. minister's,
senator's and other members. the Emperor
Nicholas solemnly approved 1t and affixed
his seal.
The assembly, we are told. will be COM
posed of the great and the small the prince
and the peasant. the mer-
representative chant, trader. agricultur-
Assembly. list. the lawyer and physi-
cian-all. in fact, who are
interested directly in the rehabilitation Of
the mother country.
The government has been in the hands Of
ptiless bureaucracy which feeds upon the
yitals of the nation. Graft Is not an acct
dent in Russia. 1t is national. imperial
institution. Functionaries are not paid a
stated salary oftenttmes because they are
expected to make the situation pay. The
fahi fpRS In fha adj mi S-
trations from high to low, employ graft as
legitimate and legal right. For example,
the Russian government a few months past
decided to purchase several ships Of the
Argentine and Chilean governments. The
price was about to be concluded for the
sum Of 75.OO0,OOO roubles. when the Rus
sian functionarieS exacted that q deposit in
advance should be made in the name of one
Of the Intermediates. The affair was called
off promptly by the governments Interested,
according to the Gazette of Krief. The
tchinovnicks have no conjunction In steal
ing That, likewise. is privilege. There
are examples of monstrous defalcations in
the Red Cross; millions filched from appro-
priations for the wounded in Manchuria.
The abuse is so great indeed. that you can
no longer find plaster worth of goodwill
in Russia to succor victims of the war. The
government, in order to save itself from
disorder in high places Is perforce Obliged
to employ disorder in low places. The peo-
pie of the car are arrayed against the
tchinovnicks Moscow is the seat of or
ganized revolution: st. Petersburg Is the
citadel Of the tchinovnicks.
The national assembly elected by popular
vote will be a deliberative and consultative
body for the discussion of messages which
the emperor and his ministers In the inter-
est of the nation may submit. The emperor.
1t is said, Is in complete accord with the
zemstvos in the matter OF the reforms to be
instituted and he understands fully that in
freeing the nation from the tolls OF bureau
cracy the emperor is liberating himself. The
liberal movement in Russia has no intention
to separate itself from the car. The zemst-
vos as a rule is a unit on all subjects Of
prospective reforms A few days since q
member of the permanent committee ex-
pressed the opinion that women should be
permitted to exercise the franchise. The
proposition was promptly rejected. NJ
Stchepkine, municipal councillor, arose and
entering the tribune depicted in glowing
words the noble attitude Of Russian women
throughout the revolution. He referred to
the mother, the wife and sister their en-
ergy devotion and enthusiasm, and finished
by an eloquent appeal for reconsideration.
The zemstvos was won and amid cries OF:
THE revolution. our wives have made It,
We will have them with u.s." Universal
suffrage to men and women was voted
unanimously.
An article without signature) In recent
number of the Revue de Paris discloses
some interesting details about
cause OF the present conflict in the
the War. extreme orient, n t | d :
True Causes of the Russo
Japanese War" The author says:
The policy Of Russia has always been to
he on friendly terms with China. This was
not difficult. for the Chinaman does not re-
gard the Russian as a barbarian from the
western ocean, as he does the English. Ger
man and American. but as his neighbor.
Was II not Russia indeed, who aided China
to secure the money with which to pay her
indemnity to Japan in 1885?
Russia and China concluded a treaty
the treaty of Moscow. May o. 1895. by
which, In case of aggression by Japan
against Russia China and Korea. Russia
and China would support each other!
"A year after the signature Of the treaty
of 1896 the Emperor of Germany visited the
Russian capital. Returning from review
In his honor the kaiser with that brusquerie
which is characteristic, asked the car II
there was any reason why he the kaiser)
should not send German fleet to Kiao-
Chaou to punish the injuries inflicted upon
German missionaries. adding that he would
see with pleasure Russia install herself