Evening star., 1906-02-04

civilization as represented by the c4ar, the
church, the power of money. modern In
ventions, etc. Other factors are the ex-
haustion OF the revolutionaries, the reac-
ton among the remainder Of the popula-
ton which has been caused by the excesses
of the radicals and the exertions of the
troops, the great mass of whom in spite of
all said and done have manlfestly remained
loyal. The troops are slowly but steadily
suppressing the disturbances In the Donetz
basin. which at one time threatened TO as
sumo serious proportions, and they are
gradually opening up communications. even
In the Caspian regions. The suppression of
the armed insurrection in Moscow and the
utter failure of the last political strikes IN
St Petersburg and Warsaw seem to have
brought about a lula luH which the radi-
Gals themselves assert is only the iull be-
fore another storm.
r Now this Iull may be long or short. 1t
may be that the storm Is over. Russian
revolutionists appear as uncertain as the
weather In other countries. It Is doubtful
whether the shrewdest students OF Russian
affairs can give guess as to what the
future will bring forth that Is worth the
white paper that 1t is written on.
But IL the czar. after the defeat Of his
arms by the Japanese in the far east de-
ctded that disorders and disturbances were
inevitable and that 1t was better to bend
rather than to break when the storm put in
an appearance who shall say that in this re-
spect he has not been well advised? The
Little Father" appears to have fathomed
human nature enough to understand that
sooner or later the hungry people must re-
turn to their senses. 1t has been the his
tory of the world that riots and revolutions
even French riotdngs like the Commune
all things come to an end And 1t is pos
sfble that the cZar figures that the peas
antry and even their most bloodthirsty and
allarchfstic leaders will be willing to work
all the harder in the future in order to make
up for their revolutionary holiday and the
time lost by reason Of their economic de-
bauch.
Indicates the Situation.
This is not to say that the czar Is right
or wrong in his estimate of the character
istics- OF the Russian peasant. 1t Is
merely to indicate the situation as 1t ap-
pears to disinterested spectators here In
Russia
On the other hand. be warned that rash
would sbe the man who knowing conditions
as they are would assume that these events
indicate any permanent success for the gov
ernment or any permanent progress toward
the restoration OF order. The whole empire
is certainly seething with discomfort, and
it is impossible to say In what quarter or In
what shape 1t may not again break out.
Even the troops which have remained true
on this occasion might at some critical mo-
ment in the future be all the reader to
listen to the arguments which the reyolu-
tionaries ncessantly hand out to them. In
the Baltic provinces 1t must be admitted
by all thatsthe Russian army has still to
carry out something resembling a work OF
reconquest. In Poland, too, which has been
conpa lively tranquil for a brief period of
time, though the Warsaw strike is said to
be fading away, there are reports of dis
turbances and of the destruction of railway
property and public property by the social
lists Evidently there is still plenty OF IN
f1ammable material in all sections of the
Russian empire, and there are numbers of
desperate men and women who are doing
their best to set it on fire. Whether the
resolute action on which the government
seems to have embarked will succeed is
problematical