The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-07-26
RUSSIA ON VERGE
OF GREAT UPRISING
DISSOLUTION OF DONNA BRINGS
ISSUE TO HEAD.
MUST DEPEND ON SOLDIERS
Government and People Stand Face to
Face, with the Army Holding
the Key That May Open
Door to Liberty.

| imperial ukaSe disSolYing parliament,
! which was promulgated early Sunday
morning, the curtain rose upon pos
sibly the last act in the great drama
of the Russian revolution.
The people and the government
! now stand face to face, and upon the
army depends the immediate issue.
Even should the government, how
| ever, succeed in restraining an out
break of the people the victory prob
ably will only be temporary and sim
ply confine the steam for the final ex-
plosion.
No one doubts the severity of the
storm which will rise in the country
in response to the emperor's dispersal
of the men whom he welcomed two
months ago in the winter palace as
the best men in Russia"
But the die is cast. The govern
ment has elected to fight, and the
capital Sunday bore eloquent testi-
rnony of the preparations made to
repress the masses by force. The
city was packed with soldiers and
resembled an armed camp.
Call Additional Troops.
During Saturday night additional
troops were brought in and disposed
according to plans previously adopt
ed. These requirements included
four infantry regiments Of the Chew
alier guard, Hussars, mounted gren-
adiers and battery of machine guns.
The troops occupied railroad stations
and the bridges across the rivers and
canals, and the patrols Of both police
and gendarmes were everywhere dou-
bled.
The work of gathering in revolu-
tionary agitators began Immediately
after the ukase placing st. Petersburg
in "a state of extraordinary security"
was promulgated, and hundreds of ar
rests were made before daylight.
The powers conferred upon NJ. Won
Der Launitz, project Of police, and NJ.
Zinovieff, governor of the province,
are little short of those of petty die
tators. Searches and arrests can be
made without process of law, newspa-
pers forced to suspend publication,
and persons deported by administra-
tive order without trial. Public and
private meetings are forbidden.
Those arrested may, If it is desired,
be tried by military court and sum-
marily executed. The only real diff
ference between extraordinary Sc
curity'' and full martial law is that
power is exercised by the so-called
civil instead of military authority.
Fear Rising of Peasantry.
Although the news of the dissolu-
ton of parliament spread like wild
fire among the members of the vari-
Gus political organizations the masses
here generally are hardly awake to
the momentous event. The news tray.
eled fast in the country and the gen.
eral expectation is that the peasantry,
accepting the dispersal of parliament
as the final blow to their hopes, will
rise en- masse.
The proletariat organizations have
been preparing for months for just
such provocation to declare open war.
1t is impossible to describe the con.
sternation with which the constitu-
tional democrats learned the news.
Although it had been bruited for three
days, the ukase was received by them
in blank amazement. Even Saturday
nights caucus did not believe the
government would dare to take the
threatened step, and seriously dis
cused the attitude to be taken to-
wards Minister of the Interior Stoly-
pin when he appeared in parliament
Monday to answer interpretations.
The government undoubtedly cal
culated on catching the opposition off
its guard, but if it expected to strike
terror to the hearts of the members
of parliament it has. failed, signally.
Some time ago when dissolution
seemed imminent the various groups
OF the opposition virtually agreed to
follow the example of their French
compatriots of the states general and
meet, If driven out of the Tauride
palace, wherever and whenever cir
cumstances dictated until a constitu-
ton was firmly established.
May Meet in Finland.
After hurried secret conference
Sunday morning it was decided, on
account Of the possibility of the meet
ing being broken up and the members
arrested, that they go Immediately to
Finland and decide upon the future
course to be pursued, and small
groups left Sunday afternoon and
evening by train. Whether word was
given them to meet at Viborg or Hell
singfors is unknown, but it seems
probable that Finland in future Rus
sian history will become synonymous
with "the Tennis Court" of the
French revolution. Even Count Hey.
den, the leader, and other MEMBER
of the right are understood to have
departed. 1t is quite improbable, hsw-
ever, that parliament as a body will
attempt to formally set up its author
ity against that of the government.
The yacillation which existed at
Peterhof, even to the last moment, is
evident from the fact that two drafts
OF the ukase declaring st. Petersburg
in a state OF extraordinary security
were ready. The stronger one, which
proclaimed full martial law, was dis
carded at the eleventh hour.