New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-28
THE STATE OF RUSSIA.

Russian affairs have fallen somewhat out Of
public notice lately in the profusion Of more
novel topics but they have by no means lost
their interest or importance. 1t is quite obvious
that both revolutionary and repreSsive passions
are raging with undiminished fury. 1nSurrec-
ton is rife in Siberia and in the Caucasus. and
is not suppressed in the Baltic provinces. We
hear Of a governor arbitrarily imposing heavy
6aily fines upon men who refrain from work
ing and upon tradesmen who close their places
of buslness-a measure OF coercion unprece-
dented In any land where slavery does not
exist. On the other hand, we also hear Of revo-
lutionists who assaSsinated the wrong man by
mistake, and thereupOn publicly apOlOgized for
so doing and promised to rectify the matter by
killing the right man!
In spite Of these grewsome incidents. there
is ample reason TO believe that steady progress
is being made toward a vastly improved state
Of affairs. It is true Count White is reported
as saying he is opposed to any further grants
to the people at this time. That does not mean
reaction, but merely Discrimination to go ahead
too fast and a determination to complete the
work already in hand before undertaking more
an eminently sound policy. 1t was recently
reported that he had expressed reactionary
views and had threatened a revocation Of the
reform DEGREES of October hast In those stories
there was not word Of truth. Count Witte
D as put his hand to the plough. and has not
turned or looked back. He has not halted
in the great work OF constructing a constiU
tional and representative government. The pro
gramme of October so last is to be executed
to the letter and in spirit. Repressive meas
ures may and must be exercised meantime, but
they are intended not TO defeat but to promote
and TO insure that end
1t must be remembered that the revolution
lists who are now active are largely revolving
not against autOCracy, but against cOnstitu-
tionalism. They are opposed to the dOuma as
much as to the grand dukes. They hate q
constitution as much as a car. They would
conspire against a republic as much as against
an empire. Their ideal is anarchy. We can
not greatly wonder at the rise Of such mad
passions in Russia, seeing the pTOvOcatiOn there
has been in two centuries Of Czarism. Yet it
is perfectly obvious that such movements must
be depressed if Russia is to have free and
enlightened government and must be repressed
even, if necessary, with ineXorable force. 1t
is such repression. for the sake Of freedom and
progress, that Count Wtte is now exercising
and It is as necessary for him TO do so as it
was for him to persuade the Gar to issue his
reform decree. Freedom and order must be one
and inseparable 1t is to he noted as con-
firmation of the Cars good faith and earnest
ness in moving for a constitution, that he has
taken the work of preparing the constitution
away from the bureaucratic committee that
has had It in charge and has RENTED it TO
the douma, when that body shall be chosen by
the popular electorate. That act should he suf
f1cient to dspel all notions Of reaction or aban-
donment Of reform All that is needed is for
all the elements Of order and progress TO stand
together against their foes TO assure the tri-
umph of liberalism and enlightenment