The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-03
In Retirement He viii View
National Events
ANONYMOUSLY DISMISSED
M. Goremykin Is Elected as His Sue
cessor-Was Exposed BY Wltte
In 1899, and Is the Pre-
mier's Enemy.

st. Petersburg. May 2.-The official an
nouncement that Premier Witte's resigna-
ton had been accepted. coupled with the
statement that former Minister of the
Interior Goremykin would succeed him,
was made today. In view of .he publica-
tlons of the last few days the former
statement did not come as a surprise,
but M. Goremykins election to the pre-
miershp created amazement. He is not
only regarded as reactionary. but the
general opinion is that he is not equal
to the task of facing the coming crisis
Count Whites retirement from public
life is complete.
There is now no question of his ap-
pointment to be president OF the council
of the empire. and although it is ru-
mored that lie may be asked to act us
chairman of the finance committee, ii is
learned that this is incorrect Count Witte
will again assume the role of a spectator
of the great events which are transpir-
ing returning to private life from which
he was summoned last summer TO ncgo-
tate the peace of Portsmouth.
The work of removing his furniture from
the annex of the Winter Palace to his
old residence on Yelagin Island, has al
ready begun. While reasons of health are
assigned for his retirement 1t must be
| accepted as Il victory for the reactionists
| at court Count Witte simply served the
Emperor's purpose as a barrier between
him and the people during the trying
months of the revolution. and now that
the uprising is suppressed, and the treas
ury again replenished. the count has been
| isnominousiy dismissed.
Exposed BY Witte.
NJ. GoremylSin, the new premier. was
exposed by .Witte In 1899. and since then
has been the retiring premier's unrelent-
ing enemy At that time the former min
ister of the interior made report to
! the Emperor to the effect that the stories
of famine and suffering which were said
to exist in certain provinces, we're un-
| true. Witte. who was then minister OF
! finance. thereupon produced documents 10
prove that the conditions in the interior
! were as they had been represented to
be- When the Emperor confronted NJ
! Goremylxin with this he is said to have
fallen on his knees before the Emperor;
to have wept and to have begged his Tor
| giveness The minister was so overcome
| that the Emperor himself brought him
| a glass of water. Later NJ. Goremykin
| took part in the Won Plehve cabal which
drove Witte from the ministry of finance
in 1903.
! NJ Coremykin is considered a mediocre
man of insignificant appearance, as well
as capabllity. He wears side Whiskers
and looks like an English butler. For some
time he has been called liberal, ana
was In contact with such men as Won
Plehve and M. Siplaguine, the late interior
minister He began his career in the MIN
| istry of justice becoming assistant MN
| lister. from which post he WAS called IN
1895 as protege of the Dowager Empress
| to become minister of the interior.
The Student Troubles.
The student troubles, the forerunners
| of the recent revolution, were Just theh
beginning and NJ Goremykin lacked the
| energy necessary to end them. and ne
was supplanted In 1879 by NJ. Siplagulne.
| Last year when Interior Minister Dur
rovo legislated out of existence the rural
commission of which he was president
and which had been investigating the
| agrarian question several years, NJ. Co
| remyl<in was appointed head of the agri-
| cult,ral commission which supplanted II.
| When he became PREMIER Witte retail
ated on NJ Goremykin by dissolving tns
| agricultural commission.
The new premier comes from noble
i but not prominent family OF Novgorod
i pro vince where his estates are situated.
What other changes in' the cabinet are
irvolved in Count Wits retirement have
| htt fg Thought
Fmneror intends to heed the voice OF
tho country by calling representatives OF
| the constitutional democrats to power.
| n Is stated positively that NJ. Goremy-
| kir and Interior Minister Durnovo had
a falling out recently and that the lat
| ter's continuance In the cabinet is i'm
| possible.
! Count Witte who is unquestionably the
| biggest man In the public life. goes ont
| ,fnwept and unsung. and amid the. re-
] ioicing of the reactcnists who hate him
| and the liberals who d.-trust him. Yet
! even today II is predicted that when the
| next great crisis comes the Emperor will
be forced to summon Witte from his re-
| tirement
| PrIvy Councillor Goremykin.
| Privy Councillor Goremykin was min
| lister of the interior from 1895 to 1899. and
| has taken n prominent part in Russian
political life. especially during the revo-
| lutionary period Of the last few years.
| He IL greatly intereste din agrarian sub
| iects. and In April 1903. Emperor Mich
| oIas appointed him chairman OF the spe-
| cial commission formed In IN endeavor
to check the agrarian movement which
was causing considerable disturbance in
the Caucasus. The question WAS so vast.
! however that up 10 the present time no
definite report has been made by the COM
mission. although K was rumored in Oc-
| tober. 1905. that n measure had been
| drafted providing for the distribution OF
state lands to the peasants on easy
| terms The administration of NJ. Go
| remykin as minister of the interior
not marked by any of the harshness
| which had been so prevalent during the
| adnlinsfratio of several Of his predeces-
sors. and his name has never been men
| toned one Of the likely victims OF
| the terrorists. who assassinated two a