Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-22

tered a treasury car near Ragow in Poland,
got $S5O.O00, and disappeared.
Every deed Of that kind is done by Jews
and the massacres that have shocked the
the name was invented to describe them,
Pogrom. were organized and managed
by the exasperated police authorities in
| retaliation for crimes committed by the
Jewish revolutionists.
stolypin's Liberal Policy.
But Mr.. Stolypin has evidently arranged
| truce. He has crushed out the con-
spirators in the police department who or
ganized and directed the ''pogroms," and
has given the Jews more liberty and more
justice than they ever enjoyed before. He
has appointed a commission to prepare
law placing them upon the same foot
ing as Protestants. Roman Catholics and
members of ether religious faiths.
Mr.. Stolypin is an able, honest and brave
man, of broad horizon and liveral views
and high sense Of justice. He has al
ready done wonders. Every week some
important reform is ordered, some tyranni-
cal regulation revoked, some liberty con-
ferred, some concession granted He has
emancipated the heretical sect of the
Orthodox Greek Church known as the "Old
Believers" who have been prosecuted al
most as cruelty as the Jews. They are
now allowed to own property and build
schools and publish books containing their
doctrines. they are allowed to marry with
Out the SANCTION or the ORTHODOX Church,
their sons admitted into the military
schools and are eligible to positions in the
civil service.
Stolypin has also removed the ban which
prevented peasants from entering the civil
service. which is one of the most striking
departures from the traditional regulations
OF the autocratic regime He has removed
all distinctions concerning appointments
under the state.
He has endeavored to bring the peasants
to the support of his administration by
Fastening the distribution of land which
they have so long and so earnestly de-
, manded He has appointed a commission
10 survey, appraise and allot the crown
and state lands fast as leases expire or
can be cancelled. He has purchased a
number of large estates from private pro-
prietors who We're willing to sell and is
trying to settle the land question himself
before the new duma can take 1t out of
his hands.
He has RENTED to the peasants their
arrears in payment for lands now occu-
pied and for back taxes to the amount of
$31 100000. He has sisued law permitting
peasants to mortgage their lands to obtain
money for improvements, for the purchase
OF implements and for obtaining additional
land. TO prevent extortion the transaction
must be conducted with government banks
and the rate of interest Is fixed
After January l peasants may select
their own residences, which has never been
permitted before They can live where
they like and move about the empire at
their birthplace without the permission of
the elders. He has released them from the
communal system, which was tyrannical
and has relieved individuals from response
b1lities for the debts of the community.
Peasants may now enter educational insti-
tutions, or obtain civil employment without
presenting discharge papers to show that
they have done military service. In ether
words, all Russian subjects of whatever
rank or station of whatever religion or
race, have been placed upon an equality.
Some of stolypin's Reforms.
Stolypin has reduced the working day of
employees in government shops from twelve
to ten hours, he has commission engaged
In drawing up broad system for universal
primary education, which will involve an
expenditure of s103, 100000 annually. He
has made grant of five million roubles
chargeable to next years budget for the
erection of school houses in the rural dis
tricts, and has issued an order to the edu-
cation department to increase the salaries
of school teachers.
In addition to these reforms already
granted Mr.. Stolypin is preparing a num-
Der of important measures which will be
laid before the duma when II meets. Many
of them are intended to specify the rights,
liberties and privileges granted by the car
in the fundamental law or constitution pro-
claimed on the 10th of May last. These
ings, and are generally liberal, but prohibit
personal abuse and Incorporate criticism of
the government. There are several laws in
preparation for the benefit of the working
classes, including state insurance, the
Nobility of employers for accidents and
other measures borrowed from Germany.
1t Is proposed to increase the revenues
by income tax on the same basis as
that Of England and by making the i'm
portatlon and sale of tea a government
monopoly, like the manufacture and sale
of liquor. In case moderate and conser-
vative douma is elected Mr.. Stolypin will
submit the draft of a law bringing the
officials of the government within the
jurisdiction of the courts which will de-
stroy the most vital prerogative of the
bureaucracy.
Reactionaries Not Interfering.
There is no evidence that the grand
dukes or other reactionaries are interfer-
ing with these reforms. 1 have the high
est authority for saying that the empress
dowager and the Grand Duke Vladimir ap-
prove them, and if the car permits them
to be carried out he may recover the con-
fidence and the loyalty of his subjects |
When a ruler has lost his faith in his peo- |
pie and q people have lost faith in their |
ruler the case is almost hopeless. Every |
body in Russia agrees that the autocracy |
must go even the imperial family will adj |
NIT that it is out of fashion and incon- |
SlStent WIN modern clVlllZat1On. But it |
is perfectly natural that the car of all |
the Russias should object to the sur
render of his power and prerogatives, in
herited from long line of autocrats. But
sooner or later he will be Invested of them
Already, as you have seen, many of them
have been stripped off. His weakness.
however, is the safety of the empire. Every
thoughtful man among the liberal party
prays. If he prays at all, that the life of
Nicholas II may be preserved, for his
vacillation and indecison furnish an elias
ITCHY that is like spring in the bumpers
of a railway car to soften the shock of
frequent collisions between the people and
the autocracy. In other words, the liberal
leaders believe that it is much better for
the present peace and the future welfare
of Russia to have a weak man ra Their than
a strong man to deal with, and that his
frequent changes of policy and his in
trinity of purpose will serve them better
than the stubborn resistance of a stern
and determined sovereign, as his father
was.
Although the car is voluntary prisoner
his life is not in danger except from some
insane assassin. Nevertheless there is an
always present apprehension of danger.
His majestys proclamation dissolving the
duma was pasted upon the door of the
rTanrjda which rlj