The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-31

fImDiffe fhafa pHH y HiafAhN ~
~ - committed snd hist ess 'hs 20
f5ssl stfher ~ ifdnfar ~ ~ fsEeiks fh@
demand pI' i7s'h w. 30 Dins tha'
Mlsistsfs shal - sssDub'sbis ~ 'hs
te0piss representative
u has iyf soms time besn ob7lols
that shss CnHh, Wits f~~igna'I0n ~
fha Premiership tho fsa etiohis's have
acquired p~seppndsfant ihhIsnfe ~
pe'sfhof md that II The IN bad
bon a man ~ ibHeribie pIfps-e he
sDIld either havs postponed b mHs'-
M ~ tho fpImA un IN" rrn'sF ~
another ar si-s 10 would ave i~i-T@rssd
u nv fotce from The moment y '@'raY"d
mn ~iriarerder' spir' y = doubtless
true that ry rrsor- ng " either of thD-s
e~raadrn'a he mIgi' have forfeited N"
,onhdonoo - the Par- h~nancisr-, but hs
and M. councillors might have argued
that u i better 30 I1-e 'he good will u
money Lenders than 90 lOse a crown.
Events have shown. however. that
NICHOLAS If. while willing enough 20
wound. IL vet afraid 20 strike A hesi-
,an'. waysfing. futtsring being. he u
a poor tool IN the hands Of the stalwart
dej~nderz - autocrscy. a. he has been
an un'rIst worthy supporter Of high
minded and far sighted advisers. A
ludlcrously unqualified 70 pilot the ship
of state through stormy seas az was
LOUIS XVI. he presents to-day q pitiful
spectacle. Challenged by the spokes-
men u his subjects, he has not even the
brute courage to pluck the gauntlet
from the ground. He shrinks from
meeting them in the field, yet he dare
| not disarn them by adequate conces-
siDns, for he shiveTs at the thought
Of the reactiOnlsts who throng his
palace and he IL haunted by the dread
Of assassination. 10 which at least two
Of his predecessors fell victims at the
hands Of courtiers. Such was the fate
Of PETER III. and PAUL !. The present
Car is neither NICHOLAS ]. nor ALEX
AMBER II. He neither attempts 10 stlhe
nor decides to echo the cutlery for re-
form. He steer neither way. He drifts.
A moments reflection will show that
an indecisive attitude Is the worst posi-
BILE one that could be taken at this critical
conjuncture. When last week the Duma
by an almost unanimous vote rejected
the Ministerial programme announced
by Premier GoREMYKIS and insisted
on the substitution Of a Ministry that
should have it's confidence, the demand
should have been granted at once or
else the popular assembly should have
been dissolved on the specious pretext
that it had violated the so-called Funda-
mental Law promulgated on May Z. IL
the Cars counsellors, with an eye on
Paris, deemed it prudent still TO adhere
~ostensibly to the scheme Of representa-
tive institutions, they should have taken
a leaf from the book OF LOUIS NAPOLEON
and have ordered forthwith a new
general election TO be conducted on the
basis Of universal suffrage. Then a
course could have been adopted which
Count WITIE refused to pursue, that is,
the whole tremendous machinery OF
seduction and coercion which ia at the
disposal OF the Government could have
been applied To the electorate. But il
recourse was to be made TO that dishon-
eat e1 pedient there should have been no
delay. With every hour the conviction
is becoming more widespread and more
deep rooted among the peasants that
their once beloved Little Father is no
longer worthy OF their trust and that
they must look for relief from famine
to the Duma and not to the sovereign.
With every hour the rank and file OF the
regular army, with possibly the transient
exception Of the Imperial Guards, is
becoming irremediably infected with the
spirit Of revolution. How could II be
otherwise? Are not the private soldiers
the Sons and brothers OF the starving
peasants?
We repeat that under the circum-
stances the worst possible conclusion
Mt which the Car could arrive is pre-
cisely that which his shifty nature has
led him to form. He has made up his
mind, VIC are told, to take no formal
note OF the Dumas demand for a
responsible Ministry. but on the other
hand to refrain from any official act
likely to exasperate the peoples repre-
SrntatlVeh, ulu W "hiI putichtiy uhtii
the end Of June, when the members OF
the Duma will naturally desire a long
vacation, and may be assumed, there
fore, not to object to a propagation,
NICHOLAS III. appears not to see that
such a policy Of temporization requires
the assent OF both parties to the con-
troversy. Suppose the Duma should
refuse to hear a word from any member
OF the censured Ministry and should
drive from the Chamber with execration
any one who tried TO make a statement,
Would 1t be possible for a ~self-respectine
sovereign TO overlook such houting ol
his ~lieutenants ? Then again, suppose
the Duma when the end OF June arrives
should treat the ukase proroguing II
with defiance and derision? 1t would
but initiate the course followed by the
Long Parliament and by the French
National Assembly, both Of which bodies
when the crisis came declared them
selves in permanent session. We doubt
if there is n single member Of the Dumt