Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-01-11
WITTE Determined
TO SAVE RUSSIA
Says Attitude of Moderates
Compelled Harshness.
REBELS ABUSE THEIR LIBERTIES
Revolutlonists Reported To Be Keeping
a List Of Refugee Land Owners So
That They May conflseate Their Es
tates, If Successful.

st Petersburg, Jan. 1O.-Premiel
Witte today made an interesting state
ment to delegation headed by the
mayor OF this city which requested a
relaxation of the orders of the prefect
OF police against meetings in the inLer
est OF the electoral campaign. The
premier could not promise to DO any
thing until after Jan %. While
personally he did not sympatnize with
the harsh measures of Interior Min
lister Durnovo. ne regarded them as es
sentlal. The premier could not as
Eume the responsibility for a course
which, II it resulted in bloodshed
would make him scapegoat. He
spoke bitterly of the failure of the mod
crates to give the government support
saying that on their shoulders largely
rests the burden of compelling the
government to resort to repression. He
added:
The emperor in the manifesto OF
Oct. 80 at one stroke granted the peo
PIE more rights than any monarch aad
ever before given, but you know the at
rltude which Russian society assum
ed. The governments appeals fOl
confidence were rejected and every lib
erty granted was abused by the revo
lution1sts. Tle permission to hole
meetings was translated into the ex
cuse for disturbances and assemblages
to plot against the life of tle govern
ment and the Industrial ruin of tn,
country. j have always been opposed
to repression but the attitude of the
moderates compelled me to adopt
harsh methods l am determined tGI
save Russia"
WhlIe the emperor wanted the ma
tipnal assembly to meet as early al
possible, Premier Witte said that those
charged with the election, fear it will
be impossible for it to assemble before
April 28th
Speaking of the innWmerabe diff
culties which the government was con
fronted, the premier openly stated tha
many OF the provincial authorities con
tinued to act independently, as in Mos
COW, where, before the revolt, neither
the governor general, the governor nol
the prefect of polio informed him o.
the conditions prevailing there Htl
said the Moscow disturbances was
more seriously than people generally
believed.
Recounting a remarkable inciden
that heretofore had escaped notice. the
premier said:
AT one time all the stations except
the Nicholas deport were in the hand:
of the revolutionists. The later ir
desperation started train hauling two
cars loaded with dynamite at full speec
for the station, with the intention OF
blowing it up. A frightfuI disaster
was averted by a time warning of the
plot, which enabled the authorities tc
have military train with steam uE
ready on parallel track AS the
dynamite train arrived, soldiers from
the military train running alongside
entered the engine ad managed to<
piecer the boiler of the locomotive
stopping the ira n before it reached
its destination"
In conclusion he said two laws were
being prepared to define the counse
of the empire relations to the nationa
| assembly. The former would be com
posed of 176 members, half of them ap
pointed by the emperor, and half elect
ed. The latter would include g.
zemstoyists, Is members of the nobili
ty, and II representatives of trade ant
industry, while the clergy, Poland, the
Caucasus, and the border provinces
would each have six representatives
1t is reported that the revolutionisGs
are keeping list Of land owners who
have fed or are fleeing abroad with
the intention, if the revolution is sue
cessful, Of cOnfscating their estates
The latest news from Trans -Caucasis
| is that a complete revolution prevails
in Georgia and Mongrelia. The vice
roy is withdrawing all the troops avail
| able north of Vladikavkaz for service
In the revolutionary territories