Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-06-07
RUSSIA AT A CRISIS.
SITUATION SIMILAR TO. THAT OF
FRANCE A CENTURY AGO.
Developments at st. Petersburg Sim
liar to Conditions in Paris Pre-
cedfng the French Revolution
Douma's Defiance of Gar

For a parallel to the present devel-
opments at st. Petersburg one must go
back to the situation which prevailed
in Paris in the days preceulng the
French revolution. In many respects
the crisis which the Car faces rese.n-
bles that which confronted Louis XVI.
more than a century ago when the
states general, resuscitated after a
lapse of nearly 200 years, asserted its
demand for legislative rights and a
constitution. Now, as then, monarch
and legislators have clashed upon the
question of their relations and respec-
tive powers. Now, as then, the rulers
failure to satisfy the asSembly's de-
mands has provoked a menacing storm
of Indignation. Saturdays speeches in
the douma in response to the Cars
announcement of his program are strik-
ingly reminiscent of the utterances of
Mirabeau and his colleagues when they
declared that having been convened by
the will of the people bayonets alone
should disperSe them.
As the imperial ministers in their
reply to the douma refuse some of its
most important demands and are eXas-
peratingly equivocal regarding others.
the hot anger Of the progressives is
easy to understand. Briefly summar-
lied, the douma's demands were for
general amnesty, the revision of the
fundamental law, the abolition of the
council of the empire, a ministry re-
sponsible to the parliament and the
appropriation Of crown lands to be
distributed among the farming classes.
The Car in his effort to steer a safe
middle course has found it impossible
to grant most of these requests. He
promises ameliorative measures, includ-
ing a provision for universal education,
system of local autonomy, the early
release of many prisoners arrested by
administrative orders and steps to in
crease the farmers holdings of land.
But he practically reaffirms the princi-
pie of autOcracy and decline to grant
a responsible ministry or adopt other
reforms calculated to transfer power
from the administrative to the legisla-
tive branch of government.
The douma's reply to these counter
proposals has been prompt and vehe-
ment. 1t denounces the ministerial
program in emphatic terms, declares its
complete distrust in an irresponsible
ministry" and demands the immediate
resignation of the present cabinet as
not having its confidence. Whether this
historic moment in Russia marks the
parting of the ways for the Car and
his people, with revolution imminent,
depends largely upon the tact and skill
with which Nicholas handles the situa-
ton. His position is extremely deli
cate. Aside from the difficult problems
involved in the creation of a new par
he must try to placate con-
f1icting and wholly irreconcilable ele-
ments. To override the douma's de-
mands is to put the empire in jeop-
ardy. To accede to them is to increase
greatly the douma's influence as true
constituent, representative assembly.
The terrorists have seized upon the
occasion to inaugurate a new reign of
laWlessness and assassination, and
Sunday saw the murder of NJ Shata-
loft, warden of the st. Petersburg city
prison, and the attempted murder of
Governor General Timoseieff and Chief
Of Police Martinoff at Tifiis. Bombs
were thrown throughout the entire en-
pire and many persons were killed and
injured.
At SebastopOl in bomb outrage dur
ing the review of troops after the cele-
bration of the anniversary of the en-
peror's coronation eleven persons were |
killed, including five children, and over
100 persons were wounded.