The Paducah sun., 1906-05-11
OPENING OF
RUSSIA'S DOUMA
Effected without a Hitch But
With Some Significance.
Emperor Nicholas Appeared Sur
rounded by All Pomp and the
Panoply Of Power
CHEERED ONLY BY SUPPORTERS


out a single hitch and with only a
minor incident to make a memora-
BILE day the Russian parliament was
lnaugurated. The stage management
of the impressive ceremony at the
Winter Palace where Emperor Mich
olas. surrounded by courtiers and all
the pomp and panoply of power, de-
livered his speech from the throne 10
the members of the two houses was
perfect. Such spectacle, perhaps,
never before had been witnessed on
the earth's stage.
The message in reality was less a
throne speech than a greeting and
required only three minutes for de-
livery. Emperor Nicholas read slowly
and admirably. Even the cordial tone
of the sovereign in renewing his
pledges and asking the cooperation
of the parliament for the regenera-
tion of the country was only mega
lively satisfactory.
Only Supporters Cheered.
Courtiers and spectators, other
than members OF the national parlia-
ment, led the cheering. but the mem
bers were ominously silent, express
ing neither approval nor disapproval.
What ranked most was the failure
OF the emperor to mention am' ssty
and later when the members 4 en-
bled in the Tauride Palace away
from the spell of the throne room,
many of them were with difficulty re-
strained from participating in the
matter by Offering resolutions on the
subject.
The constitutional democratic lead
ers. however, who dominated every
thing. were anxious not to weaken
the reply which the lower house will
prepare to the speech from the
throne. In which the issues with the
crown will be joined. and succeeded
in staving off premature action.
Contrasting Scenes.
The scene around Taurlde Palace
was in striking contrast with that at
the Winter Palace. Each, indeed was
typical and told an eloquent story
At Tauride Palace tens of thousands
of people were acclaiming their rep
resentatives; at the Winter Palace
legions OF military and courtiers by
the hundreds cheered for the emper-
or. Nevertheless the proceedings of
the lower house were not spectacu-
lar; in fact they we're almost tame in
comparison with those at the Winter
Palace.
The only genuine flashes of fire
which showed the real temper of the
members of the house were when
Prof. Mouromstoff, who had been
elected president of the house. invit-
ed the government officials and
clerks to leave the hall and when
Ivan Petrunkevitch, in few elo-
quent words from the rostrum, told
his auditors that the first thought Of
the parliament should be for those
who had suffered in the cause of lib
erty, and now filed prisons and
whose arms were stretched out in the
hope and confidence to the peoples
representatives More enthusiastic
cheering than that which greeted this
appeal never was heard in a political
convention anywhere.
"Constitution and amnesty" were
the keynotes of Mouramstoff's speech
4 "Foolish Dreamer's" Dream.
BY the irony of fate, Ivan Petrun-
kevltch. whose first mention of the
word constitution 12 years ago was
dismissed by Emperor Nicholas II.
as "a foolish dreamer" stood in the
front rank of the members of the
representative chambers while En-
peror Nicholas put his final seal up
on the Russian parliament and beg
ged the representatives of the people
to cooperate with him in working
for the welfare of the country.
The lower house of parliament ad-
journed over day. in order not TO
interfere with the opening exercises
of the council of the empire and also
to permit the committee of consr-
tutional democrats to consider the
reply to the speech from the throne.
Witte, the 'Ex-Pemier.
A pathetic figure in the scene at the
palace was that of Count Witte, of
whom the correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press caught glimpse before
the ceremony. pacing the corridor,
entirely. alone. Later he entered the
throne hall clad in the gold and black
uniform of secretary of state one
OF the highest dlgnitaries OF the
court, which still remains to him,
and with the ribbon OF the Alexander
Nevsky order on his breast. lie took
his place in the ranks of the bureau
acy. Former Interior Minister Minis
ter Durnovo was there too, chatting
intimately and earnestly with mis-
companions. but Witte seemed to find
a cold welcome from everyone. FL