The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-14
RuSsIAN KOMENs POLITrcs.

81. PETERSBURG, Sept. 9O.-In Russia you
can tell at a glance the political complexion
e a public gathering II there are any
women present. II the crowd II exclusively
Of men you may he sure that you have
encountered the league OF real Russian
men, the redoubtable Black Hundred.
Their devotional shouttngs OF Bless tbs
Czar' Beat the Jewsi- and their holding
aloft Of holy ikOns and chanting fragments
Of the Orthodox service are clearly not ths
kind OF emotional politics that appeals to
Russian ~womAnkind. Neither have the
moderate progressives any female follow
ing. No woman Kraced the sittings OF
the Council Of Empire, although the cham
Der was handsome and the robes Of the
members made a most picturesque show.
Until you got to the Duma and TO the left
wing Of its Democratic majority you rarely
heard the feminine voice. Il was not
raised to encourage Count Heyden and his
elderly Octobrist friends. But it was In
~sistent, ubiquitous. shril IN the ranks OF
the Group OF Toll.
The resumption Of university education
his week has furnished the first chance
since the dispersal Of the Duma for young
people to get together daily; n the spec-
tacle is not changed. The demand OF tho
woman student is for revolutionary politics
always. Mr.. Jelkin, who was himself leader
OF the Group Of Toll in the Duma. gives .
sketch OF the proceedings at the Women's
Medical Institute, where the students de-
cided by an overwhelming majority that
political questions must take precedence
OF academic. Pleas for scientific instruc-
ton were drowned in the revolutionary
turmoil. A corpulent lady, nervous and
frenzied, mounted a chair n cried: Com
rades! Before everything We must decide
on the academic question. We must learn.
The people need our learning. Politics Is
doubtless important, but for US IL should
be secondary. Many women students are
sitting impatiently in the provinces. wait
ing for our institute to open. We must
answer the question. Study or not study?'
Let those who will be the politicians. In
our alma mater they should play no part
A very slight and shamefaoed applause
for this was overwhelmed In an ear split
ting uproar OF yells and Kisses. An angry
faced, haggard young woman sprang IN a
chair and screamed above the din: is there
such a monstrous creature among US who
finds she can now sit quietly still and work?
No; / can't believe it, This brought great
cheers. Others tried to be heard above
the storm. but you could distin guish only
such words, repeated again and again, as
battle, y Organization -~proletariat' and
-toiling ~peasantry." They ended by adopt
ing by reclamation a resolution TO mass all
their forces for the support Of the people
and to condemn as shameful and criminal
all who under present conditions tried to
study quietly.
Science cried a tall young brunette ,
lis something great and holy. Without
! science no progress is possible. But We
live in terrible times. when the people are
rallying their forces for reform. Can we
at such a moment isolate the people2 No;
We will open the institute, we will study;
that is a mean toSRn end. even il We had
instead Of our obligatory courses Of study.
the order to learn the Japanese or Chinese
language we would still do il, for it would
leave US our institute where we can con-
centrate and organize our forces. Our
duty, our only duty, is to prepare ourselves.
Frantic cheers greeted these remarks.
The student element" cried another
woman. has played cut its leading. indie
pendent role. 1t can now work only in
the ranks OF the radical parties. with the
/ proletariat, with the peasantry, and l ask
all our newly joined women comrades to
join that party Red hot radicalism in
spired all the speeches. One girl created
a diversion by screaming out, when the
resolution to agitate among the people was
passed: Il belong to no party. l am free,
Who dares try to condemn me7 Speak,
Here l ami l am myself a peasant girl
All my class must feel as free a l. In
her ~gesticulations her hair came down
and probably this brought her speech Il ar
end prematurely. A little pale young
woman followed her. She said: Naturally
those who have the strength work for the
radicals. They go among the people
They sre heroes, and / bow before them
But am weak; I oannot do anything; and
there are many like me. What can 1 dc
when | go back home? Life drags there
so meanly, conditions are so narrow and
wither out; mentally I cease to be. Blu
this institute inspires. lifts and develops
us. 1t is for that we weaker ones want il
kept open that we may learn"
We don't want YEA ones,' cried back
the other women in the hall. The veal
and the sick are no use in battle" And
with that the women medical students
passed their resolution to organize tbs pee.
pies revolution.