New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-05-28
TIE PERIL OF RUSSIA.

''The pity Of it," would be the comment or all
thoughtful men, if haplessly the menace OF ule
day should be fulfilled and there should ARISE
an omen strife between the Douma and the
Gar For SO much progress has been made
t.ward peaceful emancipation of the Russian
people there is so much of good and reason
and benevolence on both sides, and there Is so
engaging and inspiring promise of perfect con
summation of the work, that it would be la
mentable beyond all expression TO have disaster
precipitated at this time over some technical
detail some minor incOmpatibility, or some fac
titious wrangle about precedence. With so
many aims In common, it would be disheart-
ening for the Emperor and his parliament to
let their paths diverge. With so many points
of agreement, il would be pitiable for them TO
disagree.
The imperial reply to the Douma is regarded
as unsatisfactory. 1T contradicts the demands
EXPRESSED in the address," But is that exactly
so? Some demands are denied, it is true as
some of them should he. Some are postponed,
as some Of them should be- But some. and by
no means the least important are granted. The
government will agree TO extension of the fran
chise II will move for amelioraton OF the
state of the peasants and of the working people,
for universal education for transferring more
of the burden of taxation TO the rich. for in
crease of local self government for increased
and of meeting and association. and for special
recognition of the needs of Poland, Georgia and
other non Russian provinces. 1t will grant the
widest amnesty compatible with public order
and safety. 1t will so reorganize the Judiciary
and other public services as 10 secure for them
the confidence of the people. 1t will adopt eff
fective measures for providing the peasantry
with freehold lands. Surely, these and the other
things specifically promised are not contra
diction of the demands Of the Douma. On the
contrary. they are a very large granting Of those
demands. and they certainly form as large
programme of constructive legislation as the
Douma can reasonably hope TO execute In the
first year of its existence.
What then is the trouble? So far as we are
able 10 perceive from the reports Of the de
bate in the Donna, these points Of agreement
are largely overlooked, and nearly all attention
is paid 10 three points Of disagreement, as fol-
lows: The refusal of the imperial government
TO grant universal and indiscriminate amnesty;
To repeal exceptional laws until the need for
them has passed. and TO conhscate crown and
church lands and private estates. These are the
three things at which the Donna takes offence
and on account of which there are threats of
wrecking the whole reformed system and of
plunging the empire into violent revolution.
Now, the keenest sympathy with Russian aspi-
rations for freedom does not forbid grave
doubts as 10 the wisdom and expediency OF the
Doumas making issue with the Car on those
points. Even were the imperial government
manifestly in the wrong concerning them, it
might be well. in view of the other great con-
cessiOnS made, 10 waive them for a time But
believe the sober thought of the world will
he that the government is not in the wrong. but
rather that the demands of the DOuma are in
judicous and unreasonable.
II Is IN ir,S 70 10 nd in ifS
name. amnesty for bank robbers and murierers
II should be evident also that where it has been
necessary 10 adopt special laws the need must
end before the laws are repealed. Thus. in
some places martial law has been declared for
the suppression of disorder The Douma says,
Withdraw the law, and disorder will cease"
The Gar says. stop the disorder. and the law
Will be repealed" We are inclined to think the
world generally will regard the order of proce-
dure prescribed by the Gar as preferable to
that demanded by the Douma. As for the third
! point, il is convincingly explained in the gov
I eTnment's reply that the government cannot de
! 'prive one party of its possessions in order TO
/ ''bestOw them on another" 1t ought to be evi-
I dent TO the mind of every moujik that If the
government were 10 cOnfiscate the estates of the
/ large land owners in order to give them 70 the
peasants, there would be no assurance that the
farm of one peasant might not similarly be con-
hscated in order TO give it TO another.
The woe Of Russia is, or threatens 10 be- in
failure 10 recognize the essential and indis-
pensable relationship between law and liberty.
We cannot blame the people and the Douma for
regarding law without liberty as an intolerable
oppression, but we must hope that they will no
less clearly perceive that liberty without law
would be equally intolerable There has been
no wiser or more truly benevolent utterance in
this whole Russian revolution than that of the
government when, in its reply to the DOuma,
II said II was necessary, in preparing laws for
greater liberty. ito provide the administration
with effective means 70 prevent or coanteract
any abuse Of the liberties conceded If the
Douma should object to that il would be object
ing TO principle which is fundamental TO the
freeSt governments in the world.