The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-17
No General Strike in Russia
Seems Probable Now.
There Is Strong Sentiment
Against 1t Among Leaders.
THE PRESS is SILENT.
Threats of the Officials Have
the Desired Effect.
Make Extremely Guarded Com
ments on the Situation.

st. Petersburg. June The chances
| OF the proclamation of a general strike
| i' answer to the governments coup
d'etat are steadily lessening. The ques-
| ton is now under discussion at a secret
| conference of the central committee Of
the social Democrats, which is being
held in Finland, but strong current of
opposition is known to prevail, not only
on the part of the moderate leaders,
but also among the adherents of the
radical members A fraction of the
z1oderates urge that the government is
now so strongly entrenched that a
strike would be futile and only weaken
the prestige of the party and involve the
rank and file and the industrial pro-
letarfat generally in series OF reprisals
and immense pecuniary loss.
The conference which is attended by
all the members of the lower house, who
have not been arrested probably will
content itself with issuing a series of
proclamations addressed to the peasan-
try, the army and navy and the work
men, accusing the government of vio-
lating faith with the country by alter
ing the election law in defiance of the
imperial pledges and appealing to the
masses to continue the fight to over
throw the existing regime The social
revolutionists at a conference held last
night declared against the proposed
strike and appointed a committee to
draft an address to the peaSantry, the
army and navy, and the workmen. The
National Socialist and group of toll
members also are contemplating the is
suance of manifestes to their constit-
uents.
in the empire announce that the news
of the dissolution of parliament was re-
ceived quietly and with almost an en-
tire absence of demonstrations. Even
a. nj n T,or
Cured. The project of police of Kiev
issued orders that no demonstrations on
the part of the reactionists or revolu-
tionists be allowed and that no open
discussion of the evolution of parliament
be permitted. The course of General
Drachiensky, prefect of police of St
Petersburg, in prohibiting hostile crit
icism of the government was followed
almost universally by the governors
general throughout Russia. completely
muzzling the liberal press.
Guarded Comment.
The few newspapers appearing here
today make extremely guarded COM
ments on the situation, the radical Russ
contenting itself with expressing the
hope that two election campaigns in one
year will widen the political horizon Of
the people and make them firm adher-
ents of the idea of parliamentarism.
The Novoe Vremya, which has align
ed itself with the reactionists attacks
the new election law as a half way
measure affording the possibility that
the revolutionary elements will again
be able to enter parliament.
A close study of the new election
law which is bulky document of so
pages of complicated phraseology. has
somewhat dispelled the feeling of gloom
in liberal circles. The idea is gaining
ground that the government has failed
in its intention and that there is a
possibility there will be an oppositional
ma ajority in the third parliament as in
the case of it's predecessors. Even IN
der the new law it is thought that the
constitutional Democrats will retain
control of the cities, though perhaps
they will be swamped by the social
Democratic prelateriat in the elections
of the second and poorer categories of
urban voters.
The constitutional voters also hope to
return a considerab BILE number of the so
land owning representatives, whom the
government believed would be exclu-
sively conservative. According to the
disposition of a foreign diplomat who is
in close touch with the court, the gov
ernment has done either too much or
too little. 1t has violated the funda-
mental laws, or constitution and laid it
self open to the charge of accomplish
ing a coup d'etat without altering the
election law sufficiently to produce the
desired results. The feeling in court
circles against Premier Stolypfn, who
has undertaken full responsibility be-
fore his majesty for a speedy convoca-
ton of parliament on the present basis
of Suffrage Is Sdlu 10 De DllpSE anu nc
ia alleged to be the object of a strong
reactionary intrigue.
The grant of seven parliamentary
10 the ATmenians and
Tartars was decided upon at the last
moment. The original plan was to dis
franchise the Caucasus entirely but this
was abandoned owing to the represen-
tations of Count Won Vorontzeoff-Dash
koff viceroy of the Caucasus, who is
now here fighting to save his political
head.
The holy synod has ordered the i'm
perial manifesto to be read in all the
churches next Sunday.
The committee of the lower house OF
consisting of twenty-five
members appointed to investigate the
charges against the social Democratic
representatives. decided to issue its re-
port posthumously. 1t came to the
conclusion that the evidence was too
weak to justify the suspension of any
of the accused deputies. Even moder-
ates like Prof. Kuznin- -Karavaien. the
Democratic reformer, who opposed
the surrender of any of the culprits
against whom there were definite
grounds for suspicion, acquiesced to
this finding.