The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-01-09

There was enlargement of the liberties Of
the serf and increased appropriation Of
land to the peasantry, with assurance
that the system of Siberian exile as pun.
ishment for political offenses would be
abolished.
All these apparent evidences Of pur.
pose on the part of the Car and the
autocratic element to deal more liberal
ly with the people had the effect Of pro-
ducing more peaceful condition
throughout the empire than had existsd
since the inception of the Japanese War.
In time the Douma met under every in
dication of most favorable results. But
meantime the military power of the en-
pire had recovered from the demoraliza-
ton az the revolutionary tendencies Of
the people had ceased, and become more
capable of coping with popular disaffsc-
ton. The result was that when there
developed in the Douma disposition Of
the popular element to assert the rights
inferred to be theirs by their convoca-
ton in such an assembly, this spirit was
met with indignant denial Of their in
vestiture with such control or participa-
ton in matters of legislation the regula.
ton of which belonged to the autocratic
authority Of the Gar. The result was
that the Douma was dissolved and the
delegates dismissed with reproof. In
course of time second Douma was call
ed with the terms Of suffrage 80 defined
az to insure less radical class of repre-.
sentatives. But while more propitia.
tory spirit was manifested by the popu.
lar representatives, little was effected in
the way of constitutional reform and
upon the manifestation of noncom-
plant spirit on the part of a refractory
element of the lower house the Donna
was again dissolved and number Of
the Social Democratic members arrest
ed and held to trial for treason.
The result OF the prosecution of these
members has recently been announced
and shows how little reliance can he
placed upon any promise Of reform in
an autocracy which holds rs paramount
to all other conditions the maintenance
OF unlimited power by the Car and
condign punishment of all who question
il. The once boosted adjustment of
Siberian exile as a penalty has been dis,
regarded, having served its purpose in
staying revolution. Eight deputies are
condemned to five years labor in the
mines and subsequent deportation to
Siberia; nine others are sent to the mines
for four years and deportation after.
ward, while ten other deputies are con-
demned to perpetual exile in Siberia.
The deputies were accused OF making
an organization which aimed to over
throw the existing Government and to
form a republic, the specifications as
sorting that they had melted the sol
diers to mutiny and the populace to in
surrectl0n.
Thus the pendulum has swung back
in Russia, from apparent concession OF
civil rights TO the people to the reasser-
ton of the most cruel form of autocra-
tic resentment against the principle of
popular liberty, repeating history in
that empire in the alternate apparent
concession Of the principle under pres
sure and it's reputation with the reas-
serton of the autocratic principle ~
soon rs assured Of power to enforce It,
The history of the past century has
shown these alterations with such per.
-istence as to give but little hope Of any
advance toward true popu-
lar reform or approach to represents
tive rs opposed to an autocratic form of