Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1914-02-12

ing cots instead OF being given beds
together in q large dormitory room
the manufacturer. frequently bringing
labor from long distance. must house
the laborer-the workmen rebelled.
asking: Must we be cooped up like
cattle In stalls7''
The serfs we're slow In realizing
their freedom and are. In the outly.
ing districts. as devoted to their for.
mer masters. as the old-time darkey
slaves In America. A domestic serf.
vowing a pilgrimage II her master re-
covered from q dangerous illness.
walked to Solovetsk. on the Whhe
Sea. 1000 miles. in fulfillment OF the
vow.
The bureaucrats intertwined with
the reactionary element Of the Ortho-
dox Church form the chief obstacle to
rapid or radical reform. They fear
loss Of power and prestige as well as
position. Representatives OF the prov
incial assemblies met secretly In Mos
COW TO discuss non-polltical meas
ures OF economic reform for Russia
and were sent home by the govern.
ment
The Cars Fair Promises.
In the depression and revolt which
followed the defeats OF the Russo-Jap-
anese war. the Council OF Ministers
yielded to the popular demand and
sought to allay popular discomfort by
issuing a manifesto which declared
the Cars 'infiexible resolutions"
TO confer on the population the
immoyable foundations OF civil liberty,
including inviolability Of person. lib
erty Of conscience and freedom OF
speech. together with the right of
holding public meetings and forming
associations.
ITO include In the State Duma rep
resentatives of the unenfranchised
classes.
ITO lay down as an absolute rule
that no law could be valid without the
approval OF the State Duma and that
the deputies should be able to take
part in supervising the authorities SO
as to ensure their acting in con-
formity with the laws"
puma Crippled but Progressing.
The Russians took the Car and his
councillors at their word and elected
what was called the duma Of the ma
tional Indignation" representative OF
all classes. for your true Russian is
at heart considerable OF a democrat
He does not agree with the French
philosopher who preferred to be ruled
by one lion Of good family rather than
one hundred rats of his own species.
The first Duma sought really to gov.
ern Russia. which frightened onicial-
dom. and the Duma was dissolved
Then came a second Duma, which a
Conservative rid.culed as the Duma
of the national ignorance" which did
nothing. and q third which was o.
higher character and more construct
i've. With each succeeding election
while the bureaucrats seek to crippi
the Dumas power and control Its ~
tions to suit their own ends, the spiri
OF freedom grows and measurabl
progress toward popular governmeI
has been made Entire freedom {
conscience has not been obtained, .
witness the attacks upon the Jews
not altogether religious persecution /
may be noted. Entire liberty o
speech Is not yet, as testify the sup
preston Of public meetings and ths
eonfiscation OF newspapers which
make war upon the government. The
Duma is not free and there Is no min.
istry responsible either to the people,
as In the United States. or to the
Parliament. as In Great Britain. But
the progress toward better conditions
is being made. more rapidly each year.
The press. liberal in tone In all the
large cities. is a power for progress
In Moscow. Russia's greatest journal
! owned by an able journalist, who thir-
4 ty years ago. Russian peasant,
came to the Holy City with a single
rouble for his entire capital. leads the
continuous campaign toward moderate
republicanism.
A Great Nation In the Making.
The giant is blind. but thinking,
And his locks are growing fast."
The Russian peasantry are strong
OF intellect and body. generous. hos
pitable In the extreme. good-humored.
deeply religious. With education and
freedom they will outrank many other
peoples who have had more prominent
and honored place In history. A great
nation is in the making in Russia.
greater. 1t may well be believed, than
the outside world realizes-great. not
merely because OF the immensity of
Russian territory and the number OF
its inhabitants. but great because OF
the strength and character OF It's peo-
pie. And upon the Russian peasan.
Is the new and Greater Russia TO be
builded. In his own reverent phrase
-dai Bog-God grant II may be so.
lCopyright. isi4 by Joseph Il RnxIenl