16th October.
Ir will be generally admitted by all who study the actual position' of affairs in Russia at the present time, that there is a very influential and powerful section of the people, who are not only strongly in favour of reform; but who: are, also, determined' at all costs to' secure it. This section consists, as has often been pointed out, to a large extent, of the working"men; more especially those who are found in large masses in the great industrial centres. And to these may be added, at any moment, the millions of ignorant and downtrodden peasants, who are gradually but surely awakening to a realisation of their latent powers. To these must also be added an ever-increasing number of the better educated classes, If the certainty of revolution be admitted, it becomes an interesting problem as to the nature of the coming upheaval, History abounds with instances of revolutions which have been bloody and violent, while, on the other hand, great changes have been brought about by pacific and bloodless movements. How will it be in Russia? Again the question arises as to what are the chances of success for a revolutionary movement on a large scale in the dominions of the Czar. During the last few months, telegrams have informed us over and over again of more or less formidable uprisings in different parts of the country, and it has sometimes secaled, at this distance, as if atlas a movement on a national scale had really commenced; but subsequent telegrams have told us that these risings have been suppressed, too often ina ruthless and merciless fashion, and at the cost of a great many lives.
Such influential writers as Tolstoy and Gorky and leaders such as Capon, who have no inconsiderable following, appear to have no doubt that the frequent strikes late, with the consequent more or less sanguinary struggles with the military and the police, are but the precursors of a mighty upheaval, which will eventu.te in the complete overthrow of the existing order of things. They are the drops before the showers. A close sandy of the recent uprisings would seem to indicate that there is a remarkable uniformity as to the mode of procedure—their initiation, their progress, and their outcome.
The people have a grievance—the people who are so. unsophisticated and so easily led, and then, too, they have such unbounded confidence in the'Little Father. "Let us go to him and tell him all our troubles and our sufferings. He is both willing and able to help us." And off they go, following a more or less capable leader. The one idea they have in common is to make their grievance known. But it is not so easy as they imagined to secure the coveted interview. Theyhad not taken into consideration the military, who, apparently, with little or no provocation or reason, proceed to fire volleys into the people, who flee bewildered in all directions. Later a commission may or may not be appointed to look into the matter, the outcome of which is generally nothing at all. "The dead are buried and the wounded are cared for.. And presently there is a repetition of the scene, and so it goes on, Even as we put pen to paper the telegrams announce fresh riots ab Moscow. with many killed and~ wounded. A recent writer has summed up the present situation in the following pithy and concise form, "A certain number of working men and their families have been killed; the officials are at their wits' end to know what to do, but they continue to remain stubborn; the Government reformers are holdizig committee meetings to-discuss parliament, the suffrage, ete.; and the Czar is said to look yellow and bilious, praying much meanwhile—as well he may We have not space in this connection to'deal very fully' with the question from the point of view: of oland and Finland. We suppose that it will be conceded by everyone that Poland is undoubtedly the least contented of all the dominions of the Czar with its political status and importance. The Poles: have never ceased since their subjugation by Russia, in secret and openly, to express their discontent with their lot, ard Russia is compelled at all times to keep her eye on them,' and especially in times of disaster and misfortune such as she hus been lately experiencing. And then, tocomplicate matters, in this, Russia's niost Western possession, there is a very large body of Jews who, it is scarcely necessary to say, have little love for the Power which has treated them so harshly, In regard to Finland; the people.of. that unfortunate country have never ceased, since the annihilation of its autonomy six years ago, to resent the cruel and arbitrary acts of the Russian Government, A recent valuable work on "The Russian Revolutionary Movement" by Konni Zilliacus, and which has been translated into English, has been written especially to. enlighten public opinion in Finland regarding ihe revolutionary movement in Rus-and we may. be quite. sure that when the hour comes to strike the blow for freedom, Finland will play no inconsiderable, part in the movement, As to when this blow will be struck, it is not so easy to formulate an answer. It may be, as some writers have asserted, that when' the army in Manchuria return home the ball will be set rolling. "At any. rate the Russian authorities seem to be under some apprehension, if we may assume it to be a factes the telegram published on Tuesday morning asserts, that after peace has been ratified Russia will station 300,000 troops on the Chinese frontiers. partly because they are apprehensive as to their joining the malcontents at home, It is claimed. by some that "in one form or another, the: revolution has been going on' for decndes, even generations, and that. the recent troubles are simply acute manifestations of a movement that has. been in existence for years and years."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.