Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1904. RUSSIA AND REFORM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume xxii, Issue 6457, 29 December 1904, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1904. RUSSIA AND REFORM.

The agitation for" reform in Russia is now beginning to assume what everyone outside that country cannot but regard as serious 'pniportions. The decree which the Czar has issued in response to the cry for reform seems promising enough on the face of it, but the English papers comment on the two faced attitude of tho Russian Government in intentionally placing side by side the decree with its promises and tho official warning to reformers. There are two parties in the State, the reactionaries headed by M. JJ'obiedonosteeff, Procurator of the Holy Syjjod, and tfce Progressives hea 4^ by Prince Mirslu, the Minister for the Interior. The voice of the reform agit ition is hear' 1 WWj*. emphatically among the Zemstvos or £•*««* »»<* P ro; vincial assemblies, and th»t they rC 4 nreaont a force to be reckoned with is becoming clearer every day. If the reforms outlined in the Czar's decree were carried out in

their entirety, a great step would be.made by the Russian nation on the road to freedom; but whit renders the performance of the Czar's captivating promises rather unlikely is the fart that his own Ministers are entrusted with the task of putting the scheme into offr-cfc. Nine tenths of the Czar's advisers are naturally firm believers intha present system of government by a bureaucracy who are responsible practically to no one but themselves. The fact that the execution of. ,the promised reform schema depends on those who from instinct are opposed to making any serious concessions* is unfavourably commented on by

the Continental press, and it certain^ does | does uot hold out much hope for any gre it improvement being made in the near j future. At present the|odds in the struggle ,j ■or reform are on the side of the reaction- j aries; but time brings its changes, and in due course the odds will be in favour of the progressives. What the Czar's despotic Cabinet fail to see is that by refusing t>^ grant substantial reforms tint could safely be conceded they are merely suppressing forces which after they have been ?wnt up for a certain tima will burst

forth with volcanic fury and sweep the present system of government clean out ot , existence. When Russia entered on the war with Japan, good judges predicted that the result on the internal condition of the country would be £ha,t the soioulderinsr spirit of discontent and revolution would blaze forth in town and country alike. The px-ogress of the war has served to bring home to the nation the result of the incompetence and corruption that everywhere prevail among Russian officials. The long series of defeats and the increasing burden of taxation have united to strengthen the revolutionary forces that hays for so long been at work in the Czar's kingdom. The system of rigorous and merciless suppresr sion pursued by the Russian police against

all who are suspected of aiming at greater, freedom for the people is slowly but steadily producing its natural effect. The leaders of the reformers are severely handicapped by the fact that the bulk of the Russian people are not enlightened enough to understand fully what privileges other nations enjoy and what gross slavery they themselves are subjected to. But enlightenment is certain to spread even in a country co tyranically governed as Hussia, and when the outburst doea oome, it will be all the wore overwhelming in its effects owing to its long suppression. There are only two possible alternatives which the Russian Government can look forward to—reconstruction or ruin. The burden of taxation is straining the resources of the peasantry to the breaking point, and the financial system of the nation is leading her to the verge of bankruptcy. Consequently in self-protection the Government must readiust their budget, and to do that they must reconstruct thoir internal and domestic policy on a new basis. Whether they will have foie ighfcenough to submit to the inevitable seems rather doubtful at present, but if they do not do ro s they must parish in the general wreok that will ensue on a universal revolution. The spirit of dissatisfaction is not confined to the peasantry in the country or lower orders in the citiea ; it permeates all olasses except the very highest, who constitute the inner circle and who carry on the governing process. The cables report that the Government have issued a statement rebuking the municipalities and zemstvos for clamouring for reform and that it is expected that Prince Mirski, the hope of the Progressives, will shortly resign the office of Minister for the Interior. These two itemß of news show that the outlook for the reforming p*rty is not a very bright one. The process of the reform agitation in Russia during the next few ns»aths will be watched with the very closest interest, as the fate of the present Russian bureaucratic and despotic Government has an intimate bearing on the policy of every other civilised Power.