A Critical Year | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 11, 1905

A Critical Year.

A correspondent of the New York Sun, writing from London concerning the outlook of the new year, gives a striking setting forth of the conditions as they are:

The crisis in the world's history which the year now closed has developed so rapidly is, in the opinion of the most careful observers, approaching a climax. Its effects will influence the destinies of nations throughout the country and beyond. No one denies the momentous importance of the situation upon which the new year dawns. In a word, the world is entering upon the most critical year of modern human record. There are those who believe Japan's comet-like appearance in the firmament will be followed by as rapid a wane. There are those who believe on the other hand, that the world will see before another new year the disruption of the Russian empire and the re-making of the map of Europe and Asia. Those who share the latter opinion are increasing in numbers daily among statesmen, as well as among general observers throughout Europe. Their thoughts are anxiously devoted to the grave problem of whether such a national tragedy can be enacted without destroying the world's general peace.

One event alone might seriously disturb the situation. The death of Francis Joseph would let loose the whirlwind of conflicting ambitions of Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest which might work disaster to Central Europe.

It must be said that Europe is unanimous in regarding the czar's method of meeting the crisis indicated by the two imperial rescripts of the present week as the weakest and most futile course that could possibly be adopted. The manifesto shows indecision in every line, and indecision in the face of the existing emergency is nothing less than a crime. The immediate effect of the manifesto is that the entire civil population, outside of the bureaucracy, rich and poor alike, openly talk disloyally. There is energetic despair over this new proof of the czar's utter incompetency. There will be plots, and bombs will be in Russia before long; it can only be hoped they will be directed against the real enemies of the country who are responsible for its ruin and humiliation.

These words of a competent observer of world events show the doubt, uncertainty, and fear of the future that now exist in the hearts of men. “Men's hearts failing them for fear,” is a Scriptural delineation of these trying times.

The liberal element in Russia and among those Russians who are outside of Russia is planning a propaganda of education in the principles of liberty. The lessons are to be couched in language that can be understood by the common people. Reformers expect by these means to expand the political consciousness and capacity of Russia until a majority of the people are prepared to manage, and, if necessary, to fight for, free institutions. Various devices will be employed to carry these lessons to the people. Teachers of these principles in the guise of factory hands, clerks, railway servants, soldiers, traders, and country peddlers will distribute the literature where possible.

Riots continue in different portions of Russia. A monument of Alexander II. was recently destroyed by dynamite. The ferment in that locality continues, and the police are searching houses at night for anarchists. At Lodz and other towns the police are guarding the churches. At Cracow, Russian Poland, the Russian church was attacked with dynamite. The walls and several graves were destroyed. In quelling the riot which ensued, a Russian colonel was killed. The assassin was killed by the soldiers, and many others were either killed or wounded.

The Russian Government has set about the work of revising the laws that have to do with the peasant class in order to bring about a betterment of the condition of that class, and thus bring about a better feeling toward the government on the part of the peasants; but the czar's attitude as manifest in his two recent rescripts is doing more to alienate feeling than can be remedied by any revision of the peasant laws.

The powers are again growing anxious over affairs in Turkey. The situation in Macedonia is said to be growing serious. There are also many fights on the border between Greek and Bulgarian bands, which Turkey seems to be doing nothing to prevent.

The official election returns from all the states have now been made public. They are as follows: Roosevelt, 7,627,632; Parker, 5,080,054; Debs, 391,587; Swallow, 260,303; Watson (Populist), 114,637; Corrigan (Socialist-Labor), 33,453.