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Show RUSSIAN STRIKE ' Absence of Violence in ' Agitation. Traffic on Leading Thoroughfares Thorough-fares Goes on Without Interference. Nearly Every Industry, Including Hallvray Construction and Electrical Electri-cal Engineering-, Implicated. ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 21. The strikers aro continuing their agitation with unabated activity. Throughout the morning they have been parading the main streets In the center o the city and closing every industrial establishment. estab-lishment. 1 The agitation hitherto has been carried car-ried on with remarkable absence of actual ac-tual violence, the committee br the union having Issued Instructions that everything be done a3 quietly as possible possi-ble and that no personal violence be offered of-fered the police. Street trafflc In the leading thoroughfares is hardly interfered inter-fered with, the demonstrators filling the streets politely making way for passing! sledges. A list of the 174 works closed as the result of yesterday's coercive measures shows that every industry Is Involved, Including railway construction and electrical engineering. In view of the probable failure of the electric supply for stores and offices, householders aro laying In large stocks of candles. The public Is nervous and excited and the opinion Is freely expressed that the Government will be forced to concede the demands of the men. "Will Do or Die. Father Gopon, who was reported to have been kidnaped during the night, 13 understood to be at largo this morning, morn-ing, going from place to place organizing organiz-ing and directing everything. His dictum dic-tum is that the meeting shall take place on tho palace square, no matter If It results In a massacre of the men. Ho says they must be resolved to do or die. It Is noteworthy that the leaders are going back to the French revolution for their parallels. The deputation Bent to Tsarkoe-Sclo was the march of tho mob to Versailles. The assemblage planned for tomorrow Is likened to the march of the multitude wearing red caps of liberty to the Tulllerlcs to present pre-sent their demands to Louis XVI "While their Is much talk that tho troops may be overawed by the mob, tho authorities do not manifest the slightest apprehension on this score. The Cossacks and the guard regiments, they declare, can be relied upon. Two regiments of infantry have also been brought here from Riga. Nevertheless, the authorities are extremely nervous, realizing that blood once spilled in the present temper of the excited mon, spurred on by Socialist agitators, it Is Impossible to predict the end. All May Be Lost. The Emperor's advisors, however, declare de-clare he must put down the agitation with .a firm hand, and that if he yields, as Louis XVI. at Versailles, all may bo lost. The present resolution of the Government Gov-ernment is not to give way. While many drunken rows have occurred oc-curred and a number of men have been Injured, no serious collisions have been reported up to this morning. An enormous enor-mous number of arrests of known revolutionaries revo-lutionaries took place during the night. An attempt will be made to close all the bakers In order to threaten the city with famine. The workmen aro also reported re-ported to have decided to cut the telephone tele-phone and telegraph wires and cut off St Petersburg altogether from communication commu-nication with the outside world. Altogether the situation is most critical. Father Gopon, when apprised that the Government proposed to prevent pre-vent the demonstration tomorrow, issued is-sued instructions to the men that they must go to the palace square with their wives and children, "but the men must be armed," ho is reported to have said. "We must first show wo are peaceful. We havo appoaled In vain to the employers em-ployers and to the bureaucracy. Our last hope Is the Emperor himsolf. If he refuses to see us and orders them to disperse us thon we must fight." Father Gopon hns had a guard of -100 sworn workmen formed to protect the Emperor from harm If he will come to the palace square tomorrow. Among the rumors afloat Is one to the effect that the famous Proprlojensky guarding regiment has declared It would refuse lo fire on the mob, but this, like many other sensational reports re-ports pertaining to widespread disaffection disaf-fection In the army, is not confirmed. Father Gopon sent a letter to Minister of the Interior Princo Svlatopolk-Mlraky today begging that Emperor Nicholas appear ap-pear at tho Winter palaco Sunday. Tho text of, the letter follows: "Your Excellency: Workmen of all classes In St. Petersburg wlah to seo tho Emperor at 2 o'clock p, m , January 22, In the square at tho Winter palaco, In order or-der to personally oxpres to him tho need of all tho Russian people. I am assured by all workmen, my co-laborcro and comrades, com-rades, and even by alleged revolutionaries, revolution-aries, that his Majesty has nothing to fear. His personal safety is assured. Lt him como as tho true Emperor, with courageous cour-ageous heart, to his pcoplo to receive the Cetltlon from our hnmls. that Is demanded y regard for his own welfare as well as for that of tho Inhabitants of St. Petersburg Peters-burg nnd of Russia. Otherwise the moral bond hitherto existing between tho Emperor Em-peror and tho peoplo may be broken. "It Is your excellency's high duty to tho Emperor and to tho entire peoplo of Rus-Bla Rus-Bla to communicate the foregoing to his Majesty, the Emperor, today, without delay, de-lay, nnd also the contents of our petition attached hereto. Say to tho Emperor that I, together with many workmen and thousands thou-sands of peoplo of Russia, am Irrevocably resolved, with my faith In him, to proceed pro-ceed to the Winter palaco, in order that ho may show his faith by deeds and not by manifestoes." Tho document is signed by Father Gopon Go-pon and eleven representatives of sections sec-tions of the workmen's union. Father Gopon had n long interview with Mlnlstev of Justice Muravlcff today nnd tho Minister took formal comilzanco of the demandant tho strikers. He said that every one must do hl3 duty and act uc cording to lily convictions. |