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Show PETITION TO THE CZAR. Stirring Appeal Evidently Written by Priestly Lender of Strike. ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 21. Following Is tho text of tho strlkcra' petition to tho Emperor: "Sire: "We, worklngmcn, inhabitants of St. Petersburg, of nil classes, our wives, children and Indigent parents, como to you, our Sovereign, asklnc for protection. protec-tion. Wo aro poor, buracned. with labor beyond our strength. TVo are Insulted, treated not ns men, but ns slaves, who ought to bear their cruel fate In silence. si-lence. We have suffered, but wo aro being plunged deeper In tho mlro and deprived of our rlgnts. Unlnstructed, 3tlflcd by destitution and injustice, we nro perishing. Wo havo no strength loft "Sire, wo havo nrrlvod at tho oxtromo limits of endurance; wo havo reached tho torrlblo moment when death Is to bo preferred pre-ferred to a continuation of our lntolorablo sufferings. Wo havo left our work and Informed In-formed our employers that wo will not re-sumo re-sumo until our demands arc conceded. We havo not asked much; wo have a3ked but for means of livelihood, without which Hfo Is a burden and continual torture. "Our first request Is that our masters should lnvestlgnto our caso. They havo refused. We have been denied the right to put forward our claims, It being hold that such rights aro not recognized by law." Imprisoned or Transported. After referring to tho eight-hour day and othor points In their case, tho petitioners peti-tioners continue; "Any ono of us who dared ralso his volco In the Interests of tho working classes has been thrown Into prison or transported. Kindness and good feeling havo been treated as a crime Tho bureaucracy bu-reaucracy han brought the countrv to tho vergo of ruin by a shameful way It Is luring It to Its downfall. We havo no voice In tho heavy burdons Imposed; wo do not know for whom or for why this money Is wrung from nn Impoverished pcoplo and wo do not know how It Is ox pended. "This stato of affairs contrary to dlvlno law renders llfo Impossible It wero better bet-ter that wo all should perish, wo workers and nil Russia. Thon good luck to capU tnllsts and exploiters and poor, corrupt officials, robbers of tho Russian people, "Assembled boforo thy palace wo plead our salvation. Refuso not thlno aid, and ralso thy pcoplo from their tomb. Glvo them means of working out their own destiny. Rescue them from Intolerable offlco damnation; throw down tho wall that separates; free thy peoplo; order that they may rulo the country with thee; creato for thy people tho happiness wrenched from us, leaving us nothing but sorrow nnd humiliation. "Wo pray your majesty graciously to receive our demands, which aro Inspired by a desiro for your majesty's and our welfare and tho consciousness of the necessity ne-cessity of escape from an lntolorablo situation. sit-uation. Russia Is too groat and her needs are too varied and numerous for offlccra enly to rulo. National representation la lndosponsablo aa only tho pcoplo them, selves know tho country's real need. Let All Be Free. "Refuso not thy nld, but order a convocation con-vocation of representatives of all clasfles, 1 Including workmen. Let all bo freo and I equal In tho elections and to this end per-I per-I mlt the election of a constituent assembly bv general Hccrot ballot. That 13 our chief demand. In which all else centers. It Is tho solo balm for our wounds, which will otherwlso speedily bring U3 death. "A slnglo mcasuro will not heal all our woundu. Therefore, wc acquaint you frankly and openly, on behalf of tho wholo of tho Riwslnn working clnsscs, as to a father, with our further demands." After making these demands the petl- . tlon concludes as follows: "These, sire, are our principal needs, satisfaction whereof can free Russia from slavery and misery, make her prosper- I oils and enable workmen to organlzu In defense of their Interests against the capitalist exploitation and official robbery rob-bery which uro stifling the people Order nnd swear they shall bo satisfied nnd you will make Rusala happy and glorious and Inscrlbo your name forever In tho hearts of tho people, and while, should you re-pulso re-pulso our prayer, wo shall die in this Bouaro beforo your palace. We havo no-whero no-whero else to go. Only two paths aro open to us: cither toward liberty and happiness, hap-piness, or to tho grave. Should our lives servo ns a holocaust for suffering Russia wo shall not regret the sacrifice, but shall , bear It willingly." |