Show it is believed that the government Is on the verge of an awful crisis st Petero bure dec 20 a m A call for a vencial strike throughout russia to noon was issued tonight the call is by tho union of unions the union bf peasants the general railway union and tho council of workmen og st petersburg and moscow A response from the railroad men of moscow is unanimous for a strike the leaders have declared their ability to stop avery train in russia the strike order renders every members of the unions it liable to arrest and punishment under the new strike law and minister of the interior durnovo Dur noto attempted to telegraph orders to moscow to arrest members of the ballway lall way union and of the work mens council but the dispatches des patches were holdup bi the railway telegraphers grap hers i UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE SARY st petersburg dec 19 the associated press authoritatively learns that the advocates 0 universal suffrage had the tipper hand at selo yesterday when the meeting assembled the emperor who presided expressed the wish that the congress should first present their views thereupon dmitri in an exceedingly earnest speech ed out the terrible gravity of the present situation he urged not only the theoretical advantage of granting a system of universal guffra ge but also its absolute from a tactical standpoint as the only common ground upon which it would be possible tor the country to unite on the conclusion 0 the speech the I 1 emperor asked M bluntly whether ho regarded universal suffrage ai necessary for the best interests of the country and M replied emphatically that he did M discussed in detail tha educational test as well as the other restrictive stems proposed stating his objection s lt each and concluding with the declaration that universal and equal suffrage was necessary baron karoff announced his conversion to the granting of universal suffrage saying that he had opposed it in the past but he wa now convinced that circumstances rendered it inevitable the greatest surprise however waa the speech of count master of he court who heretofore has been an implacable opponent ot unrestricted strict ed suffrage the count began by confessing that two weeks ago he believed such y suffrage should never be conceded ow however while he restricted to the enlightened classes as the safest tor russia he was convinced that all considerations side rations must give way to a interest the saving of tho fatherland universal suffrage he said had become the watchword of the people and in such a crisis aa government must spize the psychological moment the speech made a great impression during which followed with count witte at the head of the table even the most reactionary of those present hinted that it might ba necessary after all to grant universal it is now understood that count watte at the discussion which will toe resumed tomorrow is determined to force through a universal suffrage scheme |