A great political blow for the Jews was the clause in the new reactionary “Statute Concerning the Zemstvo Organizations” issued on June 12, 1890, [1] under which the Jews, though paying the local taxes, were completely barred from participating in the election of deputies to the organization of local self-government.  This clause was inserted in the legal draft by the three shining lights of the political inquisition active at that time, Pobyedonostzev, Durnovo, and Plehve.  They justified this restriction on the following grounds:  the object of the new law is to transform local self-government into a state administration and to strengthen in the former the influence of the central Government at the expense of the local Government; hence the Jews, “being altogether an element hostile to Government,” are not fit to participate in the Zemstvo administration.  The Council of State agreed with this bureaucratic motivation, and the humiliating clause passed into law.

[Footnote 1:  The new law invalidated to a large extent the liberties granted to the Zemstvos by Alexander II. in 1864 (compare p. 173) by placing them under state control.]

While a large part of the Russian public and of the Russian press had succumbed to the prevailing tendencies under the high pressure of the anti-Semitic atmosphere, the progressive elements of the Russian intelligenzia were gradually aroused to a feeling of protest.  Vladimir Solovyov, “the Christian philosopher,” a friend of the Jewish people, who had familiarized himself thoroughly with its history and literature, conceived the idea of issuing a public protest against the anti-Semitic movement in the “Russian Press,” [1] to be signed by the most prominent Russian writers and other well-known men.  During the months of May and June, 1890, he succeeded under great difficulties to collect for his protest sixty-six signatures in Moscow and over fifty signatures in St. Petersburg, including those of Leo Tolstoi, Vladimir Korolenko, and other literary celebrities.  Despite its mild tone, the protest which had been framed by Solovyov [2] was barred from publication by the Russian censor.  Professor Ilovaiski, of Moscow, a historian of doubtful reputation, but a hide-bound Jew-baiter, had informed the authorities of St. Petersburg of the attempt to collect signatures in Moscow for a “pro-Jewish petition.”  As a result, all newspapers received orders from the Russian Press Department to refuse their columns to any collective pronouncements touching the Jewish question.

[Footnote 1:  The latter expression was a euphemism designating the Russian Government and its reactionary henchmen in the press.  The severity of the police made this evasion necessary.]