The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-13
MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS IN RUSSIA.
What Glasses are Entitled TO Vote and How
the FrnnchIse 10 Reanrded.

M itkuiNN lit HullDtI VI lntl1 lltDublI-
ants. Russian cities are insignificant enough
beside tho mass OF tho rural population. Yet
their intellectual supremacy IL nbsolui,. to u de-
gree unapproachcd in western countries. Even
France offers no such example Of hyprnrophy
in the head u; the expense of the mem I've rs. for
with far more justice than Paris. the twin capt.
tails OF tho northern empire may claim To create
public opinion and personify tho spir bot tho
nation. Indeed amid the isolation Of cunmu-
mites. and the wcll-nigh universal sbcncc.
something like n genuine society and a l3,Npuar
voice must be sought In the dual met t,tpoiis
and half dozen provincial cities II tle Hrs
magnitude like Odessa. Kiei. Kazan. 1t b ro,mes
interesting. therefore. 10 inquire what Luri O.
municipal institutions are enjoyed by ts. few
towns where some yearnngs and sti.Vlngs
alter liberty may be expected.
The measure of municipal sef-goyer nment
at present tolerated in Russia is Of very re cent
date. The existing system was institut - for
the three great cities. st. Petersburg. MOSCOW
Odessa no earlier than 1870. and not until a
year ago was ii applied to the large towns ol the
Baltic provinces. Tho statute OF 1870 roTSlccd
the old scheme u urban administration by dele
gates from the trade guilds. with Council L.rcp-
rescning groups classified by property q, elih-
cations. Ia other words. the traditional J, v me
OF caste has disappeared. and the sci-go ~ rn-
INK municipality II uhhslurhcd INTO ~ ~ j'-
racY' Inc payment oi dircctt"Aes now 60 OF rr~
the right 10 VOTE ana accordingly every oWher
oil real estate every proprietor OF a warch ats".
shop or factory. and every holder ~ n,n nj
cipal license is an clector. The voting pC@ nr.
however OF each clcctor Is Tar from Oe.ng me
sumo. According l" the amount ol IN Pr
Contributions Inc taxpayers are disiripfed
mo three catcEori's, each OF Wltirh
81 ...t 4 = No.
Tors. Thus In 1873 the electoral lists
al ~ petersburg showed 22i Gle tors IN the hrst
class' sSi IN the second. and li4I9 ln the ri.
obviously, the suffrage il worth Infinitely less
TO memper OF the latter group than OF the
former. ms mode OF apportioning repre@ 'nts-
tloh 10 pecuhlary interests was borrowed NON
frusslh' where II Is employed Tor legis. nGv'
'Ioc'ohs' shu Where II seems 10 nave u"eh BIG
scsled 10 herman professors 10y tho Gust " 90
OF the ola homan centuries. something ~ the
klhd was PROPOSED Tor France In the last'Na-
tlohai Assembly but rejected on the ~ N'nt
that such plan would involve gross alt ont
10 the sentiment OF equality II appears that
even the Russian press IL unfaVorahlr TO- the
new principle OF classification which sub
ordinates all other means OF social leverage 10
the money power. and Invites aniagonisni be-
tween capital and labor We may note furtl ier.
before passing 10 the workings Of the sy 10 I'M.
that women are in theory admitted 10 the tr an
chse. female raiopayers being allowed to- vote
by proxy for town Councillors. an innoy mLon
Tor which precedent was TO some extent ~ und
in England.
One effect OF the Russian municipal son enc
is droll enough. namely. that in the 81 lege
made w OF the largest taxpayers there "a not
seldom MS many Councilmen elected rs shrre
are voters. For Example. az ST. Petersburg not
long ago. there were only Sc voters preso mt in
the first category TO name ST Councillors lille
in tho second class. nominaly much " lder.
there were but III to choose the Same nbtab4r
$50 representatives. or course the nuuis.er Of
candidates often exceeds the whole guc ia OF
electors present from the first two co .egcs
sometimes the aggregate from all three. AtSt.
PETERSBURG for instance. IN 1873. no; less than
23s candidates were proposed ia the ilrs class.
29s in the second. and 1919 Ia the ;a.r 4 50
that the total number OF nominees Il ID was
actually superior to the whole number OF vo-
tors "a .44ll taking part in the election. There
Is little doubt that the electors - each
category would show more eaGern' IS 10
participate IN the exercise OF urban fran
chisos II. after tho Paris fashion. taey
were broken w into local assemblies ac-
corning To the quarters OF the town. As IL. tho
rlght oi suffrage Is regarded with cor '"mI u
Gus indlnerence ana this latest reborn. Of Alex
hhder H. conceived as an attempt To .lorm the
Wish and the h"bt oil selt'governmcni. must ne
pronounced utterly aborliVe Even mo second
AIRY motive attributed I" the O1Hr ms ~ n lrns-
tta'cu' we reier 10 the ieslsh oi wiUsuFaWing
inc control OF the municipalities IRON IN" un-
enlightened retroactive spirt ot thr'hn7slan
traulhS CLASS IL appears according 10 the
"osoS' that ont OF some $500 parcels OF rem
properly IN the northern capital. more 'han