St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-29
A RUSSIAN REFORM.

paradOXically calls "a reform of retro
gressive and centraliZing character" has
just been ipaugurated by imperial ukase
in Russia. The ukase deprives all the
ministers, governors and other high
dignitarleS of the power they have
hitherto freely exercised Of appointing
and dismissing their official subordinates
of all classes, and establishes under the
cars direct supervision the special
committee of control which existed for
a few years under Car Nicholas.
Although upon its face this regulation
seems TO be step backward, it is in
deed a measure of reform. Under the
system in vogue of recent years peO-
motions in both the military and civil
service were governed more by favor
than merit. The boards of control in
nearly all instances were under the in
fiuence of prominent officials of the gov
eminent, and rarely accorded to merit
unaccompanied by wealth or power the
recognition it deserved. AS a conse-
qnence, the high official stations have
been monopolized by men of inferior at
tainments. while there are in subordi-
nate positions men who are competent to
plan campaigns and command armies,
OF to direct the most delicate diplomatic
affairs of the nation. The tendency of
this state of affairs has been to discour-
age ambition among the those of in
ferior station, ands to demoraIize the
service by eXalting to high station men
who are incompetent to discharge the
duties imposed upon them.
Perhaps a central board of control
such as is established by this ukase may
for time remedy the evils of the old
system. 1t is open to the objection of
being autocratlc, but an unbiased autoc-
racy is sometimes preferable to more
democratic system thai may be corrupt
and venal. And there can be no doubt
but that the Russian boards of control
were both. Nowhere does corruption
thrive as luXuriantly as under despot-
Ism. The head Of the government may
be DESTROYS of accomplishing the great
est possible good to his subjects, but he
Is necessarily ignorant of much that is
done by his ministers and agents. These
seek to inspire fear OF the vengeance
of the monarch In the minds of their
victims. who frequently endure the
greatest wrongs rather than appeal to
the source of power at the risk of suffer-
ing death or exile to Siberia or the
mines. They may not know that they
would receive a patient hearing and a
prompt redress Of their wrongs, for
they are taught that the ear is a man of
force rather than of reason, of cruelty
rather than kindness. There is no
question but many acts of cruelty and
oppression have been wrought under
the name of the cZar of which he was
wholly ignorant. But he does not pro-
pose to remain so long. If he is to bear
the responsibility for the acts of his
subordlnates, he will exercise the right
TO appoint them himself or prescribe
the methods by which appointments and
promotions are made.
IL is the arbitrary manner of doing
things in Russia more than the objec-
tlonable character of the acts them
selves to which Americans take excep-
tons. This much can be said of Alex
amber, however: He is a kindly mon-
arch, and aims to be just to all his SUBJ
Jects. no matter what their social con-
dition may be. He Furnishes noble
who is guilty of an infraction of the
law with as great severity as he pun
ishes peasant. He makes no distinc-
tlons of rank when it comes to the pun
ishment of crime, and his highest
officials are subjected to as close sur
veillance as are his poorest subjects. 1t
is the evidence of his Impartality and
love of justice, gradually becoming
known to the masses. that makes him so
sincerely loved in the novels of the
lowly. In their affection his chief
strength lies, for vast majority of
them would cheerfully sacrifice their
own lives in his behalf.
1t is only in narrow sense that the
new ukaSe of the car can be called "a
reform of a retrogressive character.
Its purpose is in the line of equity and
progress. and the new system will
doubtless be productive of great good.