Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-29
,tocracy regardless of law or there can

/
NH, WITH n minister at the head of each.
Ihese are the departments OF war, the
navy, foreign affairs. Justice educn-
tioil, and the like. In the ordinary Euro
pean sense there Is no united ministry,
| no prime minister. Each minister is di-
| ,ectiy responsible to the emperor. Each
| bureau is Il separate channel through
| Mllcn the autocrat directs the business
ol administration. The regular channel
ior the PRONUNCIATION of the so-calied
laWs Is through the senate, yet the
| committee of ministers issues rules and
eApianations which have the force of
INV II is only in this way that there
- united action of the ministry. The
ear controls the judiciary especially
through one department. the bureau or
justice. VI
At the time of the death of Alexan-
uer II. there were ministers in Office
VINO pelleNed in constitutional govern
mcnt. When the next car exhibited
reactionary tendencies the ministers re-
signed in Il body. Alexander III. called
them into his presence and ordered
them TO resume office. \ little later he
removed them from office and rltled
their places with men in harmony
with his own views. In an autocracy
minister's are not permitted to resign
against the will Of the autocrat. He
must command the offices at will
The council of state has usually about
sixty members chosen by the car. The
twelve ministers have n membership
by virtue Of their office. This is prl-
marly body for consultation and in
formation Reports from the bureaus
arc considered here. Commissioners are
appointed. by the car to Investigate
| special recommendations made by n
minister and they report to this body
in the department of the interior the
| business is distributed to more than
hity provinces. or governments and n
/ Sovernor-gcncral with Il council is set
over each province. Reports from these
governors are considered in the council
of state. The council also considers tho
annual budget The senate is regarded
as the court of last appeal in the judi
cha! system, yet the council Of state
may revise Tic judicial decisions of the
senate.
The senate is composed of high digni-
tarics appointed by the car. AS al
ready stated, ii is through this body
that the more formal laws or acts OF
he car are promulgated The senate
Is charged with the business of surar-
vising the administration Of the laws.
III may call to account any minister or
any governor. or officer in the provinces.
For TINS supervisory work 1t is divided
into Sevcn departments. while as n
court of last resort ii has two DEPART
mcnts.
There are. therefore. four main agen-
clos through which the autocrat NAV
act-in matters sacred through the
h'iN synod and the clergy; in matters
secular. through the twelve bureaus
and the committee or ministers
through the council OF state and
through the senate. In all these agen-
cies of action Legislative executive and
judicial business are more or less
united. and theoretic harmony is
reached by centering all acts of every
sort In the car.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
FROM tha above description il appears
mat ilNc-sl%tha OF the people Of Russia
are subject t. two governments contra
G.ctory in principle and both of them
absolute. The government of The mir
eSts with the leads of families in town
meeting. Ii is a government resting d-
rcctly upon the will or the governed.
These is entire freedom in the process
Oh discovering the will of the mir. All
nave equal right Of persuasion. There
rs sort OF unwrlttcn law of the mir
requiring all decisions to be unani-
nous. If, rs an incident to the process
OF reaching conclusion court Ia
made, there is SIN no decision until the
minority has yielded 10 the preference
Oh the majority There are no appeals
from the determinations of the mir.
" itnih the range of its powers it is an
absolute democracy. There is no anpeal
10 a higher power. The mir in fun
meeting decides every sort of question.
It's officials are strictly subject 10 the
body as a whole. The mir is nor an or
gan of the bureaucratic government.
Inc people OF the mir are simply vic
inns oi ihe bureaucracy, especially in
matters of tribute.
In the opinion of the conscientious
dutocrat All movements toward democ-
racy are movements toward anorrhv
! and barbar.sin. The auto.rat believe,
mat ne represents and perSonates the
divine viii. lie believes thar ncocc
and order and civilization will be ad-
Vanced according as all men are IN
| duccd to submit to this will. In his
<A4SW real progress is a movement away
from democracy toward absolute sub
mission To autocratic rule Between
auiocracy and democracy there is an
| irrcrrcssiblc conflict.
The conscientious autocrat is by ma
turc prosecutor. Au,ocracy is itself
religion. ana it is a religion which
can brook no rival. The czar must pre-
vent MS subjects from lapsing into
hefeSy lie must destroy those whose
'eacn1nSS or conduct endanger the faith
OF ms people. OthodoXy is the chief
support OF autocracy. AS an incident
90 inc acc uiSition OF territory the gov
ernment of Russia has become com
mitted 10 the policy of liberation to-
ward Catholics, Luthcrans Moham.
medallS Jews and others. Yet the re-
dictionary cmperors have not hesitated
TO peiSccuie and to Seek TO DESTROY or
convert by force all whose presence has
seemed to weaken the orthodox faith
In an autocratic state there can be no
freedom of discussion. There can be no
public opinion Every organ of public
opinion must he suppressed or destroy
cd. III l:uSSia there is no public press.
no platform, no pulpit, no agency If
any sort for the development of n poli-
tlcai consciousness. There is a super
stitious or religious consciousness fos-
tered by the autocracy. The aim is to
igol 81,