The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-05

| be deprived OF life, liberty or property ex-
| cept In due course Of law. He cannot be
arrested by administrative decree" and
deported to Siberia; nor can his house he
entered and his papers and property seized
without lawful warrant. We should mon
| ton, further, that the established religion
is Lutheran and that, OF the two million
inhabitants OF Finland % per cent. are
Lutheran, while less than . per cent. be-
| long to the Orthodox Greek Church.
This state Of things IL obnoxious to the
present Governor-Generel,B oBR1KoFF, re-
Gently transferred from tho Baltic prov
inces where he achieved considerable sue
cess In Russianizing processes. 1t is equally
offensive to Mr. PoBIEDoNosrcHEFF the
Procurator OF the Holy Synod, who believes,
as he has publicly declared, in the enforce
ment Of an Identity Of religious profess
sion between the State and the people and
who regards Parliamentary Government as
1.-THE great delueion OF our time" Gen.
KURoPATKrN, moreover, the Minister Of
War. wants more soldiers, and the encroach-
ment upon Finand's constitutional system
began with an attempt to secure an addi-
tional military force from Finland.
As to the army question. which has raised
q far more momentous constitutional issue,
1t may be very briefly stated. In / s57 the
expenditure for military purposes in Fin
land was about q million and a half OF dol
lars in 1897 1t had risen to nearly two
million and ninety Thousand dollars, a con-
siderable sum- in view of the population and
its comparative indulgence. No objection was
made, however, to this burden 40 long as the
application Of the money was controlled by
the Finnish Senate. What the Firms object
to Is to see their local military force dena-
tionalized their sons drafted away to the
ends OF the empire, there to learn a foreign
tongue and to be placed under alien officers,
while their place at home is taken by Rus
sian army OF occupation. This Is what will
happen, however, II the present scheme is
carried out, whereby Finland will be forced
to quadruple the number of her conscripts
and to pay an annual contribution of some
seven million roubles to the Russian Treas
ury for purposes Of armament.
Far more serious, however, than the in
creased military burdens which are con-
templated, Is the extra constitutional man
ner by which they are to beimposed. If the
number Of conscripts and the amount OF
money levied for military purposes can he
levied without the consent Of the constitu-
tional authorities, there is no limit to
future enoroaohments and tho century-old
Constitution OF Finland Is, practically, de-
funct. The new army scheme was prepared,
not by the Finnish Senate, but in St Peters
burg. and sent down to HelsingfOrs, whittier
the Diet was summoned, not to decide,
"a is Its right, but to make " suggestions"
which would he dulv "conSiderei" nv tho
Imperial Council Of State. When the fact
that the last-named body has no lawful au-
thorty over Finland was respectfully but
firmly recalled to the Car, a manifesto
was issued curtly informing the Finnish
people that, although. owing to the "pncu-
liar conditions Of life" prevailing in Fin
land. they were, "by gracious consent"
permitted to enjoy certain "spooial insti-
tutions," yet the Gar was autocrat over the
whole realm, including the Grand Duchy OF
Finland, and has the sole right to decide on
all matters cot general interest and i'm
portance to the empire"
1t Is needless to point out that the Cars
manifesto leaves to Finland no constitu-
tional rights whatever. Certain privileges
she may still enjoy by special consent, but,
as the Gar may decide at any moment
whether or not these shall cease, it is
clear that they possess no constitutional
quality. No wonder then, that the mani
festo has excited intense feeling among q
people which has long enjoyed free institu-
lions, and no wonder it is resorting to
what, In view Of its numerical weakness,
seems to be its only remedy, emigration
to the United States and Canada