Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-03
ASSEMBLY, PLAN
CROWS IN FAVOR
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 3.-Though
the new national assembly during the
first days after the issuance of the
emperors manifesto calling the assem-
bly was given more unfavorable criti-
cism than praise, and though the Rus
sian press, through ignorance. took q
far less favorable view OF the new in
stitution than did the foreign news
papers, the value of the assembly, the
extent of it's powers and the long step
forward that it marks in the path of
reform are now becoming generally
recognized throughout the empire.
A flood of addresses of thanks is
coming from all classes and from all
regions, the city doumas leading III
spite of the fact that the urban popu-
lation was supposed to have been
placed at a considerable disadvantage
as compared with the peasants and the
nobility under the electoral arrange
ment A number of doumas, have
coupled their addresses with requests
for freedom of speech and of the press,
but only in a few cities were addresses
rejected.
The project, the provisions of which
are difficult of comprehension by peo-
pie not experienced in parliamentary
institutions, is being taken up for care
full study and consideration, and be-
cause of this much of the adverse
criticism is wearing away and the talk
of a boycott of the assembly by the
liberals is no longer heard. Public dis
cussion of the assembly and the steps
that are being taken to put it into
effect are bringing to light minor de-
fects and impracticable provisions in
the project, and the ministry of the
interior is busy answering questions
and furnishing interpretations on
doubtful points.
1t is apparent that number of modi-
fications, either by imperial direction
or by the douma itself, will be neces-
practical working body.
The elections in the entire empire
must be ended by December 15. Since
the work of canvassing the votes and
the journeys of distant representatives
to st. Petersburg will occupy the
month before the date fixed by the
emperor for convening the assembly,
the work of preparation of electoral
lists is actively under way in the var
ious cities and in the country districts,
and telegraphic orders have been sent
to the dilatory heads of number of
governments to proceed Immediately
with the work.
Government Acting in Good Faith
Accusations which are frequently cir
culated in many parliamentary states
that the government intends to manip-
ulate elections are heard here concern
ing the douma, and indeed, with the
numerical predominance of peasant
electors and the peasants awe of the
projects and other local officials, the
government is undoubtedly in a posi-
tion to do so. Such would naturally
be the desire of many provincial
Chinovniks who have been accustomed
to WELD arbitrary authority with lit
tie more reference to the wishes of the
central government than to the de-
sires of the people of their districts;
but the provisions of the project, the
election regulations and the special or
ders issued since show that the gov
ernment is acting in good faith and
is doing it's best to make the elec-
tons independent A limit is put on
the activity of the provincial admin
istrative authorities, and the elections
are placed in the control of authorities
popularity elected or appointed. The
bureaucracy has no voice In the ar
rangements and no vote in elections.
The project is received with salts
faction by the Jews, primarily because
1t is the first general law promulgated
ia Russia for thirty years past which
has not contained clause discrim-
mating against the Jews as a race.
This is moro than they had hoped for.
They are granted political rights un-
der the douma equal to those OF all
the other races In the empire, but they
are still without largo proportion OF
civil rights enjoyed by other Russians.