Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-07
SOCIALISTS MAKE
BIC PROPAGANDA
RUSSIA FLOODED WITH THEIR
LITERATURE
Their Program Contains Many
Phrases Common to American
Platforms and Demands So
claIIzation Of the Land
Ey Associated d Press.

Ey Associated Press.
MOSCOW, April 6.--The central COM
mittee of the Social Revolution party
has drawn up a document containing
the main points of its program, and
of this hundreds of thousands Of copies
are being printed for circulation in all
parts of European Russia. The first
and main point is the establishment of
a democratic republic on the ruins Of
the autocracy and beside the usual
points Of Social Democratic doctrine 1t
includes many arguments especially
directed to Russian conditions and de-
signed to appeal to the self-interest of
the Russian proletariat, both agricul-
tural and industrial. 1t voices phrases
familiar to the American ear, such as
Initiative and referendum" public
ownership of public utilities" etc.
The program is divided into two
heads. The first deals with the po-
litical regime and demands the institu-
tions Of a democratic republic with
broad autonomy for the provinces, mu-
inequalities an communes; the widest
application of the federal principle to
the relations between the various ma
tionalities; a direct secret universal
ballot without distinction as to sex,
nationality or religion; proportional
representation; direct popular legisla-
tion with the initiative and referen-
DUN; electibility, responsibility and re-
movability of all officials; separation
of church and state; complete freedom
of conscience, speech, the press, as
sembly and association; right to strike;
compulsory popular and gratuitous ed
ucation and abolition of the standing
army and substitution of national
militia.
Under the head of economics it favors
an eight-hour day with reduction for
the more dangerous and unsanitary oc-
cupations, minimum wage scale, state
insurance, regulation of factory con-
struction, prohibition of child labor
below 16 and of female labor at certain
occupations and professional organiza-
tion of workmen with an increasing
share in the internal management of
institutions.
Would Socialize the Land
In agrarian policy the party declares
that the earth is the common heritage
of all citizens and demands the social
ization of all land or such approach to
abolition of private ownership as is
practicable, including the sequestration
of crown, church and state lands, turn
ing them over to the communes, and
the limitation and conversation of rents
into an income tax, payable to the COM
mune.
In the realm of finance the party
favors progressive income and inheri-
tance taxes, with small incomes ex-
empted the abolition of indirect taxes
and the protective system, except as to
objects of luxury 1t also favors the
common ownership of all utilities, med
ical assistance gratis, development of
cooperation on strictly democratic
principles and measures tending to the
independence of the working classes
of governmental bureaucracy.
The document closes with a warning
to individuals against estate Socialism, y
which it declares to be system of half
measures, deluding workers, concen-
trating industry and commerce in the
hands of the governing bureaucracy,
and it urges the summoning of a con-
stituent assembly in which it proposes
to conduct the campaign for the disso-
luton of the autocratic regime and the
transformation of the existing order.