The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-20
WHY RUSSIA MUST
HAVE NO CHANGE
Moscow Editor Argues Monarchy is
Necessary.
PARLIAMENT WILL BE FATAL
CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT
WOULD WRECK NATION.

WOULD WRECK NATION.
Correspondence OF the Associated Press)
st. Petersburg, Feb. 2S.-Much has
been said and written to show the ad-
bility and even necessity of chang
ing the form of government of the Rus
sian state from an absolute monarchy
10 some form OF cCnstitutfonalism but
thefe Is a strong party within the en-
pre- which believes that the only sal
walton for Russia rests in the reteu-
ton, for the present at least, Of the eN-
lStlng form Of government. One OF the
ablest advocates of this view is Nladi-
MIR Gringmuth, editor and publisher Of
the Moscow NiedamOsti the leading
conservative organ, from whom the As
Sociated Press has secured the follow
Ing article. setting forth one phase of
the argument against sweeping
changes. Mr.. GrinEmuth takes the
view that to hold together the vast en-
pre- absoiutism and dutOCTaCy are i'm
perauVely necessary. that under the
influence OF constitutionaIism and "A
parliamentary form of government the
centrifugal forces would prove too
strong to be resisted by the present
bonds which unite the Russian peoples
20 their emperor. Tie says:
"A full and accurate answer to the
question, why autOcTdCN is indiSDenS-
able to Russia would fill a volume. so
many are the reasons which could be
given to prove that Russia cannot ex-
iSt without the autOcratic power Of It's
emperOrs. Among these are forces of
historical, geographical. chronological,
religious ethical and psychological ma
turc, the latter OF which could hardly
be presented in a clear and convincing
fashion to those who have not studied
Russia closely at first hand and fami-
HariZed themselves with the spiritual
anS Intellectual qualities of the Rus
sian people For these reasons shall
not attempt to discuss the latter causes
within the limits OF this sketch, the
readers of which, unacquainted with
Russia, might easily To Ike the deep con-
Niction Of a Russian for idle talk. incon-
SiStent with reality. I shall. therefore,
restrict myself to answ erinE the ques-
ton from the viewpoint of historical
facts.
First Of all to simplify the reasoning
let me Testate the question and ask:
ny would parliamentary system
cause the downfall OF Russia2 This in
Tolves no change in the substance Of
the problem for as a parliamentary
system must be the cornerstone of any
constitutional regime. to prove that
parliameHtarism would wreck the Rus
sian state viii involve the corollary
that autOCracy is Indispensable to this
country
Two National Tendencies.
MY readers probably know that
every civilized state must in its evo-
luton pass through the following
stages AUtocracy. constitution, repub-
lie. This proposition may be consid-
cred automatic by all who have in mind
the history of the past two centuries
In western Europe and America. But
one circumstance which always accom-
panieS such an evolution may have
been overlooked. a circumstance which
with two exceptions. Of which ] shall
speak later. has helped the progress
of all countries and saved them from
dissolution. ! refer to the existing cen
tripedal force of a nation. The more
typical examples Of this are Germany
and Italy, where the evolution from alb
sOlutSm TO COnStitutiOnaliSm went
hand i'm hand with the powerful ma
tiOnal tendency to unite i'm one strong
whole. In France. likewise. all the
great governmental upheavals, from
the downfall Of the monarchy i'm 1888
tn the establishment Of the republic i'm
1870. were accompanied by strong ma
tionalstic feeling. and 10 one even
thought of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
France that France which, through
the policy of Fichelieu and Louis XIV
was so firmly bound together that even
the German AlSaCc felt itself an inte-
smaller states. such as Greece. Belgium
Holland. which represent strongly unit
ed entities. Incapable of division. since
they have no parts. And who does not
know Of the ideal national energy Oi
Switzerland. which viii always remain
one though composed of three different
UatiOnaltieS.
= But now for the other side of the
picture In Great Britain we already
sec signs of an insufficient centripeda
force. due To am insufficient feeling o.
national unity. In the eighteenth cen
fury il lost its American colonies. and
the present relation Of the mother Coun
try to its foreign possessions is weak
euiuE to such an extent that the very
name of British empire Is becoming
questionable. We viii say nothing o
Ireland. that eternal open wound in TIT
body polite Of the empire I'm thu
same manner the relations betWeeI
Sweden and Norway are constantly
growing weaker; these two couutrie:
could not unite into one whole i'm 1914
and now they Will never do so. But thu
most striking example of centrifugal
:nti-gOverumCnt force is offered by TIT
Austro- Hungarian monarchy. Durin;
the unlimited aUtocraCy OF the Haps
burgs tSincC 1881. II presented one po
litfcaI whole firmly united under tina
system: but when. in the year 1S4S. tn
era Of democratic coustitutionalism he
gan. the monarchy was shaken to &c
very foundations. Hungary separate
from Austria. retaining only an out
ward tie. which If not today. Will 10
morrow be broken The Ha pSburg
have forever lost the Italian provinces
have been driven from Germany. an
the Austria of toby represents a rab
bile Of antaEOniStic uatiOnalities. reu
dcriuE an ideal political life impossible
As Professor GumDjoyich OF Giratz, n
expert in state law and socioiOg
writes.
In Austria the parliamentary sys
tern has existed now these forty year
and more and what = the lesson i
has taught us2 That d parliamentar,
system for Austria is an utter imprdC
ticbiIty. II was trdnSpldnted htthe
from the west, but took no root. TIL
more the strength Of the Germanic ele
meuts decreased and that Of the 9th
cI Municipalities grew. the clearer coul'