The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-20
I]KASE RUSSIA'S Big VICTORY.
UYOIGH CZAR GIVES LITTLE. WAY
rs OPENED FOR MORE.
Voting Qualification Is Placed Extremely
High. hut the Essential Fact Rem aims
That II IL the First Time an Autocrat
Has Permitted Public Discussion.

speetai Gable Despatch TO THE sun
ST. PETERSBURG, Aug. l0.-The crisis
~ the peace conference il regard I'D az trivial
compared with the epoch making impor-
tante of the Cars ukase, which absorbs
public attention.
An observers first effort must be to
resist sharing the attitude Of cynical sus-
ricion which the entire population imn,e-
diately assumes toward everything issuing
from the Government.
When this has been overcome 1t Is clear
that great historic event has taken place
in Russia, and to-day, which IL the feast
of the TRANSPORTATION. will stand among
the anniversaries which great nations
celebrate in honor Of victory in the struggle
FOR self-government. This can be said
despite many limitations which surround
the Emperor's scheme. ..' ...
Foremost among these liz the ominous
fact that the great industrial army whose
restless agitation has 30 often paralyzed
the authorities is completely left out Tho
artisans who tried to reach the Emperor
in January and the working population
who arc in a chronic struggle with the
Cossacks at Moscow. Warsaw, Odessa
and elsewhere remain just where they are.
Because they have ceased to share In the
life of their native villages they are not
allowed that fractional share In the fran
chise which the villages may enjoy as
collective units.
In every other respect the voting quail
fication is placed extremely high. Where
only men occupying town property at an
annual rental Of seeO or possessing an
agrarian estate worth $500 have votes,
It may be assumed that not per cent. OF
the adult male population will receive the
suffrage 1t must also be remembered
that peasant with $3.50 worth Of real estate
has only a tenth part Of vote in electing
the first assembly electors. who will then
choose a member Of the Imperial Duma.
The present manifesto, moreover, defers
prappling with the problem Of how the
Poles, Firms, Tartars and other non Russian
nationalities shall be placed in the new
scheme.
The word Jew appears nowhere, thus class
ing the Jews, for the purpose Of suffrage,
with the orthodox Russians. The general
poverty Of the Jews will permit only few
merchants Of their race in large cities to
vote.
There remains, however, the great essen
tia fact that for the first time In the his
tory OF the Russian Empire an assembly for
the discussi>n Of public affairs by represen-
tatives of the people is lawfully permitted.
The right is grudgingly given. Its in
trinsic political value is practically nil.
but it is all that was expected and at
least furnishes machinery which will be
used for gaining real reforms and real
expression of the popular will.
1t is beyond question that the Imperial
Duma will from the first moment Of its
meeting struggle for greater powers, and
1t is scarcely less doubtful that the auto
'crat will not long withhold them.
, 1t il in this light that educated, inde-
pendent Russians regard to-day's event
They see in it the hea West blow dealt to the
bureaucracy since 1t arrogated the COM
,pete administration Of the country. No
matter how limited is the basis of suffrage to
the first assembly elected, it Is certain
TO contain enough independent force to
attack Immediately the network OF OBJ
scurantist chicanery from the Baltic to the
Pacific which is the real tyranny Of Russia