The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-21
I, Reform Probable in Russia ?

provincial councils of European Russia
met lately in Moscow and adopted certain
resolutions which deputation was or
dered to present to the Car. Although
the conference had not been officially
sanctioned, it was received on June 10
at the palace Of Tsarskoe- Selo, and to
the petition for representative instltu-
tons a reply was made which might be
held to offer some encouragement II
more confidence could be placed in the
speakers tenacity of purpose. unhap-
PLY. experience has shown that decla-
ration of intentions made by ALEXANDER
II. was one thing but that a promise
given by his grandson NICHOLAS II. is
another.
Let us compare the Cars answer,
which we printed on Tuesday, with the
cardinal points in the program of reform
urged by the deputation from the zemst-
vos. 1t appears that the members OF the
Moscow conference, while differing as TO
the details of the method OF choosing
national assembly, az to whether that
BODY should be invested with the power
of the purse, and as to whether the SOW
ereign's ministers should be responsible
to it. agreed that four conditions were
fundamental and Indispensable. In the
first place, representation in the national
assembly must not be according to
classes That is to say, there must be
radical departure from the precedents
established by the Zemsky Sober and the
-. ~ al hv
the way, still adhered to in the Swedish
Riksdag or Diet All Russians, say the
Moscow reformers. must stand on an
equal footing, as they did at Versailles
after the States-General had transformed
itself into uncameral national as
sembly
In the second place, the right to be
represented must be subject TO no re-
strlctlons on the score of race or religion.
That is to say, not only the Old Believers,
or schismatics. and all other seceders
from the Orthodox Russian Church. but
also the Jews, the Germans OF the Baltic
provinces and the Poles Of Poland and
Lithuania, whether the latter are Ortho-
dox, innate or Catholic. should be en-
trusted with the suffrage. Otherwise, as
the deputies Of the zemstvos point out,
the primary aim Of reform would be
frustrated. for dsfranchisement would
engender disaffection. The third demand
is that the national assembly, unlike the
zemstvos, or provincial councils, which
practically are controlled by the bureau
cracy, shall possess distinct and indie
pendent powers The phraseology OF
the last named demand might be more
definite. but evidently the Moscow con-
! ference tried to hit upon formula assent
to which might be as nearly as possible
unanimous. OF more precise and far
reaching significance is the fourth point
insisted upon by the petitioners, namely,
that the representation shall be genuine,
! to which end it is pronounced essential
that complete freedom shall be conceded
to the press, that meetings for the pur-
pose of discussion shall be unmolested,
and that personal liberty shall be guaran-
teed, for, plainly under no other cord-
tons would an assembly faithfully reflect
the sentiments of the Russian people
This is what the Russian reformers
ask Now let us see what the Car
comedies. In the ten or twelve SEN
fences cabled as composing his answer
we can find only one calculated to con-
vey even the semblance of satisfaction
NICHOLAS III. asserted it to be his sover-
eirn and unalterable will that The ad-
mission of elected representatives to
participation in the affairs of state
should be regularly accomplished !"
He does not say whether the members
of the assembly shall be chosen by the
people as a whole or by the zemstvos
or what would come to the same thing.
by the orders or classes represented
in the provincial assemblies. If by
regular is meant customary it must
be the latter alternative that the Car
has in view The election Of represent
atives 10y the whole Russian people,
irrespectively of classes, would be with
out precedent in the national history
and would therefore be termed "irreg-
uar' As to the function that would
he entrusted to the assembly, when
convoked, whether consultative or truly
legislative, and what its relation would
be to the nations finances and execu-
tive. nothing is said. About the immu-
nifty Of individuals from arbitrary arrest
about he freedom of the press and public
meetings, not word was uttered by
the Gar.
From the response made by NICHOLAS
II. to the deputies from the zemstvos
il seems n fair deduction that, even if
the equivocal promise to convoke an
elective assembly is kept, we shall wit
ness a studious attempt to deprive it
of all power materially to modify the
autocratic and bureaucratic system.
Russian reformers, however, may take
to heart this comfort. For a despot
to sanction any kindot representative