Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-20
SAY AUTOCRACY
INDISPENSABLE
PARLIAMENT WOULD MEAN
RUsSIk'S END
Distinguished Conservative Editor
Explains That AbsoIutlsm is I'M
peratlveiy Necessary to In-
tegrlty Of Empire
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
ST. PETERSBURG. March 19.-Much
has been said and written to show the
advisabillty and even necessity Of
changing the form of government Of
the Russian state from an absolute
monarchy to some form of constitu-
tionalism, but there is a strong party
within the empire which believes that
the only salvation for Russia rests in
the retention, for the present at least,
of the existing autocratic form of gov
ernment.
One Of the ablest advocates of this
view is Vladimir Gringmuth, editor
and publisher of the Moscow Viedo-
mosti, the leading conservative organ.
Mr.. Gringmuth takes the view that
to hold together the vast empire abso-
lutism and autocracy are imperatively
necessary, that under the influence of
constitutionalism and a parliamentary
form Of government the centrifugal
forces would prove too strong to be re-
sisted by the present bonds which unite
the Russian people to their emperor.
He says:
Evolution Must BE Slow
"a full and accurate answer to the
question, Why autocracy is indispensa-
BILE to Russia? would fill volume,
so many are the reasons which could
be given to prove that Russia cannot
exist without the autocratic power of
it's emperors. Among these are forces
of historical, geographical, chronological,
religious, ethical and psychological ma
ture
First Of all, to simplify the reason
ing. let me restate the question and
ask: Why would a parliamentary sys-
tenn cause the downfall of Russia?
This involves no change in the sub
stance of the problem, for paria-
mentary system must be the corner
stone of any constitutional regime.
my readers probably know that
every civilized state must in its evo-
luton pass through the following
stages: Autocracy, constitution, repub-
lie.
CentrpetaI Force Needed
"a condition which has helped the
progress of all countries and saved
them from dissolution has been their
centripetal force.
I'm France all the great govern
mental upheavals, from the downfall
of the mona1c chy in 1889 to the estab-
lishment of lhe republic in 1870, were
accompanied by strong centripetal
natsaralistic feeling, and no one even
thought of the dismemberment of
France. No need to mention the smaller
states, such as Greece, Belgium, Hol-
land, which represent strongly united
entities, incapable of division, since
they have no parts. And who does
not know of the ideal national energy
of Switzerland, which will always re-
main one though composed of three
different nationalities.
British Empire Weakening
But now for the other side of the
picture. In Great Britain we already
see signs of an insufficient centripetal
force. In the eighteenth century 1t lost
it's American colonies and the present
relation of the mother country to it's
foreign possessions is weakening to
such an extent that the very name of
British "empire" is becoming question
able. We will say nothing of Ireland,
that eternal open wound in the body
rolitic of the empire" In the same
...ar,o.. +ba raIatfanS hafuaap GuadaO
and Norway are constantly growing
weaker.
"The most striking example of CEN
trifugal, anti-government force is Of
fered by the Austro Hungarian mon
archy Hungary separated from Aus
tria, retaining only an outward tie,
which, If not today, will tomorrow be
broken. The Hapsburgs have forever
lost the italian provinces, have been
driven from Germany, and the Austria
of today represents a rabble of antag-
onistic nationalities.
Russia's Peril Greater
"In Austria the parliamentary sys-
tenn has existed now these forty years
and the lesson it has taught us is that
a parliamentary system for Austria is
an utter impracticability. 1t was
transplanted hither from the west but
took no root. A struggle between
nationalities is in every, way different
from a struggle between parties within
a nation.
"As with Austro- Hungary on COM
paratively small scale, so with Russia
on a colossal one. and the peril with
which parliamentarism menaces Rus
sia is therefore infinitely greater than
that which the Hapsburgian state
faces.
'The Russian empire is vast but its
vastness is still of very recent origin.
Its western and eastern frontier pos