The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-03
RUSSIANS NOW
FAVOR THE PLAN
New National Assembly Popular
With the People.
JEWS ARE WELL PLEASED
BUREAUCRACY HAS NEITHER
VOICE NOR VOTE.

St. Petersburg, Sept. 3, 1924 q. M
Though the new national assembly dur
ing the first days after the issuance
OF the emperor's manifesto calling the
assembly was given more Lnfavofabie
criticism than praise and the Russian
press through ignorance took a Tar less
favorable view of the new institution
than did the foreign newspapers, the
value of the assembly, the extent Of its
powers and the long steps forward II
marks in the path of reform ere now
becoming generally recognized through
out the empire. 4 flood OF addresses
OF thanks is coming in from all classes
and from all regions, the city doumas
leading the district, though the urban
population was supposed TO have been
placed at a considerable disadvantage
TO the peasants and the nobility under
the electoral arrangement. A number
OF doumas have coupled their addresses
with requests for freedom OF speech and
OF the press, but only IN few cities
we're addresses rejected.
Studying It Carefully.
The project, the provisions of which
al III III u NNAAANA NAANAA1AeA ~ ~
pie not experienced IN parliamentary
Institutions, is being taken up for care
ful study and consideration and be-
cause Of this much Of the adverse criti-
cism is wearing away and the talk or
q boycott of the assembly by the Lib
erals is no longer heard. Pu3.e dis
cussiOn of the assembly and the steps
that are being taken 70 put IL into ef-
feet are bringing 10 light minor defects
.s~f1 hi. In q
project, and the ministry of the interior
is busy answering questions and fur
nishing interpretations on doubtful
points. IL Is apparent that a number
Of notifications, either by imperial d.
rection or by the douma itself, Will be
necessary before the assembly becomes
. practical working body.
Remedying Defects.
Some of the principal complaints that
the border provinces were not To be
represented in the first assembly have
been removed by the prompt converting
of the Solsky commission for elaborat-
ing scheme for elections in these dis
tricts In which the system of local Or
ganizatiOn that prevails in the fifty
governments of Russia proper and the
machinery of which was appointed by
the Bouligan commission for election
tAA kO0Co II AAAEAA1lEAlt anu ~ a QNAAoAT
alton OF the ministry Of the interior
that the reports are absolutely with
out foundation.
The elections in the entire empire
must be ended by Dec. 10. Since the
work Of canvassing the vote and the
Journeys Of distant representatives TO
st. Petersburg will occupy the month
before the date fixed by the emperor
for converting the assembly. the work
NJ al fge1
lively under way in the various cities
and in the country districts, and tele-
graphic orders have been sent to the
dilatory heads of a number Of gov
eruments 10 proceed Immediately with
The work.
Acting in Good Faith.
Accusatiens which are frequently cir
culated IN many parliamentary states
that the government intends to manip-
ulate elections are heard here concern
ing the douma, and indeed, with
numerical predOiainance OF peasant
lectOrs and the pea SAINTS awe of the
projects and other local officials, the
government is undoubtedly in a posi-
ton 10 do so. This undoubtedly will
be the desire of many provincial Chin
Ovinks. who have been accustomed to
welding arbitrary authority with lit
central government than to the desires
OF the people Of this district: but the
provisions of the project and election
regulations and special orders issued
since show that the government is act
ing in good faith and is doing its best
TO make the elections independent. A
limit Is put on the activity OF the prov
incial administrative authorities, and
the elections are placed in the control
OF authorities popularity elected or up
pOintive
Bureaucracy Has No Vote.
The bureaucracy has no voice In the
arrangements and no vote in elections.
A number Of computations have been
made by enemies Of the project for the
purpose Of showing the peasants IN the
majority in the douma; but these prog
nosticatiOns are groundless, as II Is not
known what combinations the three
classes Of electors will form among
themselves in the various governments,
and the inclination of the present elect
ors is 10 use the plurality colleges to
secure an undue share OF representa-
lives and force the city and nobility
lectors TO combine in self-defense.
The project IS received with salts
faction BY the Jews in Russia 9rimar-
lily because 1t is the first general law
promulgated in Russia in thirty years
not containing a clause discriminating
against Jews as race. This is more
than they had hoped for. They are
granted political rights under the
douma equal TO those Of all the other
races OF the empire, but they are stin
without large proportion Of the civil
rights enjoyed by other Russians.
-agfafr- nav