The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-10

u
ideas"
To permit New Mexico to vote away
for all future time Arizona's independent
existence would be outrageous.
Will Russia Have a National As
sembly?
According to a telegram from St.
Petersburg. the Gear NICHOLAS II. on
the evening Of Aug. 8 signed at Peter
hof the project for national assembly
which had been framed by the Council
of Ministers. We are told that ukase
convoking the congress and setting a
date for It's first meeting will be issued
on Saturday, Aug. ~, the anniversary
Of the birth OF tho heir to the Russian
throne.
The announcement would be heard
with more interest, not only in Russia
but throughout tho world, II it were
possible to repose much confidence in the
Cars steadfastness OF purpose. I'm
fortunately q sovereign who has given
no proof Of knowing his own mind. and
who, It will be remembered, issued two
contradictory rescripts in single day,
can hardly expect onlookers to take for
granted that any concession made by
him will satisfy his subjects aspirations,
or even that the promised national
parliament will actually assemble. The
summons issued to-day may be revoked
tomorrow, or the date Of election or of
meeting may be postponed indefinitely,
should the conclusion OF peace with
Japan enable the reactionists to use the
hugo army under Gen. LINIEvITCH for
the purpoee Of sitting the demand for
representative institutions. From the
point Of view. indeed. Of a Russian patriot
it Is questionable whether the early at
tainment OF an agreement at the Ports
mouth conference is really to be de-
sired. Nobody imagines that NICHOLAS
II. would have granted the germ Of
constitution before the present war be-
gan; what ground Is there, then, for the
assumption that he would faithfully
carry out his promise to grant one if the
pressure Of war were relaxed?
= The Devil was SICK. the Devr monk would b;
Tho Devil got we'll. the Devil monk was he"
Let US, however, for the sake Of argu-
ment, proceed on the hypothesis that,
owing either to a prolongation of the
war in the Far East or to an unexpected
exhibition Of tenacity Of purpose on the
part Of the Gear, the assembly to be con-
voked on Saturday will actually be
chosen and allowed to meet What has
Russia to hope from it7 Until the ukase
shall have been published we can have
no authoritative account Of the provi-
sions for the election OF the assembly
nor Of the powers confided to it. 1t Is
probable that every conceivable pre-
hes been taken to eesure to the
and bureaucracy the maxi
mum OF control over the choice of men,
bers and to minimize the extent to which
the popular assembly, when in session,
could obstruct or regulate the arbitrary
exercise OF governmental functions by
the Gear and his Ministers. At the base
Of the electoral structure may b prop
erty qualification, instead Of manhood
suffrage. Then again. the members or
delegates may be chosen, not directly,
like Representatives in the United States,
but indirectly, like our President. FL
nally, tho assembly may DO clothed with
only q consultative instead of q legis-
lative power, the Executive retaining
the exclusive right to make as well a.
execute laws and to heed or disregard
the wishes Of his subjects Spokesman.
Or possibly, while the power to make
laws il withheld from the assembly. it
may be authorized to reject them by q
two-thirds vote. the majority required
for the rejection of treaties in our Fed
oral Senate.
The extent to which the autocracy
may be credited with honest intentions
and good faith We shall be able to esti-
mate when We have before US the text
Of the ukase convoking the assembly.
What We would point out at this time is
that the autocracy Is taking tremendous
risk in convoking any kind of assem-
bly,. Surcharged as Is the atmosphere
Of Russia with the elements Of revolu-
lion, only slight conclusion Of the
mir Is needed to provoke an avalanche.
II Is impossible to make the dangerous
experiment. Of invoking the popular |
voios under conditions seemingly more
calculated to insure an autocrat against
lnwelcome interference than those which
governed the mode Of election and tho
method Of procedure Of the States-Gen-
,ral which met at Versailles in 1889.
The delegates Of the Tiers Etat, who
alone even professed to represent tho
mass OF the French people, were the
products Of indirect electoral processes,
contrived to restrict or warp
The popular choice, and when they got |
10 Versailles they found that they could |
not sit with the delegates Of the mobiles
or with the delegates Of the clergy, but
must deliberate separately; and that, |
H.