The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-03-27
RUSSIAN ELECTION
MUCH LIKE A
FARCE
Complicated and Confusing
With Uncertain
Results.
A.sociatcd Press Cable to a'he Evening

Asnociatcd Press Cable to a,he Evening
Times.
st. Petersburg, March 27.-The cleo
tion to the imperial douma and the
council of the empire-Russia's first
parliament-bear only a slight re-
semblance to elections in the United
States. The machinery of election is
both complicated and confusing and
the lack of political organization on
the part of the innumerable parties
IN the ileld serves to increase the un-
certainties of the result. For the
douma or lower chamber practically
the old machinery employed by the
peasants In their communes and viii
lages for the regulation of petty
questions OF self government is en-
ployed and In the cities the machin-
cry for the election Of doumas or town
councils is used. The members of the
lmperial douma are elected by pro-
Vinclal congresses composed of rep
resentatlves OF four classes, the peas
anus, the Workmen, the landowners
ana the city population as class.
several OF the larger cities, however,
IKE st. Petersburg, Moscow and Odes-
sa, eject certain number of rep
resentatives irrespectiev of provinces
IN which they are located. The num-
per OF such city representatives is
0ased upon the aggregate population.
for instance, st. Petersburg elects
SIX mn to the douma and the pro.
cedure Is as follows: The city is d.
Waed into twelve districts, identical
WIN the districts formed for the cleo
Ilon OF members of the city council.
IN each OF these districts polling
pace Is opened under the supervision
OF president and commission an
nolnted Dy the municipality and here
he quanhed city voters on specified
gay from y o'clock in the morning un-
VI O'Clock at night have the privi-
Iese OF voting for delegates who are
70 De CHOSEN from each district to the
Gity congress. The delegates or "yi-
porschiki," as they are called. must
ue q9anned electors and residents of
.ne district. The parties, of course.
nave tckets In the field, but the elec.
ofs, can vote for any elector resident
OF ms district, without regard to tick
eS. ne chooses. Without regard
~netner they secure a majority of
ie votes actually cast, the five cleo
.o.s fecelVlng the highest number of
woes become the viborschiki of the
district. The qualification of the M
voters In the cities is very low. in.
ciuaing practically all except the
noating population. In st. Peters.
Durg, for instance, the registration
nst totals almost 10000. in a ponnIa.
tlon OF million and quarter. 5O. .0OO
'oI which are debarred because thev
Deiong to the army or navy. Neither
40 tne registration lists include tha
arusans who work in the big factor
ies and mills. A special provision
Is made for the latter as 4 class Tba
na. murAlaen 9n OF each factory employing
over oO men choose. according to their
numbers, delegates to a general as
semDly OF their own, which in tnrn
cnooses delegates to the city congress
In the case of st. PETERSBURG ID
Inc city congress. thus made in. ia
presided over by the mayor and
'cnooses from among its members the
representatives to the douma. This
oalloting is conducted by balls. The
name OF the qualified candidates I q
members of the congress. are read
ana after each name is pronounced
each delegate deposits either a h1acI
or white ball but for the whole series
eacn delegate has the provilege of
casting only six affirmative votes.
The process is long and tedious, but
is supposed to give every candidate
an equal chance. The six persons re-
ceivtng the highest number are de-
clared elected.