The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-04-28
SOP NOT SUFFICIENT
RUSSIAN POLITICAL SITUATION
AGAIN THREATENING,
z Constitution Proposed by Car
Raises Great Storm Of Indigna-
ton and Furnishes Stimulus
Needed to Solidify Entire OPP
position IN Parliament.

Ot' T0terSOurg, April 26.-The DO
lltlcal situation has grown threaten
ing. The publication of the new draft
OF the fundamental law" or "consti-
tuition" of Russia, has aroused a storm
OF indignation, and amidst the present
distrust of the governments motives
has furnished just the stimulus needed
to solidify the entire opposition in par
lament.
The only point gained by the people
IN their fight against the crown is the
first incorporation in the "fundamen-
tai law" of the imperial manifesto of
October 20, creating a parliament and
thus making it impossible for the en-
peror hereafter without usurpation to
withdraw what he has granted.
Otherwise the notifications of the
fundamental law" are entirely in the
direction of supporting the emperor's
present powers against the assaults of
parliament.
Car Gives Up Very Little.
He not only retains absolute control
OF the army and navy and foreign re-
lations, with power to declare peace or
war, but he keeps in his hands the
vital prerogative of declaring cities,
districts and provinces under martial
law or Gin state of reinforced secur-
ity."
Inasmuch as any exceptional state
of security involves the suspension of
civil rights, and as normal conditions
have not existed in Russia for years.
st. Petersburg having been in state
of reinforced security" since 1882, the
personal guarantees granted can be
wiped out by stroke of the emperor 8
pen.
A very important provision makes
no law operative until published by
the ruling of the senate. The senate,
I q purely bureaucratic institution,
therefore becomes the judge of the
''constitutionality" of the acts of par,
lament. Immunity from arrests and
domiciliary visits, etc., are spoiled by
many exceptions. The right of free.
dom is residence, which seems freely
granted, is subject to the existing
regulations.
A suspicious feature in connection
with the emperor's power to dissolve
parliament and order new elections is
that no provision is made for fixing 9
time within which the new parliament
umst be convened.
| The Reisch insists that with the re.
alization of the new Russian loan and
under the false conviction that the
revolution is suppressed "the govern
ment has not hesitated to again show
the cloven hoof, not even making q
secret of its intention to dissolve par
lament if it is found to be trouble
| some"
M. Brianchaninof in the Slovo yes
terday calls the draft of the "funda
mental law mockery, which will be
resented by every honest man, be he g
member of the "black hundred" or 9
"social revolutionist, adding that
such mixture of lies and false logic
on the eve of the assembling of the
real mastersof the country can only
tend to push the people to afresh rev
olution with its attending conflicts
and anarchy. The existing regime
seems fated to 60 down in blood. ;"
Proletariat Il Stirring.
A real dangerous element in the sit.
uation, however, is not in the attitude
of the Liberals, but in the possibility
of another upheaval from below at thu
/ very moment when the intellectual
forces of the country have been unit
ed. For some time the Social Demo
Gratis and other proletariat organiza
tions have been trying to arrange 9
general uprising to coincide with the
convocation of parliament.
There is ia striking analogy be
tween the methods adopted by ths
tworkmen and those preceding "Reo
Sunday" January %, 1905, and many
people believe that they see in thu
new organization the hand Of Gapon.
All trace of the former priest has beer
Host. The holy synod denies that he
is secreted in a monastery, and he may
be acting behind the scenes of the
drama which is being unfolded.