New-York tribune., 1906-04-08
AN HISTORICAL PARALLEL.

The annulment by the Russian election COM
missoners Of the election OF Messrs Iilukoff
and Hessen as delegates to the st. Petersburg
provincial convention suggests to the student
OF historical parallels significant incident Of
the eighteenth century struggle of the English
Wings against the attempt to re-establish royaI
pferOgative by the destruction of the indepen-
dence of the Commons. The votes for Messrs
Milukon and Hessen are disaIlowed on the
ground that these men were under indictment
in connection with the suspension of a news
paper which they edited Perhaps their stand
ing before Russian law is such that they could
not properly act in a legislative body and If so.
it would seem that a new election should be or
dered. Instead. however the commission has
given certificates to the Conservative candf-
dates, who received scarcely One-tenth of the
votes cast for their unseated rivals. The two
men returned to the convention are not the
choice Of the people, but, on the contrary, are
men whom the people distinctly repudated
This happens in Russia at q time when the
officials dare scarcely stir from their palaces
for fear Of popular anger which they are ap-
parently endeavOring to quiet by the conceG-
sion OF representative government In 1859
England had long had representative govern
ment yet the King, but for his own brave spirit
would scarcely have ventured to show himself.
His officers were daily exchanging blows with
the angry citizens of London, and hig courts
were unable to indict rioters, while no libel
against his government could be too scurlilOus
to delight the people. And no one incident of
that struggle to suppress English freedom CON
tributed more to that discomfort than just such
another attempt to nullify the popular right of
election as that which occurs in Russia in CON
nectiOn with policy not of reaction, but of
supposed liberal progress.
In April, 1863, the people of Middlesex chose
John Wilkes to Parliament by a vote of .143
against 296 given for Henry Luttrell. the can
didate of Lord Butte. Wilkes had previously
been expelled from Parliament owing to the
intolerant enmity of the Ministry So two days
after election, the House of Commons not only
declared Wilkes incompetent Of being elected
a member" but declared the court candidate,
Colonel Luttrell, elected. and falsified the re-
turns to give him the seat.
That despotic violation of the Constitution
became one of the chief grievances of the Wings.
Again and again Junius rang the changes upon
it. THE right of election said he "is the very
essence Of the Constitution To violate that
right and, much more. to transfer it to any
"other set of men, is step leading Immediately
ito the dissolution Of the government" And
again, in one of his bitter arraignments Of the
Duke of Grafton: You have united this coun-
try against you on one grand. constitutional
point, on the decision of " hch our existence as
"a free people absolutely depends. You have
asserted, not In words but in fact, that the
representation in Parliament does not depend
upon the choice Of the freehoders." In his
Thoughts on the Causes of the Present Discon-
tent" Burke likewise denounced the usurpation
of the Kings Friends" who dared to "alter
the right of election ITSELF" to create incapac-
tiles and set up as representatives persons who
"aVowedly had never been chosen by the ma
'jority OF legal electors nor agreeably to any
known rule of law" The electors Of Middle
sex had chosen a person whom the House Of
Commons had voted incapable, and the House OF
Commons had taken in a member whom the
electors OF MiddleseX had not chosen. He de-
clared that the right of election was not a prin-
ciple under which, as in a warrant, a John Doe
or Richard Roe might be substituted in place
OF the man really wanted.
From the time that the Bfiddlesex electors
finally overcame the efforts of George III TO
make the House OF Commons an obedient in
strumenf of personal government the principle
contended for by Edmund Burke has held nm
disputed sway in the operation of Anglo xon
representative government. Men may be ex-
PEELED from legislative bodies, but no man can
be put into such a body who is not the choice
OF his constituents. The representative instltu-
tions OF Russia are still inchOate. People and
Dureaucrats alike may fail to grasp the primary
theory Of representation but it is curious TO
ma this striking parallel between English at
tempts at repression IN the eighteenth century