New-York tribune., 1906-04-10
THE RUSSIAN DEMOCRACY.

Lowell observed that people of limited intelli-
gence were inclined TO spell evolution" with an
initial 'r." There is now q prospect that the
rule will be reversed in Russia. The people of
that empire learning 10 spell revolution"
without an r. That certainly seems TO be the
meaning of the elections Of members of the
Douma. The Constitutional Democrats are
sweeping the country In more than One-haf of
the provinces of the empire, electing about one
third Of the Douma. that party has won an over
whelming victory, and not a single reactionary
has been chosen. We may not hope that such
results will be effected in all the rest Of the
country. In some provinces reactiOnaries will
probably be chosen. But it now seems almost
certain that the Constitutional Democrats will
have handsome majority in the first Russian
imperial Parliament.
Enough is already known to show that the
forecasts of Il few months or weeks ago were
greatly in error. 1t was reckOned by some Opt-
mistic souls that the Constitutional Democrats
might have a considerable number of delegates
TO the DOuma, and might rank as the leading
faction of the minority, though, of course, the
reactionaries We're bound to control the body
General reports and opinions, even a few days
ago, were that the elections were farcical the
people not being permitted to vote, or rafraining
from voting because of the obvious useleSsness
of it. We were told that the election of reform
erS would not be permitted, and that the Douma
was sure TO be a reactionary body, or a collec-
ton Of puppets moved with strings in grand
ducal hands. more striking contrast than
that between those forecasts and the news of
to-day it would be difficult TO imagine.
Having given little credence to the pessimistic
forecasts, we are not surprised at the results
of the elections. The paucity and untrustworth-
iness of Russian political news have long been
proverbial. 1t has been very difficult to deter
mine with any degree of assurance what has
been going on in that country If we were to
believe. fo- example, all that has been said in
the most explicit manner about the Car we
should have to regard him as far more Protean
than PrOteus himseIf-weak and strong liberal
and conservative progressive and reaetiOnary,
benevolent and misanthropic, a puppet and
master. In such uncertainty the only safe
course has been TO judge the situation by such
general principles as are indsputably known.
On such a basis il has seemed reasonable to be-
lieve that the Gar is in earnest in giving his
people representative government and that
the people will-thOugh at first imperfectly-im-
prove their opportunity and create parliament
which will for the first time in Russian history
make the voice of the people audible in imperial
councils
Thus, as we have said, Russia is making an
evolution rather than n revolution in the com
mon meaning OF Jne IdItef term. Inc notion
that the masses of the people would hold aloof
from the elections and disregard the DOuma and
would persist in violent revolution is seen to
have been mistaken. The moujiks are sending
representatives To the Douma, and they are in
tellfgent and worthy representatives. Similarly
on the same ground, we must discount the pre-
dlctlons that the Radicals, flushed with victory
Will proceed TO eXtremities in the Douma and
provoke a violent conflict with the government
1t is not TO he believed they will do so partial
constitution has already been granted and n
, complete constitution has been promised by n
sovereign who will fulfil his promise Surely If
will be better TO have such constitution drafted
by and with the consent and cooperation of the
representatives, Of the people in the Douma than
10 have 1t arbitrarily framed by the Car on his
own responsibility. If. then. it's PRONUNCIATION has
been postponed until after the meeting of the
DOuma II is in order that ii may thus be n
popular constitution. in the making of which
the people will themselves have part.
There are various definitions of the word