New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-20
RUSSIANS FEAR TO VOTE.
IntimidatiOnS at POILS-The York
ing Glasses ErcLud6d.

St Petersburg, March 19-There is more and
more evidence OF the virtual exclusion Of the
radical elements Of the population from the
elections The preliminary stages viii rob the
National Assembly Of much OF its national char
acter. Its authority TO speak will be absolutely
denied by the proletariat organizations which
bore the brunt of the fight for liberty. Com
plants Of interference and duress IN the country
districts are increasing. Many fragrant instances
are cited Of local officials preventing a free ex-
preston Of the wishes of the peasants and often
practically compelling the selection Of priests
and village elders. The seeming apathy OF the
small landowners assemblies. which had an
average attendance OF only 10 per cent of the
voters is explainable by the feeling that they
We're not free to choose
The most serious phase Of the situation, how
ever is the attitudo Of the workmen in the cities
who constituts politically the most developed
and mOsr radical faction OF the masses of the
population. In spite Of repression, Wholesale
arrests and frequently the exile Of their leaders,
many wOrkmen are inclined to reject the advice
OF the socialists to boycott the elections The
authorities instead Of taking advantage Of this
ton where the radical elements are in the ma
Jority, thus deliberately playing the game of the
ooycotters and driving the whole working class
This was apparent at the workmen's elections
IN 81 petersburg yesterday. Carefully collected
information from the outlying industrial dis
tricts to-day shows that the elections were a
farce N0minally eleven ont Of the thirty-nine
working groups entitled 10 vote elected twenty
OUT OF nIty-seVen delegates TO the convention,
which Will select eghte representatives for the
city to the convention, which in turn Will elect
Tor st Petersburg six members Of the National
Assembly Where the elections were Ostensibly
held only 500 out of p, $50 wOrEInen voted, and
they almost invariably chose reuctlonary dele
gates. At the Nevsky works 100 voters out OF
5000 elected five members Of the League Of the
Russian People and three men belonging to the
Party of Law and Order, two prominent reac-
uonary organizations
DISPLAY OF TROOPS AT POLLS.
There was an overwhelming display Of troops
and police IN the districts and places where the
men assembled. Some of the men held meetings
and discussed the ACCESSIBILITY Of voting but the
great mass simply withdrew. saying that in the
present reign of terror the designation Of their
real choice was equivalent 10 turning over the
men to the police. In the big Okhta and Moscow
districts not single man has been elected. The
railroad employees unanimously refused TO vote
until the imprisoned members of their OrganiZa-
ton were released.
At the Narva works. the men employed IN
forty-fOur shops bOycotted the elections saying
that their candidates who were not in Jail had
been dismissed on SATURDAY, Professor MilukOn,
Editor Of the 'ReCh.' organ Of the Constitution
al Democrats addressed a large meeting Of
workmen urging them TO vote. He made good
impression. but the moment he pronounced the
word opposition the police closed the meeting
and the workmen left In disgust
At the KolpinO works the men were holly dis
cussing the question OF participation IN the cleo
tOn when they were surrounded and dispersed
by troops, who mOrtaly wounded a workman.
At Moscow yesterday, where the workmen del
egates met for the second election stage, %
choose representatives to the city congress, the
greatest confusion prevailed and result was
attained. There were 1S2 candidates, although
only eighteen qualified for election
In the mean time, the leaders Of the real par
ties in the fight for supremacy in the National
Assembly are preparing for struggle In the
provincial and city conventions, "nIth choose
the actual members Of the National Assembly.
Little attention is paid by the Liberals to the
new Council of the Empire. which IS foredoomed
to be controlled by the government
COMPOSITION OF ASSEMBLY
It is becoming apparent that the Progressive
and Liberal elements, with chances OF represen-
tation are uniting with the Constitutional Dem
ocrats. They have already made a good show
ing capturing twenty delegates. or whom Pro-
fessar AianuiIof. rector Of the Moscow Univer-
sity is one out Of hfty-two small land owners
Of Moscow Province. Their candidates for the
national Assembly for which full tickets IN
the field, have already come forward Tor cleo
ton TO the conventions 10 which they must DO
elected IN order 10 insure them eHslbllty Tor
election TO the national Assembly. Ivan Pc
trunkevitch Their choice for President Of the
national Assembly. Is "a candidate at TNert NJ
ROdItcheff. NJ. Hessen, NJ. FeOdOroT and others
are candidates here. and NJ. kokOshkine. Prince
Paul Dolgoroukon and NJ Teslinko are candi-
dates al Moscow
The conservative middle party. represented
by the League Of October 30 and the Party Of
Law and Order have fun lists In the field under
the leadership Of NJ GuchkOh. Dmitri Shipoff
and NJ. PleyOkO at Moscow and Baron Serge
Alexander Korff. NJ. Krosovsky and Count Hey
den I'm st. Petersburg.
The Reactionists also have tickets headed by
Vladimir Gringmuth, NJ. SchmakoT and Prince
Tcherbatoff at Moscow. and Professor NOchol-
sky and NJ Kamlroh IN st. Petersburg NJ.
KrOuRhevan, Editor Of the 'Droug" the noted
anti-Senite Is a candidate at Kishinaff. but he
Is not considered to have a chance of election