New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-29
M4CHINERY OF ELECTION
System a Complicated One, Based on
AnCieRt Customs.


| sembance TO elections in the United States The
machinery OF election Is both. complicated and con-
fusng, and the lack OF political organization on the
part Of the innumerable parties in the field serves
/ to increase the uncertainty Of the results.
For the Douma or lower chamber practically the
! old machinery employed by the peasants in their
communes and villages for the regulation Of petty
! questions Of self-govewment is employed, and IN
the cities the machinery for the election of dOumas
or town councils is used The members of the I'm
periaI Douma elected by provincial congresses,
! composed of representatives Of four classes. the
! PEASANTS. the wOrkmen, the landowners. and the
city population a class. Certain Of the larger
! cities. however, like St. Petersburg, Moscow and
Odessa elect a certain number of representatives
| irrespective Of the provinces in which they are
| located.
The number of such city representatives IS based
on aggregate population. For instance St Peters
burg elects six men 10 the DOuma, and the proce-
dure is as follows: The city is divided into twelve
districts Identical with the districts formed Tor
the election Of members Of the City Council In
each of these districts polling place Is opened
under the supervision of a president and commits
sion appointed by the municipality, and here the
qualified city voters on specified Gay rom
O'Clock in tho morning until o'clock al plsh'
have the privilege Of voting for delegates VINO
are to be chosen from each district to the city con
eress The delegates or ''vbOrschiki, as they are
called must be qualified electors and resluen'S VI
the district. The parties Of course, nave ucNe'S
in the field the eector can vote Tor any tieo'O'
resident of his district, WllLouL LS6''iN W
If he chooses. Without regaTd to whether tleS
have ma iority Of the votes actually cast the hVe
electors receiving the highest number OF votes Do
come the viborschiki of the district
Low QUALIFICATION SCALE
The qualification of the voters in the cities Is low"
including practically all except the ho1IIIis
ton In St Petersburg, for instance the Ies9'i'
tion list totals almost 10000 in population OF
million and a quarter 5000 Of whom are uepalL7u
because they belong TO the army or navy >eI'l'l
do the registration lists include the aI"S"H9 w
work in the big factories and mills. special pro-
vision is made for the latter a class. The work
men Of each factory employing more tnan hlIE I'e1
choose according to their numbers, deiesale9 10
general assembly Of their own when IN TURN
chooses delegates to the city congress-in the case
- g T7e+areh,re tv-enty-four The city congress,
thus made up is presided over by the Mayor ana
chooses from among its members the representa-
tives to the Douma. This ballotng Is conducted
nv halls The names of the qualified candidates
i . members of the congress, are read, ana AFTER
each name is pronounced each delegate deposits
either black or white ball but for the whole series
each delegate the privilege Of casting only SIX
affirmative votes. The process IS long ana teolous
but IS supposed to give every candidate an equal
chance. The six persons receiving the highest
number are declared elected
The members from the provinces are also elected
in the last instance by a somewhat similar general
congress Of delegates representing the various pro-
vincal classes. The steps and methods of election
however are different especially in regard 70 the
peasant class The peasants comprise almost 80 per
cent of the total population of the empire, and In
thirty-two of the fifty provinces will have a ma
jorty delegates to the provincial congresses
The peasant OF moujlk. elections begin with the
commune or village unit, the heads of every ten
families-Women being allowed 10 vote where the
husband is dead-selectng Of their number 10
represent them at the volost, cantonal, meeting
This first step IS primitive and follows the ancient
traditions Of village communal life In Russia, where
the ''desia tnik' or tenth man. is usually named
! in rotation to fulfil such public duties his group
is called to exercise, his mission being regarded
rather in the Of a duty than a privilege and
honor. The real politics begin with the volost
sembly, perhaps representing score Of COmmunes,
which chooses two representatives each to the as
sembly of the district, each province being divided
! up into a number OF districts each a replica,
small scale, of the provinces or governments,
! they usually called in Russia, OF which they
| form a part These district assemblies choose from
| list Of candidates Of their own number who have
a right to be elected by the ball system. the dele
/ gates to the provincial congress.
THE LANDOWNERS VOTES.
Three other classes are represented in this pro
| vincal congress the landowners the inhabitants
Of cities which do elect special representatives
to the Douna. and the workmen Of factories wher-
| ever numerous enough TO entite them to special
! representation
The landowners are divided into two classes
! those possessing land in excess of the amount re
CURED qualify for a vote, and the smaller hold
| of land. who, through combination among them
| selves have together enough to qualify. The basis
/ consequently. is IandhCldnE. The amount of land
required however, varies, according to the quality
| Of the land from 70 deciatincs leach about two
| and one-half acres in the north TO 125 decatnes
| IN the central black belt region. There are only
| two degrees in the elections OF the landowners.
| They assemble by districts ana choose delegate
| direct TO the provincial congress. the number be
/ ing apportioneu in each case.
| In the cues the Hilt'i-'ulS anu IAe W"IhiA,,l
elect the provincial congress in the same fash
| ion that they do in the excepted cities like 81.
| z,
The procedure in the provincial congress, which
IS presided over bS IIe IiL,' s,il OF L4oplS IS Sil-
proceeding to the election of the number of repre-
! sentatives to the Donna TO which the province is
entitled II s incumbent upon me congress TO choose
first a representative of the peasant class After
that accomplishing the congress proceeds. ballot
Perhaps il should be- specifically stated So FAR as
! the landowners are GoneeiltH lhdl. alihoush ,,
may be necessary lor hai dozen small farmers 90
! pool their issues to obtain vote ON the land |
basis the possession OF au amount OF land greatly
/ u excess OF the requirement does not enttle the
large landowner 10 more than one vote. The great
| landowners IN Russia. therefore some of whom
preponderatng influence on account Of their hold |
! ings- In this respect the system is much more |
| democratic than that IN PRUSSIA, Tor instance. !
where the electors according 10 their stations and
land holding divided into thirds the votes Of !
half dozen men comprising the highest third off
setting the of either Of the other thirds the
lowest including usually threefourths of the popu-
! latlon
THE PROVINCES REPRESENTED.
| Special regulations apply TO Poland the Cauca- !
and other outlying regions. IN that a certain
number of representative allotted but the gen
! eraI system and qualifications Of the purely Rus
sian provinces applicable. Poland elects thirty
| six representatives TO the Douma. and Siberia d- /
/ vided into four provinces for elective uurpa7
chooses fourteen. Iac whole system is imperfect
in many naTtleq!ars bat THIS is largely attributable
/ 20 the haste with which IL was prepared pint /
/ INTO operation, and VIII undoubtedly he greatly |