Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-19
ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA
Continued Evidence That Radi-
Gals Are Excluded
FROM PARTICIPATE ION
Assembly Will Be Robbed of National
Character.
THE ALLEGED USE OF TROOPS
Complaints of Interference and Duress
in the Country Districts Are In
creasing-Terrorism Reported.
FROM PARTICIPATE N
THE ALLEGED USE OF TROOPS

ST PETERSBURG March 19.-As the
elections proceed there is more and more
evidence OF the virtual exclusion from par
ticipati of the radical elements of the
population. The preliminary stages of the
elections will rob the national assembly
of much Of It's national character.
Its authority TO speak will be absolutely
denied by the proletariat organizations
which bore the brunt of the fight for lib-
erty.
Complaints OF interference and duress In
the country districts are increasing Many
fragrant instances are cited OF the ter
rorism of local officials preventing a free
expression of the peasants and often prac-
ucaliy compelling the selection of priests
and village elders.
The seeming apathy of the small land
owners assemblies at which an average
OF only lU per cent of the voters were
present. is explained by the feeling
that they Were not free to choose.
A Serious Phase.
The most serious phase of the situation.
however, is the attitude OF the workmen In
the cities, who constitute politically the
most developed and most radical faction Of
the masses of the population
In spite OF repression, wholesale arrests
and frequently the exile o; their leaders
since the strike disorders. many workmen
are inclined to reject the advice of the
socialists 10 boycott the elections
The authorities, instead of taking ad-
vantage OF this sentiment and inducing the
workmen class to participate. have
with fatuous blindness openely discouraged
their participation where the radical ele-
ments are in the majority. thus deliberate
ly playing the game of the boycotters and
driving the whole working class in re-
volt. This was apparant al the womens
Elections a Farce
Carefully collected Information from the
outlying Industrial districts today shows
that the elections We're a complete farce.
NomInally eleven out of the thirty-nine
working groups entitled to participate
elected twenty out of fifty-seven delegates
10 the convention which will re-eIect egh-
teen Representatives for the city to the
convention which In turn elects for ST.
Petersburg six members of the national as
sembl.r.
In reality the number of workmen par
ticipating infuitesimal Where the
elections We're osteusiby held only $50 out
of 21. $50 worEmen voted. and they almost
invariably chose reactiorists. As an eX-
ample. at the Nevsky works hundred
voters out Of GtgO elected five members
OF the league OF The Russian People and
three men belonging to the Party of Law
and Order" two prominent reactionary or
Eanizations.
There was an overwhelming display OF
troops and police I'm the districts and places
where the men assembled Some of the
men held meetings and discussed the ad
visibility of participating, bat the great
mass simply withdrew, declaring that dur
ing the present reign of terror the desig-
nation of their real choice was equivalent
10 turning over the men 10 the police.
in the big Okhta and Moscow districts not
a single man has been elected, the railroad
employees unanimously refused 90 vote until
the imprisoned members OF their oTSaniza
sion are released rom jail.