The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-24
The Russian Situation.


of the dissolved douma, the other the
reception accorded the Russian dele
gates to the Interparliamentary union
in London. The latter was most sug-
gestiye of the sympathetic hold Rus
sia's first parliament has obtained upon
the sympathy of the civilized world.
When the Russian delegation was men
toned in the speech of the English
premier, the staid and dignifed repre-
sentatives of many nations were carried
away with enthusiasm, and there oc-
Cured such scene as is often wit
messed in an American national con-
vention when a favorite statesman is
mentioned by name. The delegates
arose and for two minutes cheered
their Russian brethren. A few min
utes later, when the Muscovite mem
bers announced that they must with
draw, the dissolution of the douma hav-
ing shorn them of their representative
character, there was another outburst
of different but not less significant
nature. The delegates from other
lands gathered about the Russians and
begged them to remain, if not as the
official representatives of Russia, at
least of her aspirations.
If the ear and his advisers are not
entirely mad, they cannot but be i'm
pressed with the truth that the world
has welcomed Russia into the group
of parliamentary nations. The verdict
OF civilization has been rendered and
1T is of such moral weight that Russia
cannot revert to a state of tyranny.
The address issued by the majority
of the members of the douma is worthy
OF the character assigned the Russian
parliament by the Interparliamentary
nnion; it shows clearly that the douma,
tho scattered, is not conquered. 1t vim
dictates the program of the constitu-
tional democrats for the. removal of an
irresponsible ministry which was vio-
lating laws and depressing freedom.
1t puts the burden of the failure to
obtain land for the peasants where it
belongs, on the reactionary party. It
notifies lenders that in
has no authority to make loans in the
name Of and against the assets of the,
nation. 1t marks out the program of
resistance to the autocracy. : It is to be
q campaign Of no taxation without rep
resentation-the warcry of our revolu-
tionary fathers.
The ear has exercised his rights I'M
der the laws framed by himself. He
has dissolved the parliament and he
has called, another. But it is sugges-
tive of evasion of the issue on the
czar's part to put the meeting Of the
new douma seven months hence. If
Russia has parliamentary status she
needs parliament now, She needs
1t continuously until some of the diff
ficult problems of the state are set
tied. Seven months now are more in
the history of the empire than seven
years may be in the next generation.
The douma was justified in its inference
that if the reactionary party could COW
the country in the interval between this
and March. 1907, there would never be
another Russian parliament.
The division between the car and his
advisers appears to be fundamental.
The czar chose to call a parliament
and he chose also to keep in his own
mind definition of what it meant. In
his speech convoking the parliament six
weeks ago, the car used vague Ian
guage. He appears to have called it
together to legislate and to have dis
missed it as soon as it attempted to
make laws. It is almost impossible at
this distance to understand what the
car expected Of the douma. Probably,
he held it in his own mind to the shad-
owy functions of ''advice' as outlined
in so-called fundamental laws. But
surely no ruler in the twentieth CEN
tury is SO fatuous as to suppose that
living men will accept the role of
The car may have be-
lieved that the ~douma would act as
mediator between him and the reac-
tionary party, and thus gradually bring
about an amelioration Of conditions. He
seems not to have realized that he as
the possessor Of all the power of the
state must either share it with the par
Lament or come in conflict with the
body he had created. This is what has
happened. The parliament declined the
role of innocent locker on. It wanted
to be in the government or out Of it,
and the car, after wavering, has de-
cided to put 1t out. He has been told
that the dissolved douma did not rep
resent the nation and that his duty was
to disperse it and call another. If the
late douma was not representative, then
the fact may be ascertained in a new
election, but there is no assurance of
a fair election. The machinery is in
the hands of the grand dukes They
will not make the mistake for which
they blame Count Witte of allowing
the people to choose their representa-
tives at their own sweet will.
The three questions upon which the
car and the douma split were first the
question Of amnesty, upon which the
car appears to have won substantial
victory. The demand for the opening
Of the doors Of the prisons grew less
clamorous in the douma, and the issue
was practically given up. On the sec
ond question, that of a responsible min
icfrv Tho o1or woo obo,+ WOO a., ~ !. -