Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-09
REDEMPTION
It Must Be From Outside,
Rather Than Inside.
Special Cabiegram to The Star.

ST. PETERSBURG, April a-f Russia
ever Is redeemed 1t must be from the out
side rather than from the inside. That the
czar and Count White have recognized this
fact Is evident from the manner in which
the Russian government is now laying
hands upon men who have won regulations
In various lines all over the world. Not
even the Japanese government appears to
be more anxious In securing trained ex-
perts for the various departments. The one
hundred odd millions who recognize the
car as their ruler probably do not know
this-in fact, most of them will never hear
of the expert advice which is being OBJ
tanned But If they can initiate some of
the teachings and actions and profit by the
lessons of these experts the entire country
may benefit therefrom. 1t would appear at
the present time as though this is the only
thing which Russia as whole will profit
from the recent war the strikes and the
rfoting 1t is worth something to have the
car and the premier send for men like
Louis Nixon, the builder of the Oregon, to
Improve the navy and ex-Supt. Melville of
Scotland Yard to improve the Russian po-
lice.
Just at present the car and his advisers
would appear to be most in need of an
election expert. For as the elections pro-
coed there Is more and more evidence of
the virtual exclusion from participation Of
all of the radical elements of the popula-
ton. And it should be remembered that
1t was to pacify these radical elements that
the national assembly plan was proposed.
To the average man of intelligence it would
appear as though it would have been bet
ter to have appointed the delegates to the
national assembly than to have gone
through a form of an election in which
the radical elements were not allowed
to participate. The general government
with its soldiefy, had the situation en-
tirely in its hands, since the radicals are
without strong central organizations, and
if necessary the government could have
trumped up excuses for throwing out of the
parliament itself the more violent of the
agitators elected Complaints of interfer-
ence in the country districts are especially
numerous. Many stories are told of the
terrorism of local officials, statements be-
ing freely made that the selection of priests
and village elders was practically forced
in many instances.
Groups of the Radicals.
Some of the more advanced groups of the
radicals are openly advising the working
men in the cities to pay no attention to the
men elected saying that the national as
sen1ibly is absolutely without authority to
speak for the proletariat organizations
which have borne the brunt of the fight
for the national assembly itself If the So
cialists and the various groups of radicals
should practically boycott the national as
sembly, decide for newer and greater gem
eral strikes and continuance Of the agita-
ton 1T would appear as though the economic
and political troubles of Russia We're only
beginning.
Perhaps the most surprising feature about
the whole election was the absolute indif-
ference of the great masses of the popula-
ton. 1t reminds one of the stories told of
women neglecting or refusing to vote In
sections of the world where after long
periods of agitation women's suffrage has
become an accomplished fact. 1t should
be remembered that the primary elections
do not return members to the duma itself.
They result merely in the choice OF dele
gates, who subsequently elect the members
of the duma. In this respect the new
electoral machinery somewhat resembles
the American system of electfng United
States senators. Take st. Petersburg, for
example. Something like 10000 workmen
elect 824 delegates. who In turn choose
twenty-four representatives in conjunction
with the delegates elected by other classes.
At the best this confers q very modest
amount Of popular representation But I'M
fortunately the best will probably not be
made of 1t. In various ways the govern
ment continues to interfere with freedom
of choice in the primary elections, and will
doubtless interfere again with the second
airy elections which actually nominate the
members of the assembly
Revolutionary Movement.
Under the pretext that the revolutionary
continued to inspire alarm whole
sale arrests of the candidates of liberal
opinions have been carried on with such
vigor that all the jails are overcrowded,
and 1t has been necessary to send many
of these "agitators" to Siberia, where the
jatls are larger and more numerous. While
in bureaucratic proclamations couched in
high-flown language the peasants were ex-
horted to choose the best men ava labie.
government officials appeared to consider
ha has al la nHacf in
their protestations in favor of a continu-
ance Of autocratic conditions. Electoral
meetings at which alone the peasants could
have expressed a freedom Of choice were
hidden.
1t is too early to even venture a guess as
to whether the authorities have succeeded
in rendering the duma entirely powelless
One thing however, must be admitted.
There has been an unmistakable desire on
the part of the Russian government to
convoke national assembly of some KIND.
One theory has been that the object is 10
offer something which may be colorably
represented as q fulfllment of the promises
of the manifesto last October. Another
and perhaps more rational idea Is found in
the financial condition of Russia. A large
for egn loan is said to be urgently neces-
sary, but repeated reports have 1t that
French fnancfers prescribe as one Of the
conditions the establishment of the duJna.
Coming down to details. It Is even STATED
that the French financiers have prescribed
as one of the conditions the establishment
of the duma and the recognition of the
whole existing debt OF the Russian emp5ie
by that assembly If this is true. The COR
vocation of the duma would appear to be
almost a necessity
High Rate Of Interest.
Whether this particular kind of a duma
will satisfy French fnanciers when taken
in conjunction with high rate of interest
is a question that cannot be answered at
present 1t is no doubt with the object Of
furthering this experiment Of national
parliament that measures are now mooted
To-. placating the peasants by distribu-
ton of land If any real remedy to their
distress is arranged for 1t will apparently
require a very large scheme of expropria-
ton The actual scheme proposed involves
an expenditure of about 500, 0000O0 but
even this amount is said to be beyond the
resources Of the Russian government at the
present time.
AS showing that the right of meeting re-
mains an empty word deputatton from
the peasant organizations founded ty the
pro-goyernment parties of October 80 and
Of lawful order certainly not radical Or
CARNATIONS, received by Count Witt9 com
planned bitterly of the dispersal of their
meetings and declared that the local au-
thorities were coercing the peasants in the
choice Of delegates to the primary electoral
colleges. Count Witte had number OF
detailed excuses ready in his replies, but