Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-20
STOLYP|N'S BIG TASK
Steering Course Between Radi-
Gals and Reactionaries. :.
RESTRICTING THE SUFFRAGE
Determined to Have a Duma in Ac-
cord With Him.
FROWNS ON REv0LUTI0NISTS
Arbitrary Steps Taken by the Admin
istration in Russia-Long Rec
ord of Violence.
FR0wNs ON REvoLUT1oN1sTs
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

of the duma last August, Russia witnessed
a carnival of crime. assassination and vio-
lence such never occurred before, even
in the bloody history of that empire The
week l spent in Warsaw twenty-five police
men were killed on their beats and not one
of the assassins was detected There were
mutinies in the army and the navy. You
will remember how the fortresses at Cron-
stadt and Helsinfors were seized and the
terrible slaughter that attended those out
breaks. One of the St. Petersburg papers,
edited by Professor Kovaleski, enumerated
the assassinations and gave an estimate
Of the mortality. 1t declares that 1900
persons were killed and more than 5000
were wounded by bombs and in massacres
and mutiEies. Among the killed were 123
governors, generals. chiefs of police and
other high officials. Thirty thousand revo-
lutiOnists were arrested. and most of them
were sent to Siberia. while 221 persons were
executed. Twelve railway trains, carrying
government treasure, were held up and
successfully robbed; 400 government liquor
stores were robbed and destroyed. and $780,
go of government money was stolen by
burglars and highwaymen. All of this was
done by the revolutonists
Record of Violence.
According to the authority of the Reich
newspaper, the organ of the constitutional
democratic party. one member of the late
duma has been assassinated; one has be-
come insane; two of the peasant members
(Mr Stevenduk and Mr.. GrevofD have been
beaten nearly to death because they did
not accomplish anything for their con-
stituents. Onipko. most repuisive person
and the leader of the terrorists in the
dun?a, has been sent to Siberia. He was
captured red handed leading the mutiny at
Cronstadt. Five members of the duma
have been banished: the houses of thirty
three have been searched: twenty-four have
been imprisoned for political reasons 49,
have been deprived of civil rights and are
under Indictment for having conspired to
induce the people to disobey the law.
These were the members of the duma
who signed what is known as the Pro
test of Viborg'' against the dissolution of
the duma and appealing to the people not
to pay taxes or to serve in the army
This was very foolish procedure, because
there are direct imperial taxes in Rus
sia The revenues of the government come
from indirect duties paid upon liquor, from
duties on imported goods, from monopolies
and similar sources. The manifesto, there
fore, did not injure the general govern
ment. but only the local "zemstvos' and
MRS which collect taxes for schools,
roads and other purposes The men who
signed that protest. 21S in number, might
have been held for treason. but the gov
eminent merely indicted them for con-
spiracy and thus made them ineligible for
reelection to the duma. About one-half
of them belonged to the constitutional
democratic party anu tHe "
the social democrats. social revolutionists
and other radical organizations. The con-
stitutional democratic party. however, Is
held responsible for the manifesto; its meet
ngs are prohibited. Notwithstanding the
guarantee of free speech in the constitu-
ton and the emperors October manifesto
1t has been practically dissolved by proc
lamation: but has nominated candidates
against whom the government can find no
objection and is carrying on an active
campaign.
The more conservative element have or
ganized what they call the party of
peaceful regeneration" It consists of
those who refused to sign the Viborg pro-
test, and their platform condemns their
former associates for their uncompromis-
ing opposition to the government and their
alliance with the revolutionists.
Another new party is called the pro
gressive reformers,'' but its platform differs
little from that of the Octoberists. 1t adj
vocates form of government similar to
! that of Germany. with ministry response
| BILE to the sovereign but in harmony with
the parliament Mr.. Stolypin. the prime
| minister. is a member of the OctobeIist
party and sincere believer in parlia
! mentary government. but has never de-
| clared himself on the question of min
! isterial responsibility. The elections will
| be held about the first of January. No
| date has yet been fixed
Restricting the Suffrage.
| The first duma was elected by practical
| ly universal suffrage. Almost every man
in Russia, twenty-four years of age and
older, was able to participate, which was
| a mistake, because the illiterate and ig-
| norant millions by the volume of their
votes, controlled the results This time
| Stolypin is determined to get a practical
| and reasonable duma, and in order to do
| so is using arbitrary measures. He is
| fighting fire with fire, and force with force.
He is disfranchising the revolutionary
] forces wherever he has an excuse. This is
| not done directly, but by the senate, which
] corresponds to the Supreme Court of the
| United States, and whose duty is to inter-
pref the laws. He has stated frankly that
| If he does not succeed in getting q duma
| that will cooperate with him in the reor-
ganization of the government and the re-
I forms he is now carrying out, it will be
| dissolved and another election will be or
| dered with still greater restrictions. Stoly-
! pin has instructed all provincial officials to
| use their best efforts in support of the Oc-
| toberist candidates, and in districts where
they have no chance, to help the peaceful
regenerationsts'' or other conservatives
| The result depends upon the votes of the
peasants who have always been Loyal to
call the ear. At the previous election they
| were controlled Dy socia!istic agitators itn-
Grant apostles of anarchy and violence,
| most of whom were non-residents and were
| elected to the duma because they promised
| to accomplish all sorts of impossible re-
| forms. Stolypin is trying to eliminate such
/ leaders from the campaign ana TO Keep pro-
| fessional agitators like Aladdin out of par
| lament. To do this the senate has con-
! strued the election law so that only per-
sons with fixed homes can vote or be voted
| for, and nOn-residents are prohibited from
| taking part in the campaign.
This disenfranchises several hundred thou
sand workmen who participated in the last
! election because they have migrated from
| the country to the manufacturing centers.
| The senate has also debarred 21S,O0O en-,
| ployes of the government railways, postal
service and workmen in the government
| shops including the most skilled and high
est paid labor in Russia, such as locomo-
| tive engineers, stationary engineers, ma
chnists and craftsmen. The reason. frank
| ly given, is that these classes of work
| men are too easily influenced by agitators
| 1t is wonder that the order was not fol-
| lowed by strikes.
| Another edct. issued November H. for
| bids officers and soldiers of whatever rank
| to join political parties to attend po-
| litical meetings or to discuss political ques-
| tons, and disenfranchises every man in the
military service.
| Civil employees of the government who join
or assist either of the revolutionary parties
| forfeit their positions and all claims to
pensions. This includes school teachers and
university professors, nearly all of whom
| belong to the liberal or revolutionary par