New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-15
THE RUSSIAN CRISIS.

Parliamentary institutions in Russia are con-
fronted with an unexpected crisis, the Inn
portance of which 1t would BIO difficult to ex-
aggerate. Had the Douma been dismissed for
demanding arbitrary appropriation of lands, or
for any such cause while the incident would
have been deplorable the integrity OF the par
liamentary system would not have been Sc
riously impaired. But in his demands of yes
terday the Prime Minister raised issue
which is fundamental and vital to the whole
parliamentary system and which must be fruit
full of mischief no matter what its immediate
outcome may be.
The demand is that the Donna shall exclude
the whole Social Democratic delegation Of fifty
five deputies and sanction the arrest Of sixteen
of them for reasonable conspiracy against the
government If the demand is not granted the
DOuma will be at once dissolved. That is TO
say, all the chosen representatives of the Rus
sian people will be repudiated and sent home
because Of the alleged intrgues of a small
minority of their number. That would be
warning to the nation that it was not free to
elect such representatives as it wished but
must choose such as were pleasing TO the bu-
rcaucracy. On the other hand, # the DOuma
grants the demand it may continue to exist,
but its power, privilege and prestige will be
gone and it will be the mere puppet of the
ministry. Either alternative would be disastrous
to the parliamentary system.
1t is easy to believe that these Social Demo
Gratis have been plotting revolution. There is
certainly 70 affection or sympathy between
them and the Constitutional Democrats and
other parties In the Douma. Yet the principle
Of official Immunity IS involved. If the COnsti-
tutiOnal Democrats permit the sacrifice of these
men, what further sacrifices may not be de-
manded tomorrow? A precedent will be set
under which the ministry may at any lime
demand the exclusion and arrest OF any mem
Der who may be Objectionable to It Under such
Il system the Donna would not be worth con-
tinuing. 1t would be n body whose compost
ton dictated by the bureaucracy and
whose members all wore the collar and the gag
of the same power
A similar issue was fought out In England IN
Stuart times, with results not altogether salts
factory TO the government, which sought TO i'm
pair the privileges and immunities of the rep
resenyatives of the people. There Is accumu-
latOry reason TO believe that 1t would, If pressed
to n determination, have a like result in Russia,
but it would be most regrettable TO have It
thus pressed; for between the beginning and
the end of such conflict there would be sore
losses 10 the whole nation. 1t is, of course, ex-
asperating 10 have members of Il parliament
lndulgIg in plots and cOnsplracies hostile 10
the government under which they sit We
have known such things IN our own land. But 1t
is not well to scuttle n ship to burn down n
house in order to get rid of the rats which Il
contains. The wiser course would probably
have been for the Russian government to let
these Socialists alone trusting to the Douma
itself 10 deal with its own members whenever
their course should become intolerable