The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-01
DOUMA REFLECTS
 RUSSIAN HISTORY Is a Thing Apart from Life of
 E mp METHODS ARE PERPLEXING Court Chamberlains Have Bent the oouna to the Shape They Want. They Also Control Pre-
 mier stoIypin.
METHODS ARE PERPLEXING

From the New York Sun.
 St. Petersburg.-1n one important re- spect the history of Russia's Douina repeats the experience of other institu- tions adopted by her Czars from the western world. When they have sur rendered to a democratic idea it has been their habit to swallow it in it's largest form and then to cast out most of it's parts that disturb the perpetua- tion of the old order. The names they retain. It is the existence side by side of the forms of progressive government with the actuality of absolution in ad- mnistration that has given the cynical and pessimistie color to the minds of so many educated Russians
 In education itself they have under gone the same contracting process they see applied to their legislatures. After the crimean war the Czars personal ad- visers were convinced that the failures in the army intelegence department and In the understanding of tactics by the soldiers were due to want of education Forthwith they scattered over the coun- try universities of the European and American type, full grown and fully equipped. But the controlling class re- fused to leave the old road. They kept the family resident tutor for their sons, with the military academy or a foreign tour to complete their teaching. The uni- versailles were left to struggle on as best they could, and it was only when the after lives of their output-who were largely the prize boys of the village schools-proved q menace to the machin- cry of absolute rule that the Czar's friends proceeded to clip their wings to the pattern that suited government by ukase. They were put under the control of the governors of the provinces, who could close them by peremptory order on the advice of the local chief Of police.
 The men who have lived through this process are watching it's application to- day in the third douma. The Czar and his personal friends surrendered two years ago to the democratic idea of an elected legislature and universal suffrage. They took the western institution, planted 1t in St. Petersburg and waited to see what would happen. But they themselves never meant 1t should disturb their ancient ab- solute sway. Like their university sys- tenn, the new parliamentary system was to struggle along as best it could, so long as 1t did not struggle across their path. Twice they thought it did. and they kicked it aside. This time they have taken care that it's composition should give it a humber more respectful mood.
 Some people may think it unprinci- pied that the Czar's absolutist friends should go back on their bargain, that after contracting to maintain ma chine they should proceed to take out the works and leave only the shell. Not many Russians take this severe view. They never expected the bargain to go through in an open, direct and bind ing way. Whether you call it Musco- vite cunning or the Asiatic touch, 1t is sure that most educated Russians in their contest with the government were always waiting for a revoke by the ohter side, and they have had several. The other side acquits it's revoke by announcing that it will frame all the rules and that it will do so as the match proceeds and without previous notification to its opponent. The in- stinct of the peasant has taught him to expect all this, not that there is much Oriental fatalism left in him, not much that hears the legions thunder past, then bows his head in thought again." He rather comes to sound conclusions by being of essentially the same stuff as the coterie of Slav absolutists that make up the Czar's mind. He is cum ming, grasping and good natured; and despite the merciless stlaughtering on both sides these are usually the flesh and blood attributes of the men whom the outer world sees as the oppressors.
 This coterie of court chamberlains has won outright in this stage of the contest. They nave bent the douma to the shape they wanted, and with the premier, M. Stolypin, they have done likewise. He Is in the position of chief of staff to a standing council of war, and he shapes his conduct accordingly. Vast quantities of documents and de- tail come from him, but not a policy. His campaign resembles.General Kuro- patkin's work in Manchuria. It was