The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-18
TUESDAY, june ls, 1907.
Educntion is n better safeSunrd
of liberty thnn II standing army.
Edward Everett.
MN RUSSIAN REVOLUTION.

Friends Of popular government are
disappointed that the first assembly
Of the Russian democracy should
have been failure, and some are de-
nouncing the Gear for treachery. But
It is not fair to pat the blame en-
+irely on him. The failure is due In
great part to the revolutionary mem
hers.
The Douma was composed OF three
divisions: the Centre, representing the
autocracy; the revolutionaries repre-
senting the extreme Socialists, and a
conservative element between the two
extremes. Had the conservatives been
strong enough. the Douma might nave
and probably would have, accomplished
many desirable reforms for the peo-
Me, but the revolutionaries could not
be controlled, and their action was so
violent that the Emperor found 1t
necessary to dissolve the Douma and
try another experiment.
The Emperor, in his manifesto, says
that the judicial authorities discovered
81 plot by a section OF the Douma
against the state and power OF the
Czar, but when ,gthe government de-
nanded the exclusion, until judgment
had been passed, Of tifty-hve mem
hers of the Douma implicated In the
crime, and the arrest OF those among
them most compromised, the Douma
failed to carry out Immediately the
lawful demand Of the authorities,
which admitted of no delay.
Give the devil his due, whether 1t
be bad or good. The Car could not
tolerate conspiracies in the national as
sembly. Imagine the Congress OF the
United States with ffty-tive of its
members plotting against the govern
ment! Whether or not any form of
popular government can be maintain
ed in a pure autocracy is question
which only time can determine. but
the people cannot help their cause by
sending conspirators to the Douma. On
the other hand, the Gear cannot make
the Douma successful as popular as
sembly. If he undertakes to direct its
action with an iron hand. The Car
and the people must meet one another
in spirit Of concession and in a
spirit of mutual respect and conf
dcnce. " =
We of America cannot understand
such situation as the Car has de-
scribed. We have our radical element,
and some of them get into the lcgis-
lativc bodies, but they are small mi
nority, and at worst they are loyal to
the government. Democracy is more
than name. 1t is q principle; 1t Is
an inherent quality. 1t can no more BIO
assumed than virtue, or honesty, or
patriotism can be assumed. With
Americans It Is cultivated virtue,
Our forefathers had it and passed 1t
down to their children and children's
children; and by practice 1T has grown
stronger in each succeeding genera
ton.
With the Russians, democracy must
be thing Of evolution. The establish
ment of the Douma was long stride
in the direction OF democratic govern
ment, and democrats In that land and
elsewhere should not despair because
the first Douma was ovcrthrown by
the radicals. "A new basis of repre-
sentation has been established. and lie,
us hope that the next popular assem-
bly, will be better than the first. The
Gear seems disposed to give IT square
deal. But the Gear cannot give it sue.
cess. That can come only through thu
character and work of the members
The body must have spirit A demo
cratic body must have democratic
spirit.