Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-09-05
THE THIRD DOUMA|
Preliminary Elections In Progress
for the Selection Of Another
Russian Parliament.
AR0usIMe LITTLE INTEREST
Laws 90 Arranged That . Body In
Sympathy With Emperor VIII
Probably 30 Selected
This Time.

st. Petersburg, Sept. 2.-Prelimi.
nary elections for the third Russian
Donna, WITCH meets November IA
are now. in full progress, the voters
being engaged In the several steps
leading up to the selection Of the
provincial ELECTORAL colleges which
meet September IA to choose parlt
mentary representatives. Although
the final step in the elections is only
a fortnight away, public interest is
far less than In the two previous
campaigns. This is due in part to the
natural decline of interest In the third
meeting of the new institute but more
largely to thu changes in the electoral
law affecting the hitherto dominant
position of the advanced liberal and
judicial parties, which have played the
principal role, and embraced the most
prominent leaders in the political
struggle. Although these parties have
rejected the proposal to boycott the
elections, their interest in the selec
ton Of body which they do not hope
to control naturally has suffered, the
third douma, however, is looked upon
here as settling the fate of Russias
experiment in parliamentary govern.
ment. Although definitely committed
to the ideal of representatives institu.
lions, the emperor was grieved and
disappointed by the results of the
second elections, neither of which pro
duced body capable Of working in
harmony with his chosen advisers
and should the changes in the cleo |
ton law still fail to bring forth a
more satisfactory institution the con.
vocation of a fourth douma during the
present crises would be problematical
Under the new law, the intent of
which is to eliminate, so far as pos
sible the revolutionary and ignorant
elements which brought about the
downfall of the first two parliaments
reliance has been placed on the land
owners and property holding city
jewellers whom experience has proven
to be the most conservative class in
Russia, and the uneducated peasantry
who were given an exceptional status
in the first suffrage scheme, but
whose representatives, easily swayed
by revolutionary arguments and the
cry of free Ian" have been relegat-
ed to subordinate position. This
has been accomplished, not by dis
any class Of voters, but by
altering the proportions of representa-
ion in the provincial electoral col
eyes, the number of peasant electors,
who formerly predominated in every
college, being reduced to a small frac-
ion of their original strength, while
he representatives Of the land hold
ng and business classes have been
increased to give them an absolute
majority in each province. City vot- !
RS have been divided into two cate {
cries on property basis, the richer I
majority being given an equal repre-
entation with the poorer masses. G
The campaign has shown that many
and owners are men of progressive q
Jews and the presence of a consider
BILE representation of liberal and Q
ven revolutionary elements is as a
ured, but 1t is already apparent that e
he third dolirna will be far more mod v
rate than it's predecessors, made up t
lrgely of men whose interests are t
18th the maintenance, or gradual de. r
elopments of the existing order. n
his comprises the mass of law pro
,cts submitted to the first and sec d
nd douma but practically no new o
+ startling legislation. Elements of a
in the coming douma are b
ready evident The conservative c
lndidates although embracing many a
en- Of education and refinement are Fl
ithout political or parliamentary ex- Il
srience, having been barred from o
in the earlier develop
emit Of legislative institutions by the