New-York tribune., 1907-10-20
THE RUSSIAN ELECTIONS.

The elections in Russia are approaching com
pletiOn, with results expected or unexpected,
according to the point of view In preparation
for them the electoral law was arbitrarily al
tered to dISfranchise as many as possible
of those opposed to the autoCraCy and to as
sure as was supposed, the election Of major
ity of reactiOnares. Thus of a total of 5,161
electors in European Russia who are to choose
3S7 of the 442 Deputies in the Douma. 2,644
were allotted to the land owners-a clear major
ity of III. That is ut least twice MS many
the land owners should have on a property basis.
In the last elections they had only 1866 TO the
peasants 2,535. Now they have 2,644 to the
peasants 1.147.
Nor Is that all. Those alterations Of the
electoral law-which It had been sOlemnly prom
iSed on the faith of the Emperor should never
be altered save by the Douma itself-were fol-
lowed by other equally arbitrary acts. Tech
nical disquaIlfications were invented and pre-
ferred against the chief popular leaders, such
rs Professor NIilukOff 10 debar them from cleo
ton and thus to deprive the Constitutional Dem
ocratS and other progressive parties in the
Douma Of the services of their best men. In
direct violation of law and reputation of the
Emperors word, the holding of political meet
ings and the publication in the press Of news
or articles bearing on the elections were pro-
hibited, excepting to the reactionaries. Polling
places were So arranged as to be difficult Of
access to the Constitutional Democrats. In the
province of ST. Petersburg many men had TO
travel scores of miles TO vote. Incident
ally it may be mentioned that violence was
cultivated. In the month OF September there
were 2O3 murders, including seventy-three OF
officers thrty-fOur executions. and 1I2 persons
wounded in affrays, not to mention the hun
dreds killed and wounded in the Jew balunSs at
Odessa, Simfcropo and Rostov.
One result OF these conditions has been gen
cral apathy People did not consider II worth
while TO vote when as they supposed, the out
come Of the elections was foreOrdained. In st
Petersburg there were ,629 owners OF property
rated at not more than $1,000 and only $40 of
them voted. There were 1870 rated at more
than $l.5OO and only 121 Of them voted. The
same rule held good elsewhere and In other
classes In twenty-one industrial establish
mPnts there were 1866 artisans entitled TO
vote OF whom only about 5000 voted. In many
places the polls were wholly boycottcd and not
vote was cast II does not appear that the
government was disturbed by this display OF
Indifference or Of outright hostility TO the cec-
lions on the contrary II seemed 10 regard II,
at least at first, ns foretokening n sweeping
triumph of It's own rcactIonary supporters.
In that however, It may find itself disap-
pointed Extraordinary as 1t may seem on the
face Of It. the parties against which these op-
pressivc and represslve measures were devised
and directed appear 10 be winning. after all.
We are told that In the town elections IN st
Petersburg the constitutional Democrats, most
batod Of all by the government, have obtained
a sweeping victory. OF the electors chosen by
the peasants at the primary elections more than
half were "MOderatPs," and the small land
owners chose considerably more "Moderates'
than Rcactlonaries or the ninety-six electors
in the province Of Moscow the various parties
In opposition to the government secured deci-
sive majority. Moderate" means, Of course,
the Constitutional Democrats and their allies
The outlook. then, is that the plans Of the
government for securing majority favorable
to It's policies may fail, and that the Constitu-
tOnal Democrats and other opposition parties
may have n majority of the third Douma- 1t
seems practically certain that II Mr.. Stolypin
succeeds in getting any majority at all, as
result Of the arbitrary manipulation Of the
electoral processes it will be heterogeneous and
unharmonious. worthy Of little dependence and
of little practical service for thwarting tho
constructive efforts of the Constitutional Demo-
Gratis In such circumstances the tenure Of
life Of the third DOuma will be uncertain.