The Washington herald., 1907-07-07
DOUMA INDICATED
Gar Said 10 Have Put Him.
self Plainly i'll Wrong.
MEMBERS EXPECTED MOVE
Government but Awaited OppOr-
tunity Of StuItifyinE Promises
Long Held out-a;Rnifesto DissOlv-
ing Eody Regarded as WiIifuI and
Childish Distortion of Facts.

St. Petersburg. July st Petersburg
is taking the dissolution very quietly. It
apparently does not realize yet that a
coup detat has been effected Few
troops are visible. and there has been no
attempt Il disturbance.
The Douma members long expected the
dissolution. and are meeting it philosophi-
cslly, convinced that the government has
pat itself so plainly in the wrong that
the country will thoroughly understand
the situation. No parties are issuing
proclamations. but several have decided
without attempting to hurl futile defiance
at the government, TO issue full report
Of their work in the Douma.
All the events of its closing DAYS seem
TO have conspired 10 vindlcate the Douma
as against its persistent and unscrupu-
lous accusers. The government is unlor-
tunate in its choice of pretext and the
charges il made against the Social Demo-
Gratis proved. on examination by the DoU-
ma committee. 10 be based not or fresh
evidence, but on backneyed commouplsccs
Of the party's policy. which We're familiar
when the Social Democratic candidates
stood for the Douma and were reiterated
again iu deputies speeches.
Hypocrisy OF Government.
As IL u maintain a Judicial demeanor.
the government permitted the Douma 10
refer the question 90 q committee. ana
sent its representative To the committee
with material. but when. owing 20 Tic
amount Of time involved in the ver.Gcl-
ton OF the evidence. the committee pro-
tr1ctcd IFS lab0rs. the government lost
patience. threw of its judicial mask, and
showed by dissOlviug the DOuma before
the committee had had time 70 arrive at
"a decision on the merits of the case that
its whole object in suddenly prefer,,ug
charges against the Social Democrats was
to find "a crude and rather unnecessary
pretext for dissolution
The majority of the members Of the
Douma committee had convinced them
selves that the evidence presented by
the government was insufficient 20 war
rant a prosecution Of more than one. or
at the ver- most two. Of the Socialist
deputies. By precipitating the dissolution,
the government showed. first. that it re-
allied IL had an cXecrable case; secondly,
that fl did not mind very much whether
OF not it had a preteyt for overriding its
own laws. and, thirdly. Sunday as a
whole. is more convenient day for dis
solution than any other
Childish Manifesto.
The manifesto issued by the govern
ment contained such wilIful and child
isb distortion Of fact that it hardly .rrl-
tates people accustomed 10 being brow
beaten 10y its government. and the reds-
sertion Of autocracy contained in the
phrase about the emperor's power 90 re-
peal any law De has giyen-eveu funda-
mental laws-is. after all, only a formal
admission of what most people knew TO
b. the real mind Of the government T.
has long been known that an alteration
of the electoral law was I'm preparation.
The details were not made public but,
as far as the general features Of the new
law are known. surprise is expressed that
tLe changes are not more radical The
reduction fin the number Of deputies from
alien nati0naiities is probably intended
as a snUb 10 the Poles for their proposal
Of autonomy and 90 the Caucasiaus as
punishment for having sent chiefly So
Cialists 20 the DOuma. Those parts Of
Siberia where political exiles are I'm large
numbers are also deprived of q great
part Of their representation
Il seems improbable i'm spite Of all its
law-breaking that the government will
even now succeed i'm assembling a reac-
ti0naTy or even q prcdOmin1ntly COnServ-
ative D0um3. ". Stolvpin has surren-
dered 90 the reactionaries. perhaps in the
hope Of saving "a few fragments Of con
stituuonai semblance from the wreck,
perhaps because not understanding con-
stitutiGnalism. he is willing 70 make.
partly in good faith, disgracefuI cOnces- !
si1Ts To- the rr4rtfouarieS