The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-04-22
BOUGHT QUASI EXISTENCE AT
PRICE OF COMPLETE SUR.
RENCER TO ENEMIES.
ACCOMPLISH NAUCHT
And Continuation viii Be Fatal to
the Masses--Body Helpless Un-
less Backed UP BY a
Revolution.

st. Petersburg. April 21A months
history of the c2ars second douma
proves that no Russian parliament
which is not supported by revolution
ary pressure in the country can carry
out a single reform, The second
douma was born dead Whether II IL
dissolved tomorrow or whether il
drags along unproductivey to some
more remote dissolation matters not
of Russia's Emancipation, Its pro-
longation is even more fatal than its
dissolution, for nothing can make con-
81 tutionalism more ridiculous than
at the price of surrender to its enem,
les.
II Is not the fault of the douma
that it has failed to accomplish any
work. The seventeen sittings it has
held have been spent on formalities
which no new parliament without pre-
cedents or rules of proc dure could
avoid No laws have been passed
But Russias former legislative ma.
chine, the council of state, took ten
years to pass a law The tragedy of
the douma's situation Is not that it
has done no work up to this time,
but that It has become plain that it
can do no work.
Majority Purely PIatonic.
The douma, were it alone concern
ed, Is quite capable OF realizing ser.
Gus reforms. Its overwhelming radi-
cal maporty, thought consisting Of
din rent parties. is quite ready to
unite in favor of the projects which
were prepared for the first dcuma.
But the czar's advisers have discover
ed that II Is a purely platonic majority
which Represents only the pious op-
inions of the mass of Russians, and
therefore may be ignored without fear.
of reprisals.
In other words, the revolutionary
movement which forced the czar 20
convoke the donna is entirely dead
Whether the cause be fatigue, dsil-
lusion or fear the fact remains thar
the Russian people are no longer
ready to be shot at, slashed with
whips or even to suffer the privations
of general strike merely in order to
force an unwilling government 20
grant reforms. The few fighting rev.
a iGf w hn oof ~,
charge with ears in their eyes.
The douma was an effective instru.
ment of reform as long as the revolu-
tionary mood of the masses made ii
perilous to ignore or dissolve il. But
1t has now become placid that the
douma could be turned out tomorrow
without one bomb being thrown. That
be ng so, the cZar has decided that
he will not tolerate the douma doing
any reform work. that he will toler
ate II only as long as It Is submissive.
in other words, as long as It nullifies
itself and makes itself laughing
S ock
Every serious proposal of the sec.
ond douma is therefore TO be re-
jccted. Two bills have already suffer.
cd this fate. Thy first abol shed the /
ferocious field court maritals which
since last summer have sent nearly
a thousand men women and children |
TO the gallows The second bill set. |
tied the land qu stion by instittung |
compulsory purchases Premier Stoly- |
pin promptly declared that he would |
accede to neither The douma's law ) |
protecting the citizen, freeing the |
press, abolish ng religious oppression
are similarly rejected in advance.
Cars Threats to Doums.
Not only has the czar decided to |
v 10 the douma's bills, but he has vio- |
lated HIS own constitution by threat
ening the douma with dissolution for /
exercising its right to pass them. Ac-
cording to fundamental laws. the dou-
ma should pass its bills. send them TO
he upper house and then let the czar
xercise his right of veto if he will
Ministers have nothing to do with
the process except as advisers of the
ear in the final stage. But in order
% show his complete contempt for
he douma. in defenss of which peo-
pie are no longer willing 10 fight. the
rzar is now practically forbidding the
lvuma even TO discuss its own law
projects.
The government. says NJ. Stoiy-
In. will not accept the court martial
bill and will not acc pt the agrarian
sill Therefore there Is no use dis
.ussing them"
In short. II the douma attempts to
Use legislative initiative. the czar will I
dissolve it, The douma OF course
must obey OF b dissolved. At pres
mt II is obeying.
The fact is the constitution no long