Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-02
NEW OUMA OF RUSSIA
Monarchists and Radicals
Have a Small Majority.
HOPE OF ADMINISTRATION
Believed That Gar May Weaken
the Opposition.
RISE OF THE 1NTELLEcTUALs
Political Power of the Illiterate
Peasantry Acknowledgements
of stolypin Being Sustained.
RISE OF THE INTELLECTUALS
BY WILLIAM f.. CI.RTIS .

ness, although there are two elements In
It's membership which desire 1t to fail. as
Its predecessors have done, and will dc
everything in their power to defeat its
purpose. They are the absolute monarch
lists, who number 1915, or nearly one-ha!1
OF the whole, and the radicals and social
revolutionists. who number twenty-eight
Combined. they have majority of two
in the new parliament.
opposed to them are the octoberists
ana constitutional democrats, 219 in num-
Der VINO Will support the administration
OF Mr.. Sto.ypin. the prime minister, and
assist MIN in carrying out his reforms
III Is believed. however, that the majority
OF the opposition will be considerably re-
duced through the influence of the car
upon the reactionaries and extreme con-
servatives, because he is undoubtedly in
sympathy with Stolypin and sincerely
anxious Tor the success of parliamentar ~
government in the empire. He has yield
ed the autocracy and he cannot re-
| cover it.
He must realize that the preservation
OF the dynasty and the prospects of his
son and heir depend upon his consistency
In carrying out the promises he has made
to his people. He must also realize that
Russia cannot take any backward steps
/
! the imperial house.
The Backward Step.
| The movement to modernize Russia has
| not yet been successful, but it has made
some progress and has gained an impetus
which cannot be resisted. The parlia-
ment has come to stay, and the reaction
aries cannot prevent it. Inc most power
full opponent of progress, the old pro-
curator of the hoy synod. is dead; most
of the grand dukes accept the SITUATION
the coming generation are IL in favor of
| progress, and public opinion. which has
never existed in Russia until recently, is
developing every day in favor Of a
thorough reform of the administration
and a representative parliament. The
present parliament represents that senti-
ment more largely than the two previous
assemblies. 1t is composed of what the
Russians call 'intellectuals" instead Of
| ''1lIterates.' and is expected to do some
practical work, rather than waste its time
| In bombastic ratory and attacks upon
| the ministry. The car, Under these cir
| cumstances, cannot fail to throw his pow
| erful influence in favor Of his own ad-
| ministra ton, and may, therefore, bring
| to the support of the ministry at least
one-third and perhaps one-haf of the
| absolutists and persuade them to work In
| harmony with the moderates, as the COM
| bination of the octoherists and constitu-
| tional democrats is called.
| Furthermore. it seems scarcely possible
| that the absolutists who are pledged to
| restore the autocracy would combine for
any purpose with the social revelutionists,
who are pledged TO destroy it, and found
a socialistc republic upon its ruins.
| A few days before the meeting of
the duma November IA the caucuses were
! held by the several parties. The consti-
| tutional democrats and the octoberists
agreed to cooperate and support the
Sa1,, mi ,;Dyc no OH f;ctc a
clared that their duty was not to promote
the labors of the duma, but the destruc-
ion of that body.
The best-informed newspaper CORE
spondents in ST. Petersburg promise un.
| expected developments and assert that q
considerable number of the absolutists are
moderates in disguise who will disclose
their real sentiments whenever it is neces-
sary for the success of the Stolypin pro-
gram of reform.
The Different Parties.
To make the situation more clear per-
haps it is well to explain briefly the poll
cies of the several parties.
The absolutists or monarchists advocate
a restoration of the absolute despotism
which was relinquished by the car in Oc-
tober. 1905, under pressure from the pub
| lie. They are composed mostly Of mobiles
large landowners, ex-off1cials, officers of
the army, and priests OF the Orthodox
| Greek Church.
The octoberists are representatives OF
the business and professional classess
bankers, merchants, lawyers, engineers
manufacturers, landowners-all men of
practical Ideas and progressive tendencies
| who support the car and the govern
ment, but recognize that the existing
methods of administration are Anticipated
and unsuitable to the present age. They
| insist upon strict adherence to the pledges
IL
| celebrated manifesto Of October, 1895, IN
which he promised them constitution
and parliament. That is the chief plank
in their platform and gives the party its
name Mr.. Stolypin. the present prime
minister, is an octoberist, and was one OF
the principal leaders of that party when
he was appointed as the head of the min
istry
The constitutional democrats favor ev-
erything that has been advocated by the
octoberists. but go still further and in
sist that the ministry shall be responsible
| to the parliament instead of to the czar
that the principal officials of the govern
ment shall be confirmed by that body
They advocate liberal monarchy, similar
to that of Great Britain.
The social revolutioniSts are seeking the
destruction of the present government
! the establishment of a republic upon so
cialistic ideas. the abolition of the nobilit.
and the Imperial family, the suppression
, of the church. the confiscation of thu
large estates and their distribution among
the peasants, and other radical doctrines
There were 80 social revolutionists II
the first duma, and 12o in the recent
duma There are only % in this, and in
) stead of 20 peasants there are only 10
The present assembly is not so picturesque
lin appearance as the first and second
The greater part of the members veal
silk hats and frock coats and fashionable
, ties instead of the sheepskin tunics anc
high boots of workingmen and the Ions
hair and matted boards of the emanci
pated serfs. In the membership there are
seven princes, seven counts. seven barons
thirty-four marshals of nobility, fifty
. priests, fifty-six merchants and manufac
turers, one hundred and thirty-two large
, farmers, and the remainder men Of SINH
, lar social and commercial Importance. Or
, that account it has been christened '"rht
, Masters Parliament" majority of tn,
. members are university men, and eight,
per cent or more are large taxpayers. Thu
; reverse was the case in the two previous
; assemblies.
Leader of the Constitutionalists.
The leader of the constitutional party
Prof. Paul Milukoff, formerly of the Uni
I versity Of Chicago. has finally succeeded
. in getting seat. The government KEEP
! him out of the two previous parliament
because, it was afraid of him, but Stoly
: pin has evidently learned his .characte
and ability and he is already in his prope
| place as the leader on the floor. Prof