The Washington herald., 1907-03-31
How Opposition Won Victory
in Spite of Persecution.
INCIDENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN
Success OF Constitutional Democrats,
Even In Odessa, Shows Determina-
tiOn of PeopIe-Government Did All
in It's Power 10 Defeat the Popular
Party-Terrorisnn of Authorities.


elections are over. and again the Opposi
tion, with the Cadets (Constitutiona
Democrats at the head. constitutes ar
overwhelming majority, The new Douma
resembles the first one greatly; the only
difference between them is that the new
Douma has the experience which brings
forth wisdom. In other words, the second
Douma has precisely that quality which
the first DOuma lacked
The new victory Of the Cadets is OF
tremendous significance Last year theil
victory was explained by a vigorous and
energetic campaign among the Left
elements; that is. all the progressive par
ties which formed the OppOsiti0nal bloc. '
The Cadets secured their victory by
means OF falsehood. They deceived the
poor. ignorant Russian people. They took
advantage of the peoples sanguineness
ignorance. and weakness. They lured
them on with promises that can never be
fulfilled; they bought them with Jewish
money. and they intoxicated them with
yodka." said the Reactionaries last year;
what can they say now that the vigorous
and energetic campaign conducted by the
Right" parties yielded TO the same re
suits?
This time the election took place under
peculiar and original circumstances; the
agitation Of the Opposition was kept care
fully locked up; every crack and crevice
was tightly closed. while the agitation of
the Right parties enjoyed fun free
dom; all doors We're wide open, and the
administration itself extended to II its
hospitality. All possible obstacles. the
gallows included, We're placed in the way
of the Progressives. They were arrested,
imprisoned. fined. exiled. or put TO death
while the ReactioHaFies- AIonarchists had
at their disposal the army. the police the
administration. the administration treas
ury, and fulI freedom. And yet the vic
tory was on the side of the Progressives.
How is this TO be explained?
Victory of Entire Nation.
There IS but one explanation; since two
campaigns. diametrically opposed TO each
other both in spirit and in political char
acteT produced the same positive results.
it is clear that Notwithstanding this or
that campaign. the will OF the entire Rus
sian people expressed itself consciously
and distinctly. The victory Of the Pro
gressives is the victory of the entire Rus
sian nation.
The Monarchists became disgustingly
audacious and by their horrible, nasty
and wild acts they repulsed Russian so
clety, and filed il with aversion and in
dignation. On the other hand, the ex-
treme repressiOns practiced upon the
PTogTessives won for them the sympathy
and the compassion of the Russian peo-
pie
The administration has done all in its
power 10 make the second Douma an
administration" Douma Before the
elections hundreds of people were put to
death, thousands were exlled. tens of
thousands were arrested, fined and under
various pretexts deprived Of their right
TO vote. The powerful Constitutional
Democratic party was recognized by the
government as a revolutionary party and
was doomed to death. The party was alb
solutely forbidden to hold meetings; the
newspapers of this party were cOnfis-
Gated, the members of this party IN the
employ of the government were dismissed
Old functionaries forfeited their pensions
for merely belonging to the Constitution
al Democratic party. 1t would seem that
under such unfavOrable circumstances the
party would he crippled badly. but in
stead it gained in strength. The fact that
both capitals, Moscow and st. Petersburg,
elected Cadets, exclusively proves this
beyond the slightest doubt
Government Routed in Odessa.
In Odessa, too, a Constitutional Demo-
crat was acknowledgement. a Jew by
birth, lawyer by profession. a brilliant
orator, altogether a highly gifted and
well-educated man. This instance is i'm
portant in that It shows that a Progress
sive and not a Monarchist was elected
in Odessa-in Odessa. the capital of the
Russian Union which was openly aid
ed and protected by the highest authori-
ties, which harassed and terrorized with
immunity the peaceful population. one
third Of which is composed Of Jews.
Everything was done that a monaTchist
should be elected in Odessa. The follow
ing example is characteristics:
small company of friends and acuuaint-
anees, with their wives and daughters,
gathered In the house of a certain wealthy
estate owner. They spoke of the coming
elections in a general way-it was nothing
else than a peaceful gathering of friends.
Suddenly the police broke in and. amid
the confusion that ensued took the names
OF all those that were there and ordered
the host 10 send the guests away at once.
But that was not all On the following
day the governor general ordered that the
estate owner must pay a fine of 5000
ruhles and must leave the city imme-
diately, and each of the guests that were
present must pay a fine of 1000 rubles or
be imprisoned for one month. Those that |
had the money paid the fne and those /
that had not were sent to prison and |
they are still there.
In the meantime the Russian Union. " /
or the BLACK Union of Russian HooIi /
gans. as they are now called. conducted /
their campaign uninterruptedly. both /
openly and secretly. The Black Union or 4
ganized a Druzhina Of fanatical youths /
and fallen people who had nothing to lose. /
armed them with rubber sticks and re- /
volvers and sent them out TO terrorfze the 1
peaceful inhabitants, particularly the
Jews and the students, whom they re-
garded as revolutionists There were riots |
and attacks every day in the streets. oc- j
Casionlly followed by very serious cOnse-
quences. Scores of people, mostly Jews, /
We're beaten and seriuOsly wounded and
sometimes Christians were also attacked /
by mistake. One Christian student died /
from the blows; another is now dying in
the hospital The Jews were terrined and |
they resolved at first not TO 20 10 the polls
on election day. but there appeared brave
and energetic people who succeeded in
persuading them 10 go to vote, even
though they knew that they were risking
their lives
Efforts to start Massacre.
Election day passed in comparative
quiet. The members Of the Black Tn
ion tore the ballots from the hands of
the voters, forcing them TO take other
ballots: they shouted threatened. but did
not resort to harsher violence. And yet