New-York tribune., 1907-01-29
THE RUSsIAN CAMPAIGN.

SIR. Aladdin, who will he remembered as
prominent member Of the late Russian DOums
contributes 20 the London Times" an excep-
tiOnally detailed and instructive analysis of con
dirOns prevailing IN the Russian campaign
which is now approaching its elimination in the
elections Of next month. He does not attempt TO
forecast the composition Of the new Douma, but
he describes the chief influences affecting it's
selection, and enables the reader 10 interpret in
telligently many current movements which 9th
erwise might seem obscure. Neither does he dis
-cuss the rights and wrongs of the general stu
alton, though, Of course, his own convictions and
sympathles are unmistakable First, then. the
opposing forces On the one side-for all Rus.
sia is divided into two parts-is the government
It's party comprising most OF the highest nobil-
ity and most Of the government officials Of all
grades. These are the leaders, and they are
followed and supported by the lesser nobility
the upper middle classes. most Of the clergy, all
the money lenders in town and country, the
iotsam and Jetsnm Of the cities and Of course
the army. On the other side Is the party Of
progress OF the Russian people. comprising the
university men. professors lawyers. journalists
engineers. students, the artisans OF the towns
and cities and the masses Of the peasantry.
Now. the government by cOnvOking the first
Douma irreyOcably established the principle OF
popular participation in imperial legislation
But n Is STRIVING To exclude from the second
DOuma many possible of those who were
obnoxious 20 IL in the first. Instead, therefore,
OF letting every man twenty-five years old have
a vote and be eligible for election, II now re-
stricts those privileges 10 hOusehOlders only Tie
father OF a family may vote be elected, but
not his who still live with him. Many OF
the small landowners peasant proprietOrs, have
been disfranchised-threefo in one dis
trict. one-half In another. and total OF 10000
in ten districts In the towns and cities only one
the room must have a stove in it. II two men
occupy one room, one OF them Is disfranchised.
and II a man occupies a room without a stove
he is disfranchised In Odessa 10000 men and
in Kieh 1900 men are thus deprived OF the
franchise All the railroad employees. 100000
strong are disfranchised. Other devices have
been resorted 10 10 restrain men from voting
against the government to induce them to
vote for II.
Strenuous measures have also been taken 20
prevent the return 10 the new Douma OF those
members Of the old one who were aligned with
the party OF progress. All the $50 signers of
the yiborg manifesto disqualified automatic
ally by the terms Of the penal code or the
others. OF the labor group ten are in prison.
nine are in hiding In Russia four are in asylum
abrOad-Mr. Aladdin among them-two are in
exile and one is I'm a madhOuse. OF the Cler-
ical members who stood with the party OF prog
ress one has been arrested and one excommuni-
Gated All members who were municipal Office
holders or employees have been dismissed from
their places snve in Tver where the zemstvo
refused 10 obey the governments order. Thir-
teen members of noble rank have had their
names stricken from the lists Of nobility Of their