Semi-weekly herald., 1907-12-12

IS no nlateiidiS 10 Nolk WIN. ne
might accomplish portion of his lofty
aud comprehensive plans Of patriotism
Il he could convert the inert, ignorant
superstitious and stupid mass Of the
Russia peasantry into an intelligent
reasoning community Of philosophers
ana patriots From the beginning ne
has been lahoring under the delusion
that dreams come true. He is an able.
lovable and patriotic man. but is nei-
tier a wise nor practical leader. and
the failure of the two previous parlia-
ments in Russia was largely due 30
his altruistic theories and his assump-
tion that he could restrain and control
the passions, the prejudlces and The
evil dispositions of the revolutionary
party by appealing to their patriotism.
He believed that It was ne ecessary to
submit to the irrational and anarcnis-
tic demands of the radical element in
the previous dumas in order to pre-
serve his influence over them and 10
present united front 10 the empire
and the world.
During the recess OF the ruma IN
January Professor Mllukof hopes to
visit the United States for the pur-
pose of appealing to ,pqbtes sentiment
IN this country for thient noSt of The
constitutional movemefa.e a Z Russia.
and he should be received vim distin
guished houors. Professor Milukon
is very different person from Alexis
Aladdin the revolutionary leader Who
was over here last winter. Aladdin
is trying to destroy that country. Mil
ultoff is patriot and statesman
Aladdin is an anarchist ana coaspira
tor.
In order to obtain practical par
lament Premier Stolypin was com.
peeled TO modify the electoral law and
restrict the right of suffrage in Rvs.
s:a This policy was announced last
lIne In the imperial manifesto which
solved the second duma. ''To or
80 row said the czar In his ukuse
"A considerable section of the second
duma failed to Justify on: expect;l
IONS. 1t was not their will or lesira
"a strengthen Russia or perfect her
new administration. but To augment
her troubles ald assist in the dlsrup,
ton of the state. The duma either
failed to consider importan; measures
drawn up by the government or rei3.t-
cd them, and encouraged assassina-
tions and acts of violence. Lastly, a..
lct was committed that was unhear
u before in the annals of history
The judicial authorities discovered q
plot against the empire and the Iii
Of the czar in which fifty-hye mem.
bers of the duma We're implicated.
For these reasons the second paria.
ment was dissolved, ana in calling foI
the election of third the czar ah.
dounced that where the people haN g
not a:tained sufficient civic develop
ment the right of suffrage must &c
temporarily suspended" Upon that
order NJ. stolypin provided new reg
ulations. which enabled the property
lolders the mercantile and manufac
tGiUg elements and the intelligent
classes of the empire to control tho
choice of delegates. 1t is very diff
cult to explain how this was done be
cause the electoral system of Russia
Is so complicated, but. generally
speaking, the "intellectuals," as the
ducated people are called, were give1
a preponderance of numbers, which
shut out the peasants. the mechanics
and the wage-earning element who
make up what is called the party OF
toil' that was represented by $50 mem
bers in the first duma The represen
tation of the laboring classes was thus
cut down from $50 to rs.
A large interest was taken by the
property owners and the "intellec,
tuals" in the recent campaign than
ever before because they have be
come alarmed by the extreme attitude
of the radicals the growing strength
Of the revoutionists, the spread OF
socialistic ideas and the wanton de.
struction of private property Another
'eason is the growing confidence OF
the business element in the sincerity OF
the Stolypn administration and its
approval of the many reforms that
have already been accomplished. Ex-
perience has taught NJ. Stolypin that
the 10000 600 of mujiks of Russia who
cannot read or write are not qualified
Tor the exercise of the parliamentary
franchise and that. the system of uni
Tarsal suffrage adopted by Count Witte
for the election of the first duma wae
q grave mistake
The dcna began its work by eject
Ing Michalai Khomyakon of Moscow
as its president, He is "a nan of wide
Tsputation, a poet, historian and es ,ay-
ist, and has also contribu,e ed frequent
y to the liberal reviews and news
papers. He is large landowner
4 man of great wealth and high social
position and was for many years mar
shal of the nobility of Smolensk. He
was member OF the second duma.
where he acted with the constitutional
81.