New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-26
!. LEGISLATORS They Have
,cst;fied Their Claim to
possess Common Sense.

Possess common oense'
rpos ly the brentwood Company
col. women never iirr. This is a matter
Fin'.-s do not speak from experience,
h'o' 81 no time been tempted TO firt with
But il is a strange popularity. which
70 noted and placed on record in nearly
= - hooks concerning the grand duchy.
8 -.-,s- women also vote in all municipal
y l-.--e-v elections. Perhaps il is because
So not -rtAe and are averse 70 frivolity
~ - have been accorded rights Of franchise
% chose Of men. They even sit in the
s'- '. assem- bly-rnore than forty Of them
- given evidence OF such capacity as
-. tperhaps because they do not hirt)
ss~--1s-e,v 20 set al rest all doubts that arc
&C as 10 the success OF the experiment
+ rs outset.
- is therefore entitled 10 be regarded
interesting country. particularly 10
hs-s IN America where the female suf-
w. .,,re-nent. though still in its elementary
"a - -svertheless increasing each year in
ID IMPORTANCE. and under the circum-
may be well 10 call attention 10 the
=. .,s- the grand duchy is just at present en-
she celebration of the centennial ami
-,-zs-v Of its existence
celebration which is likely 10 create
sunrise abroad, for although Sweden
,,,s beer, regarded in the United States
80 r7~a liberal tolerant and enlightened
- Methods % government than Russia, Yet
.-srr over which the Firms are rejoicing
IL, Is their Emancipation from the tyrannicaI
II, t-he Vasa kings and the transfer OF THEW
-.-s-,e 10 the more benign sovereignty of
4 oza-s VINO restored 10 them for the first
- +re.- national existence. OF which they had
E--
/. sue5es and who have endowed them with
-. Is to-day the most democratic form 81
- -.,e in the world. since the representative
srblv. elected by all the adults in the ooun-
- NAE and female. on the proportional sys-
- ,rsu5ss. as ! have mentioned above. nearly
..- women among its Two hundred members.
TIE CAR MIsREPREsENTED.
finland has occasionally. since the accession
.-5e throne o. Nicholas II, been portrayed in
.--rr newspapers as victim Of Muscovite
ss-7-is-r and as having been robbed by the
7--s-7r NJ i-s autonomy. despite the oath which
..-,7k On his accession 10 observe the terms Of
no constitution Of the grand duclly. Yet the
u-- ta-- -ra- Finland should possess a legis-
---e ~ The extremely democratic and ad-
mod -7-re described above, by virtue OF an
--s-sr rzase issued on November 4. 1895. by
r,so-ss providing for the reform Of the Diet
= rs present lines. should suffice 10 reheve him
sam, s,--- -f-~eU-esenration The latter seems
hare arisen in connection with another edict
---u gated more than six years previously
--sr m February Is. 1S9s-in which the En-
a-o- reserved 70 himself the ultimate decision
. S n what laws came within the scope Of the
r-saI legislation Of the empire In one word. he
cared -lz- II was for the Crown TO determine
-sh laws were imperial and which merely
I'll Vrer M Gladstone framed his Irish
s-e Ru.- bin he asked the Russian govern
-z-r for a statement as 10 the constitution Of
7-and and IL is worth while noting that he
3. MOI include in his bin many Of the privileges
r-ich Finland enjoys to-day. Nor would ne
I've dreamed # conceding 70 any Home Rule
5-a-err .r Dublin the right of final decision
Is n vra- laws were local and what were i'm
-1a This right Of determining what con-
STUFFED imperial affairs had been exercised by
ii the predecessors Of Nicholas on the throne
Russia Even Alexander II. when he took
away from tr- grand dUchy part Of the province
vi11sg - -s54 did II without consulting the
lst at He.s.ugfors. n his ukase Of 1899 Mich
las L merely reiterated this right, but made
-,1rls5n therein for taking the opinion Of the
authorities " the grand duchy-namely the
s-ate and rh- Diet That is TO say, according
The decree q 1898 II any new imperial law
The Russian government applicable 10 the
--rs empire entails modification Of the exist
Il laTz OF Finland the Senate at HelsingforA
must DE- consulted and The law in question sub
-.1e5 u r1e Diet for It's opinion Il Is added
-at re .aw will not be promulgated by the
zlTu Ur-ll after the opinion Of the Governor
isasral ~ Finland. OF the Minister Secretary
lie Crane Duchy q Finland and the Imperial
senate ~ Finland. and IN certain cases OF the
Der Of FINLAND. mas been ascertained and ex-
-.aed by The Council Of the Empire
MILITARY SERVICE Law.
TIE only fr-rerisl law TO which the Firms
1Id possibly have taken any exception was
as- called into existence some eight or nine
aT sg0 and which increased the military
',iers ~ The grand dgchy. Up 10 that time
-v s6 per cent Of Firms liable for military
+7Flce actually served with the colors- whereas
al the remaining portions 81 the Russian
Expire TIE percentage is IS. The Car for the
~ tine placed Finland on the same footing
Z ne -esr NJ MS donainiOns in this matter
81 p WIS arranged in order 10 avoid any
--osr changes that might appear unouly hard
Inc Pins, that the innovation should be
%'sso over ten OF fifteen years and that the
crease ~ the Finnish contingent should be
aa-1s4-u6ulely, III the rate Of about five hun
go men q year This law affecting the ap-
llolmert Of Fin.and's share in the mill
y oetences II the empire was duly submitted
i NE imperial government TO the authorities
ne grand duchy, as provided by the Ukase
seorUarg, 1889 FOR their opinion The
4 aFrrr s