Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-06-25
CONDITIONS IN RUSSIA
AS seen BY SHEPHERD

(Note-This is the second INSTALL
ment of graphic picture story of con-
ditions in Russia today, Just received
by mail from William G. Shepherd,
United Press staff correspondent in Pc
troerad. The first installment was pub
lished Saturday. The third will be print
ed tomorrow.
Bi William G. Shepherd
Omitted Press staff correspondent
Petrograd, May 1.-(By mail)-Ev-
cry theory, every belief, every schism
of sociology, every injustice, every
problem Of poverty and of affluenee
and of labor-is being voted on in Rus
sia today
Meetings by the thousands are being
held. The Russian people are dividing
themselves along the lines of profes.
sons and occupations and in their meet
ings the smallest problems are brought
up. In meeting of washwomen in Pc
trograd the other day, lor instance, the
women went so far as to discuss their
social standing.
We want an eight hour day. de-
clared one washwoman, "we want to
have time every day to visit our friends
and enjoy life. ~
"No! Mol" declared the next speak
er. "What we want is more work.
want to get all the work / can do and
work as long as l please. l have no
friends to visit.
"That woman is wrong,' declared a
third, "If we haven't got any friends
to visit, it's because we we never had
time to make friends as other people
do. What we need is more friends and
more time to enjoy them +"
4 Utter and absolute free speech ex-
lists; only this could make possible the
infinity of the number of matters that
are being discussed by the people of
seething Rusha. Folks are free to talk
against each other. Only yesterday, for
instance the soldiers of the 18th army
at the front declared that the czar was
not being guarded with sufficient care
in his palace. They passed a resolution
to that effect and the resolution reach
ed Minister Of War Kerensky
i "The ex-czar is giving liquor to the
soldiers who are guarding him, !" was
one of the charges.
| Kerensky went to Tsarkoe Selo tol
look into the matter He found that, ac-
cording to a long established custom
given a bottle of wine every day. He
ing the palace.
q Yes,'' they replied. ''We receive
bottle of wine every day from the
ear cellars. We are only following
an ancient custom-but if we are be-
ing criticized for it by the soldiers of
the 10Th army, we will discontinue the
practice.
Wherefore, in solemn assembly, they Il
voted to abolish a pleasant and there
fore somewhat lingering custom OF
Tsarkoe Selo
People in Russia vote at the drop OF
the hat-on any subject.
The third impression | received as an
American, was a sense of bewilderment H
at the problem of getting all the voting
translated into laws.
The voting is not vague and unsyste-
matte. Spontaneously a system has
grown up out of tie old organizations,
whereby national organizations Of all
sorts are developing.
A few washermomen, for instance,
or a few farmers, in some extremely
remote district hold q meeting and elect
a delegate to a meeting of washerwo-
men or farmers in some nearby town.
This larger meeting, in turn, elects a
delegate to a convention in still larg-
er center and finally delegates are !
chosen to represent a still larger dis
trict in the main organization which is
being formed here at the capitol There
is bewildering number of such organ
izations, with an uncountable number
OF repetitions.
A man, for instance, may be mem
ber of a soldiers organization; he may
also belong to an organization of his
craft and, in addition, he may vote iii
an organization of Ukranians, or Letts,
or Roles. There is no limit to the mum
Der of places in which he may express
his opinions and have his votes counted
How the new government, out Of all
the mass of public opinion-and there S
never been so much public opinion any
where in the world as there is in Rus
sa now--will be able to sift the pre-
lcauses is bewildering
problem, but it is one that the new
government is determined to solve.
Continued .tomorrow)