The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-03-22
THE DUNlA.

It would De DIE HlSldhe to i4i fer that because the Duma has oo- tained control in Russia, that coun- try has become thereby democracy- To hold to that belief would betray 2 total ignorance of conditions under which the Duma is chosen. AS most are unfamiliar with the nature of that Russian institution a few words as to the constitution which the Tzar granted his people will not be amiss.
 The Duma has not got very much mower under the Tar It does have scrutiny of the government esu- mates and may approve or disap- nroye the budget subject to re- version of such action by the higher governing body. It has power to arrange for public works and to con- tro1 in q great measure the educa- ton of the Empire. It is strictly in practice an advisory body, lar more than it can be considered Ill practice a legislative body and US persistent inclination to consider It. self a legislative body as It IS III theory. has kept it in hot water all most since it's establishment.
 It's constitution is most elaborate and especial pains were taken so that the upper classes Of Russ'" would have a permanent maJorlt? in the chamber.
 The Council of the Empire IS the Upper house. The ministers cheseh by the emperor, are ex oficie mem bers. 9S arc appointive and 9S are elective members. ,! Ire elected members three arc returne bv the monks, three by the secular clergy. eighteen by the corporation of nobles. six ly tGe academy oi sciences and universities. thirty four by the governments having Zemstvos. 16 by those having no zemstvos. six by industrial councils, six by the Chambers of Commerce. and six by Poland, It is commonly known as the Sovyot.
 The Duma or lower house consists of 442 members, the same being elective but by such method as to assure that the wealthy, the nobll- ity and the powerful will always he in an immense majority as they always have been.
 The method of election is briefly as follows: Local administrative bodies known as the Zemstvos' the municipal dumas. the volosts or can ion of mfrs send representatives to an electoral college who in turn elect the members of the Duma. Ill the primary electoral assemblies the larger landed proprietors sit ill person. the lesser proprietors by de legates. The city or town dumas are divided into two categories ac- cording to their wealth electing de legates direct to the electoral coll ege of the government. the division of the bodies into members accord ing to the amount of taxes paid as- surfing always a preponderance oi wealth in the delegates chosen. The peasants are represented through delgates direct from the Nolosts and hence are always overwhelmed bv the numerically superior Zemst- vos. As for the workers their re presentation is through the indus trial concerns and hence not they hut the employers find most repre- sentation.
 Now apart from these bodies there are two others which aid the Emperor in the execution of ms duties CD, and these are the Holy synod and the Senate. The Holy Synod is the supreme organ of the Orthodox Church in Russia while the Senate has an equivalent power to and it is just as oligarchical and real as. the Supreme Court of tho United States.
 These two bodies have time and time again chosen to override the actions of the constitutional bodies and have been in real truth the organs of the bureaucracy in the government of Russia. Theoretically dependent upon the Council of Mi nisters (which is the cabinet) they have taken good care that the cabi- net will be their tools.