The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-06-03
lets. Again the people are without q

direct voice in their own government
The constitution says: THE All
Russian congress Is the supreme
power" This body in the government
of Russia takes the place Of our con
gress, our president and the cabinet.
1t has the supreme legislative and ex-
ecutive power Do the people have a
vote for these all-powerful congress
| men? Certainly not. The All-Russian
congressman are elected by the city
sovlets and by the Soviets Of the prov
inces, who were elected by the city
| and rural Soyiets, the rural sovietS
! having been elected by the local rural
soviets whose members were elected
by the people,
Congress Not Governing Body
The Al-Russian congress is very
large body. The first congress met ia
1917. 1t numbered about l,2O0 dele
gates. The eighth congress is now
| (January, 1920 in session and the
| present membership has grown to over
two thousand. 1t is a big, cumbersome
body, unfit for delberative purposes.
| 1t is more of mass meeting, plat
| form for the relief of those who have
| speeches burdening their chests. Inc
congress never sits for more than
week. 1t was never Intended to De an
| organ of government. The cohsttu'
ton tells the story.
Section % reads: The All-RusSlan
congress shall elect a central eXecu-
tive committee of not more than Zoo
members" This takes the government
another step from the people
Section 30 says: when the AH-kus-
sian congress is not in session the
central executive committee Is the SUI
preme power OF the republic but we
nave not feached the emu Oh lhe Joui,
hey from the people 10 the seat VI
power.
Section 30 reads: Ihe central eN-
evul''e coininI.'ee sil"'l seieo' " 'ou''
shan manage tbe affairs Of fine Rus.
sion Sooio1is+ Federal Soviet Renub-
liz"
pr+ Iot nc rood on.
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put no'e ~ 'i',S 9e0''0n " w
CONSTITUTION ie'Oe
'lls iililneui"'e "1'io" may NC ei"l'Vu
"''eo,'S - INC ~ou''o
Without voice IN government
The council of peoples commissars
is II in number. The people had no
voice in selecting the peoples COM
missars: they were not given a choice
in picking the central executive com
mittee; they were not allowed to vote
for the Al-RuSslan congressman; In
the rural districts the poor peasants"
were not even allowed to vote for the
men who selected the men who in turn
selected the congressman.
AT the head of the Sacred Seven
teen" is the chief of state. Lenine. At
his RIGHT hand sits Trotzkv. commissar
Of force in charge of T. q army and
navy When think of the part the
neonla nlay in this newest form OF
"free" government and the distance
thav ore kent from their country's
affairs 7 cannot help but see them
through this constitution as though
were looking at them through the
wrong end of pair or opera glasses.
Truly 1t is long way from the
people to the throne of Lenlne. The
people make only the nrst ana snort
est step. There are five long and i'm
portant steps between the poor peas
ants and the power, ana three De-
tween the clty voters anu tie reai gov
eminent OF RUSSIA
The bolshevik government Is gov
eminent of officeholders, for otiicehold-
ers and by officeholders. 1t IS Lin
coins formula reversed. l have heard
it said that democratic government Is
a failure because political othceholders
do not truly represent the people
There Is some truth in the statement,