The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-06-04

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-
ecutire power. Do the people have a
vote for these alI-powerful congress-
menf Certainly not. The An-Russian
congressman are elected by the city
soEiets and by the soyiets 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 All-Russian congress is a very
large body. The first congress met ia
1917. It numbered about 200 dele
gates. The eighth congress Is now
January, 1920 in session and the
present membership has grown to over
two thousand. 1t is big, cumbersome
body, unfit for deliberative purposes.
1t is more Of a mass meeting. plat
form for the relief of those who have
speeches burdening their chests. The
congress never sits for more than a
week. 1t was never intended to be an
organ of government The eonstitu-
ton tells the story.
Section IS reads: The AIl-Russian
congress shall elect a central execu-
tive committee of not more than 200
members" This takes the government
another step from the people.
sian congress is not in session. the
central executive committee is the su-
preme power of the republic" But we
have not reached the end Of the jour
ney from the people to the seat Of
power.
Section IS reads: ''The central ex-
ecutive committee shall select a coua-
ell Of peoples commIssars who
shall manage the affairs of the Rus
sian Socialist Federal Soviet Repub-
Iic."
But let US read on:
Section 81: 'sThe council of peoples
commissars is intrusted with the gen.
eral management of the affairs Of the
republic"
Section IS: For the accomplish
| ment OF this task the peoples COM
missars shall issue DEGREES, resolu-
tons, orders, and in general take all
steps necessary for the proper and
rapid conduct Of government affairs"
Section 40: ''The central executive
| committee has the right to revoke or
| suspend all orders and resolutions OF
the council of peoples commissars-"
| But mote" to this section of the
constitution reads: Measures requir-
ing immediate action may be enacted
directly by the council Of peoples
| commisSars."
Without Voice in Government
The council of peoples commissars
is IL 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 All-Russian 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 Trotzky, commissar
of force in charge of tie army and
navy. When 1 think of the part the
people play in this newest form of
free" government and the distance
they are kept from their country's
affairs, cannot help but see them
through this constitution as though
were looking at them through tbs
wrong end of a pair Of opera glasses
! Truly it is a long way from I'll.
people TO the throne Of Lenine. tn
people make only the first and shor
est step. There are five long and in
| portant steps between the poor pea
ants" and the power. and three
| tween the city voters and the real go
eminent of Russia.
The bolShevik government Is a &C
| eminent OF officeholders, for oficehof
ers and by officeholders- 1t is L
coins formula reversed. have hea
| II said that democratic government
failure because political Officehold,
do not truly represent the peoE.
There Is some truth in the stateme
but the people have a remedy;
system is not at fault. cannot !.
derstand the logic for the faith tbs
| government which provides three
five additional sets of offieeholders
tween the people and the governnZ-
| will make things better. 10
Title Conveys Much Meaninass
The title peoples comnissar is of
of meaning. 1t is obese with poon
The title is copyrighted In the he
! stirution. lie
| In December, 1918. LeAine
dressed letter to the American ye;s
ingmen in which he said: scr
Let incurahle pedants, crarem
full of bourgeois democratic and 70
liamentaFy prejudices, shake non
heads grayely over our soviet -,
them deplore the fact that we hs, :,