The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1920-06-03
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction in
Europe Follow the Great
World War?
B0LsHEvIsM BUILT ON SAND
Movement Is Not Based on Equality,
and Without Equality There Can
Be No Freedom-Riqht Of
Might Unstable.
Article Xxx.
BY FRANK

BY FRANK coMERFoRD.
On the tenth day of July, 1918. the
bolshevik government adopted II con-
stitution. They named the new nation
the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet
Republic" They hung IL a flag, a
red cloth, in the left corner of which
ION top, near the pole) are In golden
letters "R. S. F. S. r." The coat of
arms of the new Russian government
consists of a scarlet background on
which a golden scythe and a hammer
are placed (crosswise, handles down.
ward) in sun rays and surrounded by
a wreath, inscribed: Russian Social
list Federal Soviet Republic. Workers
of the World. Unite"
The constitution Of a country is its
foundation. 1t must be solid and
strong if liberty is to be secure. The
whole su%perstructure depends upon
the foundation. Government is a
house made of laws. You cannot have
peace, freedom and order without law.
The people who live in the house, the
great national family, have a vital in.
terest in the house in which they live.
1t Is their shelter, their security. 1t is
the right of every free man to have
a say in the kind of house he is to
live in, a voice in the making of the
laws he is called upon to obey and
maintain. The house of Freedom is
one citizens house as much as it is
a%nother's. Without equality there
cannot be freedom. Every Russian
had an equal right to determine the
kind of government that should pre-
vail in his land. The bolshevik gov
eminent started off by denying the
people the right to a say in the form
Of government of their country. A
minority, without consulting the people,
without giving them q chance to ex.
press their views, forced upon the
people a constitution. So the bolshe-
vik government vas built on the false
foundation of minority rule. The prin-
ciple that all governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the
governed was sent to the scrap heap.
Government by Soviets.
The Russian constitution provides
for a government of soviets. The word
soviet means council. The soviet is
q body of political oficeholders who
run he government. In our country.
instead of calling these bodies soviets,
We call them township commissioners,
village trustees, city councils or
boards of aldermen, state legislatures,
congress. Under the %bolshevik consti-
tuition all power is given to the so.
viets. This is and has been the rally
Ing cry of the members of the soviets.
The soviets have the power to make
laws as we'll as the power to enforce
obedience to the laws. The legislative
and executive power is combined In
the soviet.
The bOlshevik constitution divides
Russia into regions. provinces. II
ties, towns, villages. rural districts
n local rural districts. For the sake
of comparison we can liken Russia
to the United States. a province in
Russia to a state in our Union, and 60
on down through the list. We have no
political division corresponding to the
Russian region, a unit larger than IN
American state.
The Russian citizens liberty is
measured by the voice he is given in
selecting the men, who are 10 make
the laws he must obey. The constitu-
ton fixes his freedom. 1t says how
far he NAV ar n,,j mn frc%lo.
We have heard much about the
'"poor peasants" The constitution
makes them paupers in liberty. Down
at the bottom Of government the
farmer. the poor peasant" is given
the right to vote for delegates to the
local rural soviet. This little body has
about the same power in shaping the
policy of Russia and making the laws
that affect life, liberty and property
as the township commissioners have
in the United States. Their authority
is confined to purely local matters.
When the poor peasant" has cast this
one lonesome and meaningless vote
for a representative in the local rural
soviet he is through so far as any d.
rect say in who shall govern him, and
how.
Governed by o~fficeholders.
The poor peasant" having cast his
for the local rural soviet. leaves
the task of government to the office
tholders. The deputies elected to the
local rural soviet meet and elect he
deputies to the next higher governin.
unit, the rural soviet. Here we ind
she first governing body for which the
poor peasant" is denied a vote, but
not the last.
The mex unit of government in Rus
sia is the county. The people do not
have a vote for the delegates to the
county soviets. These county commits
siOners are elected by the members of
the city and village sOviets and the
members Of the rural soviets. Here
we have government one step removed
from the people Of the cities and two
steps removed from the poor peas