Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-06-26
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction in
Europe Follow the Great
World WARP
eot sHEvlSM BUILT ON SAND
Movement 1. Not Based on Equality,
and Without Equality There Can
Be No Freedom-Risht OF
Miuht Unstable.
Article Xxx.
Nv FRANK coMERFoRD.


stitutiou. They named the new nation
tho "Kussian Socialist Federal Soviet
Renubfic." They hung out It flag. Il
rod cloth in the left corner of which
ION top. near the pole) are In golden
letters "R. S. f. $. r." The coat Of
arms of the new Russian government
consists of scarlet background on
which golden scythe and n hammer
are placed tcrosswise, handles down
warD In sun rays and surrounded by
II wreath inscribed: Russian Social
,st Federal Soviet Republic. Worker
of the World. Unite
The constitution Of country Is it's
foundation. II must be solid and
strong If liberty is to be secure. The
whole supprstructure depends upon
the foundation. Government is Il
house made of laws. You cannot have
pcace. freedom and order without law.
The people who live In the house, the
great national family. have Il 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
n say in the kind Of house he IL TO
live In. 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 Il Is
another'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.
ernment started Oh by denying the
people the right to soy In the form
Of government Of their country. A
minority, without consulting the people,
without giving them chance to eX.
press their views, forced upon the
people a constitution. So the boishe-
vik government was built on the false
foundation of minority rule. The prin-
ciple that all governments derive their
just powers from TIE consent of the
governed was sent 70 the scrap heap.
Government ~ seviets.
The Russian Consultation provides
for a government ofsoyiets. The word
soviet means coun@l. The soviet is
a body Of political ofhceholders who
run the government 4 our couias y
instead Of cnIlinE M = Aoole& s0vfsts
we cali them township commissioners
village trustees, city councils Of
boards Of aldermen, state legislatures
congress. Under the bolshevik consti
tuition all power IL given to the 10
VETS. This Is and has been the rally
ing cry OF the members Of the soviets
The soviets have the power to maxi
laws as well as the power to enforc'
obedience to the laws. The legislativ,
and executive power 10 combined II
the soviet.
The bolshevik constitution divide
Russia into regions, provinces, coun
ties, towns, villages, rural district
and local rural districts. For the SAX
Of comparison we Gun liken Russi
to the United States, province II
Russia to a state In our Union, and 81
on down through the list. We have n
political division corresponding to tn
Russian region, a unit larger than al
American state.
The Russian citizens liberty
measured by the voice he Is given Il
selecting the men who are to max
the laws he must obey. The constitu
ton fxes his freedom. It says hoy
far he may 60 and no farther.
We have heard much about tn
poor peasants" The constitution
makes them paupers in liberty. Dow
at the bottom Of government tn
farmer. the poor peasant" is give
the right to vote for delegates to tn
local rural soviet. This little body ha
about the same power In shaping tn
policy of Russia and making the law
that affect life, liberty and propert
as the township commissioners hav
In the United States. Their authorit
Is confined to purely local matter,
When the poor peasant" has cast thi
one lonesome and meaningless vot
for a representative in the local rura
soviet he is through so far as any di
rect say In who shall govern him, an,
how.
Governed by 0ffIeehoiders.
The poor peasant" having cast hi
vote for the local rural soviet, leave
the task OF government to the office
holders. The deputies elected to tn
local rural soviet meet and elect tn
deputies to the next higher governing
unit, the rural soviet. Here we IN,
the first governing body for which tn
poor peasant" Is denied vote, blu
not the last.
The next unit Of government in Rus
sia Is the county. The people do no
have a vote for the delegates to tn
county soviets. These county commits
sioners are elected by the members o
the city and village soviets and tn
members of the rural soviets. Her
we have government one step remove,
from the people Of the cities and tw'
steps removed from the poor peas
ants"
The provincial soviets are electe'
by the city soviets and the rural so