The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-06-25

ImS calculatlon Is DaSed upon MAZE
suffrage alone, with the voting age
fixed at twenty-one years. In Russia
both men and women have the suf-
frage, and the age qualifying one to
vote is eighteen years. l, therefore
figure that there would be one voter
for every two in population. There is
no question about the discrimination
against the poor peasant" and the ia
voring OF the city voter. 1t Is only
question of how much.
Machine Politics.
Lenine may be the idealist some PEG
pie say he is, but this section Of the
constitution proves him to be prac-
teal machine politician In his meth
DDS. The provision was written to
meet a situation. 1t has a purpose.
Lenine has frequently written and
spoken about the poor peasants" He
can be forgiven for overworking the
phrase. The poor peasants" make
up the great bulk of the population of
Russia. 1t is not bad politics, al
though 1t smacks Of demagogy, tc
speak often and sympathetically OF
the 'suffering poor" particularly when
the poor peasants" make up the ma
jority of ones constituency. Many
successful politicians owe their
offices to this appeal. In Russia
over so per cent of the people live on
the land-over four-tifths Of all the
Russians are peasants. Less than one
fifth of the population live in the
towns and cities. Measured by his
words, Lenine is the friend of the
poor peasants;" by the constitution,
their enemy.
As we have seen, the constitution
specifically declares that the supreme
power of the government Is vested in
the All-Russian congress. OF course
this is true only in theory, for we have
read how the All-Russian congress
turns the supreme power over to the
central executive committee, which in
turn surrenders the power to the II
peoples comnissars.
The discrimination against the poor
peasant" runs all through the consti.
tuition; the bosheviks are at least con.
sistent. Paragraph "B" of section 81
of the constitution furnishes addition.
al. evidence of the conspiracy against
the peasants. Ii reads:
1.-THE provincial soviets are com
posed of representatives of the city
soviets and the rural Soviets, one rep.
resentative for 10000 inhabitants of
the rural districts, and one represent.
alive for 1000 voters in the CITY,"
In the regional congresses 1t is the
same, one representative for 25,0O0
inhabitants of the country, and one rep.
resentative for 5000 voters OF the city
Aim at DISTINGUISHING Peasants.
The governments OF the nation, OF
the regions, of tire provinces, are based
on the disfranchisement OF the "pOol
peasants" am wondering IL there
Is any Significance in the fact that tn,
people OF the city have one represent
alive for certain number of votes
one representative for just five times
the number. You will note the ratio
Is always the same: For congressman
1t is $4,000 In the city. as against
125,000 in the country; in the regional
congress 1t Is 5000 voters of the city
as against $4,000 inhabitants of the
country in the provincial congresses II
Is one representative for 1000 voters
In the city, one representative for
10000 inhabitants from the rural dis
tricts. Why this five to one? l an
wondering how Lenine hit upon the
ratio uf five to one; Is there any con
nectiOl between this tve-to-one dis
criminatlon against the poor peas
ants" and the ratio of population In
Russia between city dwellers and
poor peasants" which is about five
TO one? 1t Is not difficult to guess the
reason for this action. ANY American
ward politician could furnish the ex
PLANTATION In minute. All political
experience proves that a political ma
chine Is best controlled, easiest or
ghniZed In the cities. Political ma
chimes have never been popular Ia the
country districts. The soviet form OF
government is political machine. The
control Of the machine is insured by
DISTINGUISHING the poor peasant. y
The men who designed the holsilevik
constitution knew one thing about
practical politics, and knew that one
thing thoroughly, and that Is that cit
les are accessible to political control
amenable to political influence. ideal
for the political machine.
The soldiers and sailors are gen.
orally stationed IN cities. This gives
them the power Of city voters. They
are not discriminating against, they
are favored. Soldiers and sailors are
not free agents In the sense the civil.
fans usually are. Civilians have a
freedom Of thought and action that
the military do not enjoy. The sol.
dier's occupation prevents it. First, he
Is an employee of the govern.
ment; second, he Is under diSci.
pine; third. the peoples cOmmissars
fix his pay, determine the quantity
and quality Of his food, arrange for
the comforts Of the barracks: the
votes and the bay0ncts of the military
sustain and support Lenine as truly