McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1920-08-06
PROBLEMS FACING
STRICKEN WORLD
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction In
Europe Follow the Great
World War?
RUSSIANS MISLED BY LENINE
Claim That Bolshevlk Government e.
tabIlshes Equality Palpably Falss-
csspotio Power Put in, Office
holders Hands.
Article XXI.
BY FRANK coMERFoRD.

r by FRANK COMEhFOnb.
The first great hypocrisy of the boil
shevik government was Its pretense al
establishing equality. Caste and class
reminded the Russians of suffering.
The soviet government, through the
peoples commissars, issued the follow
Ing decree:
"Ali designations, such as merchant,
nobleman, burgher, peasant; titles,
such as prince, count, ETC., and distinc-
tons of civil ranks, privy. state and
other councillors, are abolished, and
one designation Is established for all
the population OF Russia--Citizen Of
the Russian Republic
Article A of the constitution makes
bare the insincerity Of the decree. II
does more. 1t gives evidence. of the
great felony committed against the
freedom of the Russian people by Lee
nine.
These three classes shall have the
right to hold office and to vote. They
are made citizens of Russia by the
! constitution:
First. All Russians mat are eighteen
gears Of age and who have acquired
the means of living, through labor that
is productive and useful to society,
and also persons engaged In house
keeping for the former.
Second. Soldiers of the army and
navy.
Third. Members of the former two
classes, when incapacitated.
| But the constitution goes further !;
It tells who shall not hold office and
shall not vote:
First. Persons who employ hired la
Sor in order to obtain profit.
Second. Persons who have an in
come, such as interest in capital, rents,
receipts from property, etc.
Third Private merchants, trade and
commercial brokers.
Fourth. Monks and clergy of all
! denominations.
Fifth. Employees and agents OF the
former police, the gendarmery, and
the cars secret service; also men,
bers of the former reigning dynasty.
| Sixth. The demented or mentally de.
fcient.
Seventh. Persons who have been de-
| prived by soviet of their rights of
citizenship. because of seIfishness, or
dishonorable offenses, for the period
| fixed by the sentence.
Makes officehoiders Despots.
Section aHords great opportunity
for construction; the soviets are given
power to disfranchise citizens, because
! OF "sefishness or dIshonorabIe Of
| lenses" Who is to say what shall con-
| Stitute these offenses? The courts? No.
The people? No. The political office
| holders? Yes. When we remember that
| the first thing that the bosheviks did
when they came into power was to
| drive from the s0viers every one who
! disagreed with the bolsheyik plan of
communism. at once and by force, 1t
! Is easy to understand the terrible pow
er given In this phrase and the tyran-
nical use that may bemade of II. Every
difference of opinion with their meth
DDS or plans would he selfish and
dishon0rable offense In the eyes of the
bolshevik rulers, and the foolhardy dis
senter could be stripped Of his citizen
ship, and. no doubt, would be. This
| section writes the death warrant Of
| freedom of opinion; Ii gives to the So
viets bludgeon with which to beat
Q man out of citizenship who ventures
m opinion at variance with the inn
posed order. II makes the citizen the
servant. the officeholder the master;
II is government upside down.
In note to Settion "a of Article 4
Of the constitution, we learn the local
| soviets may. with The consent Of the
peoples cpmmissars. flower the sge
qualification for voters"
What a splendid opportunity this
Joker in the constitution offers for
political jockeying. If the central pow.
er discovers 1t Is about to lose con-
troll Of village or rural soviet. 1t has
the power to nip the uprising In rhe
bud. The peoples eominissars can ar
range with the minority In the sovie,
! in question TO reduce the age limit and
| give the vote to young boys and girls.
When II Is remembered thar the con-
stitution directs the peoples commits.
sar of education TO introduce IN all
schools and educational institutions of
Russia rhe study and explanation and
| justification of the bolsheyik constitu-
ton. II Is not hard to understand that
young people into whose minds have
been driven and drilled q reverence
for holshevism and Its methods. coulc
be expected to vote for and support
the bolsheyik program.
| Best Citizens Disfranchised.
! Three groups of people classified by
their occupations are permitted citi-
zenship. They are the nseml ers of the
army and navy, the working men and
women. and the peasants who do not
hire labor, Every one else is made al
oatcast The man who has saved a
little money. earned in the sweat of
his face. and Invested II. is not per-
mitted to become a citizen; the man