Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-06-19
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction in
Europe Follow the Great
World War?
RUSSIANS MlSLED BY LEVINE
Claim That 6olshevik Government Es-
tablishes Equality PaIpabIy False
Despotic Power Put in Office
holders Hands.
Article XXI.
Bv FRANK CoMERFoRp.

BY FRANK COMERFORD.
The first great hypocrisy of the boil
shevik government was its pretenSe at
establishing equality. Caste and class
reminded the Russians of suffering.
The soviet government, through the
peoples commissars, issued the follow
ing decree:
IAN designations, such as merchant,
nobeman, 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 RCssia-Citizen Of
the Russian Republic.
Article 4 of the constitution makes
bare the inslncerity of the decree. Ii
does more. 1t gives evidence of tho
great felony committed against the
freedom Of the Russian people Dy Lee
nine.
These three classes shall have the
right to hold office and to vote. They
are made citizens of Russia by the
col ,titutIon:
First. All Russians that are eighteen
years 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 Ia
Dor 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 geudarmery, and
the cars secret service; also mem
bcrs Of the former reigning dynasty.
Sixth. The deuented or mentally de.
icient.
Seventh. Persons who have been de
prived by a soviet of their rights of
citizenship. because Of seIfshness, or
dishonorable offenses, for the period
liked by the sentence.
Makes OHiceholders Despots.
Section : affords great opportunity
for construction; the sOviets are given
power to disfranchise citizens, because
Of "seIfshness or dishonorable Of
lenses" Who is TO say what shall con
StiRlte these offenses2 The courts? No.
The people? No. The political Office
holders? Yes When we remember that
The FIRST thing that the bolsheviks did
Nhen they came into power was to
drive from the soviets every one who
disagreed with the boIshevik plan Of
sou nunism at once and by force, il
: easy to understand the terrible pow
er given in this phrase and the tyran-
nicul use that may be made ot it. Every
difference of opinion with their meth
ous or plans would he selfish and
dishonurabie offense in the eyes of the
buishey.k rulers. and the foolhardy dis
sentcr could be stripped of his citizen
ship, and, no doubt would he. This
section writes the death warrant of
freedom of opinion; it gives to the So
viets bludgeon with which to beat
man out of citizenship who ventures
an opinion at variance with the i'm
posed order. 1t makes the citizen the
servant the oficeholder the master;
II is government upside down.
In a note to Section 81 of Article +
of the constitution, we learn the local
soviets may, with the consent of the
peoples conm!ssars, Hover the age
qua tication for voters"
What splendid opportunity this
Joker in the constitution offers for
political iockey.ng If the central pow
er discovers il is ABOUT to lose con.
troll Of a village or rural soviet, it has
the power to nip the uprising u the
bud. The peoples commissars can ar
range with the minority ia he soviet
in question to reduce the aye limit and
give the vote To young boys and girls
When it Is remembered that the coli-
stitution directs the peoples commits.
sar Of education 10 Introduce in alt
schools and educational Institutions Of
Russia the study and explanation and
justification of the bolshevik constitu-
tion, it is not hard to understand that
young people into whose minds have
been driven and drilled a reverence
for holSheviSm and It's methods. could
be expected 20 vote for and support
the bolshevik program.
Best Citizens DISTINGUISHED.
Three groups of people claSslf fed by
their occupations are permitted citi-
zenship. They are the members of the
army and navy the working men and
women, enc the peasants who Dc not
h.re labor. Every one else is made an
outcast Tbs man who hes saved a
little mones. earned In the sweat Of
&. a