Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-05-20

power" This body in the government
of Russia takes the place of our con-
gress, our president and the cabinet.
1t has the supreme legislative and ex-
ecutive power. Do the people have
vote for these all-powerful congress-
men? Certainly not. The All-Russian
congressman are elected by the city
soviets and by the soviets Of the prov
inces, who were elected by the city
and rural soviets, the rural soviets
having been elected by the local rural
soyiets. whose members were elected
by the people.
Congress Not Governing Body.
The All-RuSsian congress is very
large body. The first congress met in
1917. It numbered about 1,20O dele
gates. The eighth congress is now
(January, 1920 in session and the
present membership has grown to over
two thousand. It is a big, cumbersome
body. unfit for deliberative purposes.
It is more of a mass meeting, a plat
form for the relief Of those who have
speeches burdening their chests. The
congress never sits for more than
week. It was never intended to be an
organ Of government. The cOnstitu-
ton tells the story.
Section % reads: The All-Russian
congress shall elect a central eXecu-
tive committee of not more than 200
members" This takes the government
+In
Section 80 says: "When the All-Rus-
sian congress is not in session, the
central executive committee is the SUI
preme power Of the republic" But we
have not reached the end Of the jour
ney from the people to the seat of
power.
Section 50 reads: "The central ex-
ecutive committee shall select d cOuD-
Gil of peoples commissars who
shall manage the affairs Of the Rus
sian Socialist Federal Soviet Repub
lic"
But let us read on:
Section 81: ''The council of peoples
commissars is intrusted with the gen
eral management of the affairs of the
republic"
Section 50: "For the accomplish
ment of this task the peoples com
missars shall issue DEGREES, resolu-
tons, orders, and in general take all
steps necessary for the proper and
rapid conduct of government affairs"
Section 40: "The central executive
committee has the right to revoke or
suspend all orders and resolutions OF
the council of peoples commissars.'
But a mote" to this section of the
constitution reads: pleasures reQuir-
ing immediate action may be enacted
directly by the council of peoples
cOmmiSSarS."
Tie council Of peoples commissars
is II in number. The people had no
voice in selecting the peoples COM
missars; they were not given choice
in picking the central executive com
mittee; they were not allowed to vote
for the All-Russian congressman; in
the rural districts the poor peasants"
were not even allowed to vote for the
men who selected the men who in turn
selected the congressman.
At the head of the "Sacred Seven
teen is the chief of state, Lenine. At
his right hand sits Trotzl1y, cOmmissar
of force in charge of the army and
navy. When / think of the part the
people play in this newest form Of
"free" government and the distance
they are kept from their cOuntry's
affairs, l cannot help but see them
through this constitution as though |
were looking at them through the
wrong end of a pair of opera glasses.
Truly it is a long way from the
people to the throne Of Lenine. The
people make only the first and short
est step. There are five long and i'm
pOrtant steps between the poor peas
ants" and the power, and three be-
tween the city voters and the real gov
eminent Of Russia.
The bolshevik government is gov
eminent of officehOlders, for OfficehOld-
coins formula reversed. I have heard
it said that democratic government is
a failure because political officehOlders
do not truly represent the people.
There is some truth in the statement,
but the people have a remedy; the
system is not at fault. | cannot un-
derstand the logic for the faith that a
government which provides three or
five additional sets of officehOlders be-
tween the people and the government
will make things better.
Title Conveys Much Meaning.
The title peoples commissar is full
of meaning It is obese with power.
The title is copyrighted in the con-
stitution.
In December, 1913, Lenine adj
dressed a letter to the American work
ingmen in which he said:
Let incurable pedants, crammed
full of bourgeois democratic and par
liamentary prejudices, shake their