The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-07-08

L
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 a
vote for these all-powerful congress
men7 Certs 'nly not. The All-Russian
congressmel 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
soviets, whose members were elected
by the people.
Congress Not Governing Body.
| The All-Russian congress is a very
large body. The hrst congress met Ia
| 1917. 1t numbered about 200 dele.
gates. The eighth congress is now
(January, 1920 in session and the
| present membership has grown TO over
two thousand. 1t is big. cumbersome
body, unfit for deliberative purposes.
1t Is more OF a mass meeting, plat
form for the relief of those who have
speeches burdening their chests. The
congress never sits for more than
week. II 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
another step from the people.
Section 80 says: when the All-Rus-
CHM ic in CACCCinn fhR
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 80 reads: 1.-THE central ex-
ecutive committee shall select a coun-
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 80: "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: 1.-THE central executive
committee has the right to revoke or
suspend all orders and resolutions of
the council of peoples commissars."
But mote" to this section of the
constitution reads: Measures requir-
ing immediate action may be enacted
directly by the council of peoples
| commissars."
Without Voice In Government.
The 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, Lenlne. At
his right hand sits Trotzky, commissar
of force in charge of Z 2 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, / 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 II 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 a gov
eminent of officeholders, for officehOld-
ers and by officeholders. 1t is Lin
coins formula reversed. / have heard
II said that democratic government is
a failure because political ofiiceholders
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 I'M
derstand the logic for the faith that
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. 1t Is obese with power.
The title Is copyrighted In the cc-i-
stitution.
In December. 1913, Lenine ad-
dressed letter to the American WOW
ingmen In which he said:
Let incurable pedants, crammsd
full of bourgeois democratic and par
lInmentary prejudices, shake their
heads gravely over our soviet; let
.a...t1~o .ho facf that hauo vn