The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-02-13
GIVES COMPARISON
OF GOVERNMENTS
Burton L. French Draws
Parallel Between
Soviet and Other
Managements
RADICALS WRONG
Gives Complete Story
of Structure of Rus
sian Regime

The Hon. Burton l.. French is not
so often heard on the floor Of the
house of representatives, but If he
spends his time always as well as he
did in preparing a recent speech, his
silence is to be preferred to the
speech making of many others.
On December Mr.. French deliv-
cred to the house one of those COM
prehensive and sensible talks on a
hot" subject that become valuable
documents to a nation. His subject
was bolshevism and his speech a
partial analysis Of the Russian
soviet constitution. As far as we
can learn the American people now
call blythe name of bolshevism that
frame Of mind allowing the soviet
form of government, but perhaps
that is giving bolshevism the advant-
age. 1t is the soviet idea, however,
which is causing the active reyer-
berations of radicals all over the
world, and Mr.. French had very
timely subject.
His method was that of plain de-
scription and the deadly parallel
as he called it. He held up the de-
tails of soviet management in Rus
STA alongside the details of demo-
cratic management of affairs in the
United States, and democracy rose
several degrees in comparison. Mr..
French was thoro. Nobody having
access to the Congressional Record
of December IL need to hold vague
opinions as to what sovietism is and
what it is not. !.
In beginning, Mr.. French said:
I'VE are not surprised when ex-
rene and radical groups of people
applaud an extreme and radical type
of government. We are not sur
prised that anarchists everywhere,
at l. w WIS everywhere that the
left wing of the Socialist party of the
United States, that the Social Demo-
cratic party in the United States, and
similar organizations in other count
ries heralded with. delight the soviet
government in Russia; but we are
when people who, we as
sumo, have accurate habits of
thought express their opinion as
avn dDlC " lAC SOSlCG SySJcm.
He said he was sure that the
postal employees union of Minneapo-
lis had been misinformed of the facts
when it made the resolution:
And whereas fully 95 per cent of
the, population Of Russia fully sup
ports the soviet government of Rus
STA, be it resolved that the Mime
sofa federation of labor express it's
with the soviet Russia"
He showed that the American Fed
grafton of Labor was opposed to
)olshevism and the soviet form of /
government
One of the principal points of ar
alignment in this speech was that
lnder the soviet constitution in Rus
ia the farmer is ruled against. Vot-
ng is done by trades and crafts, in
he first place, and employers of
abor are disenfranchised. The
armer standing alone and often en-
Toying help in his harvesting, has
he lowest voting power.
The structure of the Russian gov
under it's present constitu-
ion is composed of the All-Russian
ongress, corresponding to our own
enate and house of representatives.
We elect members to our congress
irectly. The Russians elect their
lembers about the way we elect Of
GERS in the army. Members of the
ll-Russian congress are elected by
rban and provincial soviets, or
ronps, which are previously elected
y the people of the cities, in one]
Use, and the rural soviets, in the
her. Rural soviets are elected by