The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-06-17
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction in
Europe Follow the Great
World War;
RUSSIANS MiSLED 9Y LEVINE
Claim That eolshevik Government Es-
tahIishes Equality Palpably False
Despotic Power Put In Office
holders Hands.
Article XXI.
By FRANK coMERFoRD.

The first great hypocrisy Of the pol
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,
nobleman, burgher, peasant; titles
such as prince, count, etc, and distinc-
tons of civil ranks, privy, state ana
other councillors, are abolished, ana
one designation Is established for all
the population Of Russia-Citizen Of
the Russian Republic
Article of the constitution makes
bare the insncerity of the decree. II
does more. II gives evidence of the
great felony committed against the
freedom Of the Russian people by lie
nine.
These three classes shall have the
right to hold Office aud to vote. They
are made citizens of Russia by the
constitutions;
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;
1t tells who shall not hold Office and
shall not vote:
First. Persons who employ hired la
Dor in order TO obtain pr@tt.
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 mem
bcrs Of the former reiguing dynasty.
Sixth. The demeuted or mentally de.
fcient
Seventh. Persons who have been de-
prived by a soviet of their rights Of
citizenship, because Of selfishness, or
dishonorabIe offenses, for the period
fixed by the sentence.
Makes OtficehoIders Despots.
Section 7 affords great opportunity
for construction the soviets are given
power 10 diSfranchise citizens, because
of "selfishness or dishonorable 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 bOlsheviks did
when they came into power was to
drive from the soviets every one who
disagreed with the bolshevik plan Of
communism, at once and by force, it
is easy to understand the terrible pow
err given in this phrase and the tyran-
nical use that may be made Of it. Every
difference Of opinion with their meth
DDS or plans would be a selfish ana
diShonOrable oftense in the eyes of the
holshevik rulers, and the foohardy dis
scnter could te stripped of bis citizen
ship and, no doubt, would be. This
section writes the death warrant Of
freedom Of opinion il gives 70 the So
yiots hludgeOn 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 ofiicehOlder the master;
1t is government upside down.
In a note to Section Ga of Article a
Of the constitution, we learn the local
peoples Commlssnrs, Flower the age
qualification for voters"
What a splendid opportunity this
Joker In the constitution offers for
political jockeyng, If the central pow
or discovers il is about to lose con
troll of village or rural soviet, it has
the power to nip the uprising in the
bud The peoples commiSsars can ar
| range with the minority in the soviet
In question 10 reduce the age limit and
give the vote to young boys and girls,
! When IL is remembered that the con.
sttuilon directs the peoples commits
! sar Of education 10 introduce in all
| schools and educational institutions Of
Russia the study and explanation and
| justification Of the bolsheyik constitu-
ton il is not hard 10 understand that
young people into whose minds have
been driven and drilled reverence
! for holShcyism and It's methods, could
| be expected TO vote for and support
the hoIsheyik program.
Best Citizens Disfrsnchised.
Three groups Of people classified by
lhelr occupations are permitted citi-
zenShip, They are the members OF the
army and navy the working men and
women, and the peasants who do not
hire labor Every one else Is made an
| onttast The man who has saved n
| little money, earned in the sweat of
his face, and invested II, is not per
mltted to become citizen the man
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