The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-02-17
GIVES COMPARES
OF GOVERNMENTS
Burton L. French Draws
Parallel Between
Soviet and Other
Arrangements
RADICALS WRONG
Gives Complete Story
Of Structure of Rus
sian Regime
CONTINUED from last issue)

4 A.
classes of Russians and the setting
lup of many groups that vote as units
and fight for their own kinG against
all others makes for confusion and
bad feeling. Mr.. French gives first
an outline showing the scale of repre-
sentation in Russia and in the
United States.
In our country, as we all know,
two senators are elected from each
state; representatives from each
state are chosen according to the
population of the state; state sena-
tors and representatives approtioned
on a basis of the population OF the
counties.
In Russia, says Mr.. French, "the
overwhelming majority of people are
farmers, and only six of the fifty
provinces have any considerable
population engaged in nonrural in
dustries. Lenin and Trotski when
they seized control knew that if they
were toretain their control and pass
it on to others capable of thinking
along similar lines, it would be nee
essary for them to work out system
by which the craftsmen and the men
in the army and navy would have an
unfair and undue share in the repre-
entation in the legislative bodies.
Accordingly we find the constitution
solemnly declaring that one member
to the All-Russian Congress OF
Soviets, if he shall represent city
people, shall be elected for every
5000 voters, and if he represents
provincial people-the farmers
one member shall represent 10000
inhabitants. The constitution uses
the word voter" as applied to the
city dweller, but 'inhabitant' as ap-
piled to the country. The reason is
plain. The farmer must be dis
franchised. Remember, now, that
both men and women over eighteen
years of age under certain conditions
may vote. In the city is where we
find the large groups of men and wo-
men who are working in factories
or in mines or mills and who are UNI
attached. In and near the city is
where we find the soldiers. This is
where we find the sailors. In the
cities of Russia we will find the very
people for whose interest the soviet
government exists and it is for that
reason that the constitution is so
drafted as to give the city dweller OF
Russia a greater representation in
their. All-Russian Congress of Soviets
than is given to the farmers
Mr.. French calls our attention to
something we hardly would notice
as we go about our annual round OF
elf-government, and that is the fact
that in the United States public men
are elected for what they can do for
the whole country or the whole state
and not for any single class OF in
dividuals. In Russia the only chan
mel of self expression thru a vote is
that of the particular class to which
the voter belongs. Mr.. French con-
tinues:
IN all kinds of orderly govern
ment heretofore men have been in
trusted with responsibility because
they have stood for policy; their
position might be affirmative or it
might be negative, but at least their
position was comparable.
This is the system that obtains
in. France, Italy, Great Britain,
Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand,
Australia and in the United States.
1t is the system that it seems COM
mends itself to thoughtful people
everywhere. There are variations in
the terms thru which the system is
worked out, but, after all, the one
principle is held in view that people
should have the opportunity of act
ing as units of thought. This prin-
ciple is applied in the county when
the issue is whether or not system
of county roads shall be built. 1t is
applied in the state on state issues,
and it is applied in the National gov
eminent. Accordingly, the people OF
our great land have learned to think
on big subjects as well as upon little
subjects. We have learned to think
on issues that confront the nation
and the world as weel as issues that
confront the precinct and the county.
"In Russia, it is solemnly set forth
in the constitution that the repre-
sentation accorded to the people
shall come from the class to which
they belong. That is, a group of
in city shall elect a car
penter to the soviet, the blacksmiths
shall elect a man who can swing
hammer, the painters shall elect one
of their own group, while the farm
ers shall elect a farmer"
Here are some of the classes in
Russia disfranchised for various real
or imagined reasons: The merchant,
ministers of all denominations, per-
sons formerly in the employ of the
Car and members of the families of
Russia's former rulers, persons who
have income from property or capt.
tai and persons who employ hired
labor.
OF all these defranchised persons,
who are deprived of their vote be-
cause of occupation or because they
have saved money, or because they
are able to hire helpers in their bust
ness, the farmer class is the largest
Mr.. French declares that the whole
system of reimbursement is a de-
liberate plan to eliminate the farmer
peasant from participation in poll
tics. The great classes of soldiers,
sailors and craftsmen, who have
neither capital nor savings nor carry
on any industrial operations are
favored.
Mr.. French then points out our
own generous distribution Of men