The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-03-18

prtved By q soviet Of their rights Of
citizenship, because of seifshness, or
dishonorable offsnsss, for the period
fixed by the sentence.
Makes offiesholdsrs pespots-
Section affords great opportunity
for construction; the soviets are given
power to disfranchise citizens, because
of -selfishnsas or dishonorabie Of
fenses.s 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, 1t
Is easy to understand the terrible pow
er given in this phrase and the tyran-
nical use that may be made of 1t. Every
difference Of opinion with their meth
ods or plans would be a selfish and
dishonorable offense in the eyes of the
bolsheyik rulers, and the foolhardy dis
senter could be stril ped of his citizen
ship, and, no doubt, would be. This
section writes the death warrant Of
freedom of opinion; IT gives to the So
viets a bludgeon with which to beat
q man out of citizenship who ventures
an opinion at variance with the i'm
posed order. It makes the citizen the
servant, the ofiiceholder the master; /;
1t is government upside down.
In a note to Section "a Of Article Z
of the constitution. We learn the local
soviets may, with the consent Of the
peoples commissars, 4lOwer the age
qualification for voters"
What a splendid opportunity this
Joker in the constitution offers for
political jockeyins. II the central pow
or discovers 1t II about to lose con-
troll Of q village or rural soviet. 1t has
the power to nip the uprising in the
bud. The peoples commissars can ar
range with the minority in the soviet
In question to reduce the age limit and
give the vote to young boys and girls
When it is remembered that the con-
stitution directs the peoples commis-
ear Of education to introduce in all
schools and educational institutions Of
Russia the study and explanation and
justtAcation Of the bolshevik constitu-
tton, It is not hard to understand that
yoang people into whose minds have
been driven and drilled reverence
for bolshevism and its methods, could
be expected to vote for and support
the bolshevik program.
Best cItixsns Disfranehissd.
Three groups of people classified by
their occupations are permitted citi-
xenship. 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 II made an
outcast. The man who has saved .
little money. earned in the sweat OF
his face. and inves.cd Il, Is not per
mitted to kecome q citizen; the man
who has q little shop-it may repre-
sent the sacrifices and savings Of hi
whole life-comes under the ban, h
IL unit for free citizenship In bolshe
vik Russia; the farmer who hirei
help, and almost every farmer II com
PEELED to employ help In the harves
time, IL q criminal expioiter and h
10 denied the right to vote or heat
an once. ll4
The man who devotes his life 4
religion. who comforts the poor. visit'
the sick, the servant Of God. II drives
from the political house; he Il denie'
the right to vote. It II dangerous 4
give the thrifty. the Industrious, tn