The Revolution in Russia 



305 



"to make all classes equal before the law 

 and assure the independence of the 

 courts." In the first paragraph he says : 

 "It is the first duty of all authorities m 

 all places to fix the legal responsibility for 

 every arbitrary act, in order that sufferers 

 through such acts shall have legal re- 

 dress." ^ 



To this the douma responded: The 

 whole Russian people welcomed this mes- 

 sage with an impassioned cry, but the 

 verv first days of liberty were darkened 

 by heavy afflictions laid upon the land by 

 those who still bar the way of the people 

 to the Czar and trample under foot all the 

 principles of the manifesto ; by those who 

 cover the land with sufferings and execu- 

 tions without judicial sentence; with 

 atrocities, fusillades, and with imprison- 

 ment." 



As I have said already, the spread of 

 socialism among the peasants during the 

 last few years has been going on with 

 amazing rapidity as they learn to read 

 and write and tuck their shirts into their 

 trousers, while a passive revolution under 

 unconscious leaders has transformed al- 

 most the entire population of the Russian 

 Empire from submissive subjects to dis- 

 contented critics of the ministry and the 

 court. 



Dissatisfaction with the autocracy has 

 penetrated every stratum of society in 

 every part of the Empire, because of the 

 appalling corruption of the court and the 

 government, the tyranny of the police, 

 the scandalous behavior of the grand 

 dukes, and the general recognition that 

 an autocracy is not consistent with 

 modern civilization. When the armies of 

 Russia were defeated in Manchuria and 

 its navy was destroyed, this universal dis- 

 satisfaction was manifested in various 

 forms. The labor unions furnished the 

 motive power, as you might say, and 

 gave an impetus to an irresistible m.ove- 

 ment, while the "Intellectuals" and the 

 "Intelligencia," as the educated classes 

 are called, followed their lead. 



The great strike which stopped every 

 wheel and paralyzed every industry in the 

 entire Empire convinced the Czar that he 



must do something to satisfy public 

 clamor, and he promised his people a con- 

 stitution and a parliament. Twenty-three 

 years before his grandfather prepared a 

 plan of limited representation in the gov- 

 ernment for the people. It was lying on 

 his desk awaiting his signature when he 

 was assassinated, and the clock was 

 turned back twenty-five years. When 

 the time came when something must be 

 done to save the dynasty, in a rescript 

 dated March 3, 1905, Nicholas II said : 



"I am resolved henceforth, with the help of 

 God, to convene the worthiest men possessing 

 the confidence of the people, and elected by 

 them to take part in the elaboration and con- 

 sideration of legislative measures, and with 

 the examination of a state budget." 



THE MEMBERS OE THE FIRST DOUMA 



A commission under the Minister of 

 the Interior prepared a plan, an awkward 

 and complicated system, which was al- 

 most equivalent to universal suffrage ; an 

 election was held in March, 1906, and a 

 fairly representative parliament was 

 chosen. There was an upper house com- 

 posed of ninety-eight members, one-half 

 of whom were appointed by the Czar and 

 the other half chosen by the commercial, 

 industrial, and professional organizations, 

 the faculties of the universities, and the 

 church. The lower house, called the 

 douma, consisted of 440 members, of 

 whom, according to a canvass, 276 were 

 in favor of a reorganization of the gov- 

 ernment from an autocracy into a limited 

 monarchy, and 164 were in favor of a 

 republic, to be secured by armed revolu- 

 tion if necessary. There was not one 

 supporter of the autocracy in the entire 

 body, and 'only five of the members re- 

 fused to vote for the radical and impos- 

 sible program adopted as a reply to the 

 first speech from the Throne. Those five 

 conservatives did not vote against the ad- 

 dress, but left the chamber in order that 

 it might be adopted unanimously. 



Twenty-three races were represented in 

 the douma, as follows : 



Russians 265 



Little Russians "^ 



Poles 51 



