Show I I LOOY VIEWS OF RUSSIA'S i'S iS FUTURE Count Leo Tolstoi Reviews Situation in Which Country Finds Itself OUTLOOK IS VERY BLACK i tt r j With With- ith Constitution j pear hopes of Past I wo Years I IBY BY COU COUNT T LEO TOLSTOI St. St Petersburg Oct Ocl 13 The 13 Tho elections dee elec Ions to th the tho third duma of oC tho the empire now proceeding must settle finally the question Will HI the constitution which Russia still nom nominally Inn 11 enjoys continue and develop elop or will It disappear and with It tho the hopes and expectations of the last two years The outlook is extremely black Tho The reaction of the past year ear shows that the constitution Is In peril Possibly it is beyond salvation nUon but at best Itcan it itcan can only be saved by the time election to tJ tile the e new duma of tho wisest and most experienced friends of or constitution constitutionalism and by tho the adoption of a n. wise program and the most skillful and cautious tactics Go Government Hates It II The Time peril to the constitution arises from the tho fact that thal at heart the Russian Rus nus- sian sInn government detests It IL The duma dumn was conee conceded ed under tho the stress of or popular popular pop pop- ular nn anger er an and the imminent danger of ot a sanguinary revolution These two compelling factors have largely hugely passed away an and though tho in her wishes wish wish- es Cs Russia Is still undoubtedly revolutionary revolutionary revolutionary the tide of popular exaltation and amid confidence has subsided ed nn and the lighting Hunting spirit of or the tho revolution has hasan vanished an ish c d. d Experience has shown that the government can rel rely upon the army to repress any outbreak an and that military military mili mili- tary mutinies are merely local affairs and I am am nm quite sure that the army can can be used usell as an Instrument of ot re repression re- re pr for at least ten years to come conic Tho financial situation however unfavorable un un- un- un favorable fu Is not bad enough to force the ito government to a premature sur stir render rendel Ot Of both these facts the gov government got o Is 19 well aware and It has completely com corn petel regained confidence enco In Its power pow pow- er Cl to defy popular opinion It is in that I see the present peril to the conSt con con- St nIt n. n It is more than probable that time the third duma durna like Its Us predecessors willbe willbe will wll be dissolved after L' a short session and that that unlike its Ils predecessors it It will have ha no successor sor In that event the constitution which on even now Is Js merely merely merely mere mere- ly nominal will be he formally abrogated and antI the autocracy revived re in name as asIt asIt asIt It hUts hns been in fact tact Dumas Duma's One Hope Tho government go will tolerate no op opposition opposition op- op position if Jr It Il can help It It wilt will dissolve dissolve dis dis- dis solve the duma durna Therefore the he one hope for the duma dunia Is 15 to 10 make its position position position po po- po- po In the country so strong that dissolution dig dig- solution will seem too dangerous a measure There Thieve Is Just a chance chanco that by avol avoiding irritant questions and antI carrying carrying car car- out useful reforms which the government go has pledged Itself not to oppose the time duma dunia may strengthen Its position and and thus survive sur and i sa sac c c the tho imperilled constitution But it will havo have to 10 sacrifice part parl of its pro pro- gram mm It must abandon fina finally tho the demand domand for a cabinet formed Cormell out o of the majority of the duma That l ideal Idea eal Y nitty be attained In lii twenty years but butto butto butto to insist now will merely merel give the thc government gov gos' O a n. pretext for dissolution and for fOI tho the liquidation of ot the constitution Secondly Secondly to lo save Itself the tho new now duma duina uma will have havo to abandon on the tho demand de do- e- e mand for or tho the compulsory expropriation tion don of ot the tho nobles' nobles land The Thc Russian peasants of course must be given land but the tho czars czar's gO eminent go will wll never a agree to expropriation an and amid the demand deman will merely hasten the tho dumas dunias end Tho Time vast Russian landed estates estate must be bu cut up but hut that can o. only he bo helone done lone fn gradually and I personally am amIn amin in n favor of oC doing it through the time Imposition hn Im- position of or a heavy progressive Income tax jax lax on the lan land The Tho big land owner I. I j. j 3 q 2 oL L r W 1 o t. t J J 4 ili I f J. J i. i l 4 1 w r. r 1 t would woul then have to pay so 80 much taxation taxation taxation tax tax- that it would be to his Interest to divide and sell his property to the peasants The fhe government mo may de detest detest le- le test the these e reforms reform but it cannot make them an excuse o for dissolving tho the duma durna because tho the czars czar's own manifesto manifesto mani mani- festo to of October 1905 promised d complete com corn photo liberty By getting through h real work In this domain and avoiding avoiding- Ir Irritants Irritants irritants Ir- Ir the damn duma m may make malce itself Usel so 50 strong that even tho fiercest reactionary reaction reaction- ary in ruling will see the tho danger of ot dit dissolving Liberty of or the person of speech of ot religion of or the tho press and reform of ot tho tha Judicial system tho tho duma should embody these these- principles in legislation In the shortest st possible time timi i f 4 p 4 J 11 lr i. i r 1 11 l f I IiI 1 4 4 t I J liLi a f 1 |