THE SOVIET SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 47, 20 November 1918, Page 8

THE SOVIET SYSTEM

ORGANISATION DESCRIBED

FRANK DICTATORSHIP'OF

WORKING CLASSES

.(By the Baris Correspondent of the "Westminster Gazette.")

While a great deal is said as to the necessity of rescuing Russia from the Soviets, surprisingly little is know of their organisation., Even the apologists' of the Soviets admit that it is class rule, and that it is even a class dictatorship, There is a written coustitutioiwlirawn up recently at Moscow—.ind it is from the principles therein stated that this account ot its operation is draw.n. The Soviets were originally composed of delegates of workers, soldiers, 'for fighting purposes in the o'ovulution; afterwards they became the organs of power. They represent the dictatorship of the proletariat and ti'.° peasants, and they recognise (he poliilcal rights of no one who does not belong to these classes. The most startling fact about present-day Eussia is, perhaps, that the right of voting and the right of sitting in the Soviets are specifically, denied to all who employ a worker for purposes of gain, who live on the .revenue of invested capital, who arc merchants, middlemen, or who are professionally engaged in a religious calling. This complete reversal of the role of Russian citizens reminds one. of England before the passing of the Beform Acts, only with the tables completely turned. The theory on wlvieKMs based this denial of the vote and of all political rights to what have been called the "possessing classes" is that in a society divided into classes always the power of the State Is » dictatorship, and one or other of Ike classes, guiding the machinery of State, dominates the rest. This power may be concealed in normal times, but when the power is threatened all. legal ■ formalities are cast aside, ,ind the rulers of a country establish a frank dictatorship. This is how T.enm arrives at his point of view. 'The pvolct.-riat connuered the bourgeoisie; the bourgeoisie conspire to restore the old order of things—ttey even, alleged the Soviets, ceei; the help of foreign Powers for this, purpose. Tl.irefore capitalists and proprietors must'have no say in ■ political affaire. They must be kept m subjugaEach village or town elects v Soviet of workers and peasants. . All ti'.e local, authorities are controlled by that Soviet— the police, the'schools, and other public iiervice*. Th<;re arc groups of Soviets (Voloste) to administer wi<!er territorial areas; and these groups in their turn -select delegates to sit on a- .arger conprc=.'. This latter congress sits in the chief town of the dirt;'f;. bu each town of more than 10,000 inhabitants retains its independence of the congress. Several arrondissemehls form a department, which ha, n. council composed of representatives elected by the congress and the Soviets of the independent

towns. in/ 1 Such towns as Moscow ami IMrograr >tr» not subject to the departmental Councils The Soviets meet together to decide General matters; hut (here are also a large number of executive committees. Tlie Congress of All he Soviets i 5 the supremo authority of the country. It used to meet everv three months. hecntly it decided to meet every six months. It is the councils of the departments that elect, the delegates to this hark, which may hold extraordinary meeting in case of emergency. In tact, the chief function of the. All-boviecs Congress is to elect o. Central Executive Committee, which is composed of two hundred members, and which really governs the country. The duties of the various ministries are filjed by-colleges, to whom the Central, Committee gives special powers. They'direct the affairs of the nation, subject to the agreement of the committee. There is, according to law, no (president, and Lenin s personal riower "omes rather from his dominating personality than from any specific authoritv. The life cf the deputies may >e very short. They are elected on'the Soviet.? only for .-three, months Each factory of any description Hlec<s itsrepresentative:! in ncarciantr; with the number of workers. Those artisans who ore out of work also elect their repreeentatms at o separate poll. At any time if n delegate "ives dissatisfaction he can b= recalled and a new election be held.- Such, according to the friends of the Soviets in France, is the system under which liussia is governed at this moment. All power is in (he' hsinds of those who "draw their means of existence from productive labour or work of public utility.' : that is, employees in industry, rommerce, agriculture, and the service of the State. It is quite openly the rule of the worker. Tt is, however, only fair to say thct the system was born in revolution "and nursed in a stormy cradle, and that the extension of the franchise is .douMUss in the. minds of the pi-esent rulers when, if ever, any chance of cot-'iter-n'.volution lifts disappeared, ant when ti'.fc free reisin of Socialism begins.