Page:William Zebulon Foster - The Russian Revolution (1921).pdf/31

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Delegates to Government Soviet Congressess.
(Average for all Russia.)

District Soviets. State Soviets
Per Cent. Per Cent.
Communists 42.6 Communists 79.0
Non-Party 56.7 Non-Party 20.8
Other Parties .7 Other Parties .2
100. 100.

In the District congresses the percentage of Communists is many times higher than it is among the population in general, and, characteristically, it is much higher in the State congresses than in those of the Districts—the former being the superior type of organization.

Members of Presiding Boards of Government Soviet Congresses. (Average for all Russia.)

District Soviets. State Soviets
Per Cent. Per Cent.
Communists 80.3 Communists 86.1
Non-Party 19.4 Non-Party 13.9
Other Parties .3 Other Parties .0
100. 100.

As the presiding boards are very strategic places in the Soviets naturally the Communists, following out their usual policy, always have a very much stronger representation on them than among the rank and file of the delegates. This is the fruit of the excellent Communist organization. And so it goes through the ascending stages of Government institutions; the scale of Communist representation constantly increasing, until we finally arrive at the Council of Peoples' Commissars, which is entirely Communist in its makeup.

The Soviet judicial machinery is completely in the hands of the Communist Party: the powerful Extraordinary Commission, which is used to combat counter-revolution, speculation, etc., is composed altogether of Communists; and there are few, if any, judges in the Revolutionary Tribunals and Peoples' Courts who are not members of the Party. Likewise, the press of the country is taken care of, the editors of all the important papers being tried and trusted Communists. The school system is also held firmly in hand: many of the teachers are Communists, each school has its yatchayka, and

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