ty was pursuing a policy of patient endurance,
postponing strife for the future until the crimes of the tsar's
government made further silence impossible. At that time the whole
tissue of treason was not yet known, but enough was in evidence
to demand vigorous protest. Not being a revolutionary party the
Constitutional Democrats abstained from any action not strictly within
the law and merely condemned the activity of the Government. They
desired amelioration of the fundamental laws, but even that they would
have preferred to accomplish by persuasion rather than by force. In fact
they considered socialist demands unreasonable, socialization of Russia
premature, and any violent overthrow unwise and hazardous. For the
latter opinion they found support in the failure of the uprising of
the working class in 1905-06, when the punitive expeditions proved the
loyalty of the army to the throne. Consequently the attitude of the army
in the memorable days of the March revolution was a great surprise to
them. At the same time they attributed to themselves the lion share in
the overthrow, presumably on the ground that masses follow leaders and
the Constitutional \ Democrats were the only ones who had a chance for
open protest in the Duma and made use of it. This delusion led to a
series of tactical errors and cost them dearly. In all elections they
polled a comparatively small vote. Trying to save Russia for the Allies
they failed to meet the Russian Socialists on their own ground and were
forced to explain away differences of opinion much too thoroughgoing
to be explained away. In a country which is in the throes of the
most remarkable revolution ever witnessed, they tried to apply
non-revolutionary methods and drew on themselves the suspicion of
the masses of being counter-revolutionists. From the very moment when
Miliukov announced the passing of the supreme power from the Tsar to
Grand Duke Michail, when his words were answered by angry shouts
in favor of a democratic republic, the position of the party became
precarious. They had either to revise their own program and to catch up
with the rush of the progressive current, or else to find themselves in
the role of inundated rocks over which the waters flow. The announcement
that the party would support a demand for a republic was too late
to change the first impression, while the proposition to accept
unconditional expropriation of land in place of the compensation plan
was defea