“We are on the eve of a Bolshevik insurrection”—­such was, at this time, the opinion of all those who took part in political life.  “We are rushing to it with dizzy rapidity.  The catastrophe is inevitable.”  But what is very characteristic is this, that, while preparing their insurrection, the Bolsheviki, in their press, did not hesitate to treat as liars and calumniators all those who spoke of the danger of this insurrection, and that on the eve of a conquest of power (with arms ready) premeditated and well prepared in advance.

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During the whole period that preceded the Bolshevik insurrection a great creative work was being carried on in the country in spite of the undesirable phenomena of which we have spoken above.

1.  With great difficulty there were established organs of a local, autonomous administration, volost and district zemstvos, which were to furnish a basis of organization to the government zemstvos.  The zemstvo of former times was made up of only class representatives; the elections to the new zemstvos were effected by universal suffrage, equal, direct, and secret.  These elections were a kind of schooling for the population, showing it the practical significance of universal suffrage, and preparing it for the elections to the Constituent Assembly.  At the same time they laid the foundation of a local autonomous administration.

2.  Preparations for the election to the Constituent Assembly were made; an agitation, an intense propaganda followed; preparations of a technical order were made.  This was a difficult task because of the great number of electors, the dispersion of the population, the great number of illiterate, etc.  Everywhere special courts had been established, in view of the elections, to train agitators and instructors, who afterward were sent in great numbers into the country.

3. At the same time the ground was hurriedly prepared for the law concerning the socialization of the soil. The abandonment of his post by Tchernov, Minister of Agriculture, did not stop this work.  The principal agricultural committee and the Minister of Agriculture, directed by Rakitnikov and Vikhiliaev, hastened to finish this work before the convocation of the Constituent Assembly.  The Revolutionary Socialist party decided to keep for itself the post of Minister of Agriculture; for the position they named S. Maslov, who had to exact from the government an immediate vote on the law concerning the socialization of the soil. The study of this law in the Council of Ministers was finished.  Nothing more remained to be done but to adopt and promulgate it.  Because of the excitement of the people in the country, it was decided to do this at once, without waiting for the Constituent Assembly.  Finally, to better realize the conditions of the time, it must be added that the whole country awaited anxiously the elections to the Constituent Assembly.  All believed that this was going to settle the life of Russia.