The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-06-14
q Fsom de Philadelphia Ledger. y ..
zPRKRGEAFTER THE ELEOTIOE,

| If The general idea OF what conBti-
tutesan absolute monarchy were sum-
Eaentencs; it would probably be TO this
| effect; Absolute monarchy Is governS
Ement exercised according to The will of
Zone mans" and such is the popular idea
4 of the existing Imperial government
| In France. tits an idea that does not
contemplate such q thing as popular
elections: yet those who read the news.
-naners are aware that all France has
| lust turned out to participate in an cleo
| lion for members OF the Legislative
| Body" and the returns show that the
election was as free as our own, and
the suffrage quite as universal. The
day, the Esd and Oath OF May, Two
hundred and ninety Deputies to the
| "C0rpS LeQiSLdtV" were to be chosen
from all France, each "circumscrip.
tion," or district, choosing one Deputy.
In 23l of these districts, Deputies were
chosen on the days just mentioned, and
sufficient number OF votes cast for any
OF the candidates; for, according to the
French system, no candidate can be
elected unless he polls majority of all
the votes cast, and unless that majority
Is equal to One-fourth of all the voters
registered. Hence there had to be a Sec
ond election in each OF the foregoing so
districts, and the second ballot took
place last Sunday and Monday. The
result of this was announced by cable
yesterday, and it Is now known that
the new Chamber of Deputies will be
Emperor, 2l3; Opposition, n; the latter
being divided into Independents, AZ,
and Radicals, or Democrats, 35.
There are a number of interesting
features in these election returns.
First, it Is significant fact that the
Opposition in the new Chamber, al
though it Is still meagre minority in
point OF numbers, is nearly three and
y half times as strong as 1t was in the
last. 1t was then 43, it is now a. It is
changed also in character, some of the
new Opposition Deputies being ultra
radicals, and even revolutionists. who
have displaced Opposition Deputies of
are in favor of liberty and progress.
bat who are not radical enough for the
French Democracy. With reference to
the universally of the suffrage, 1t may
be mentioned that there are 393, 1873
registered voters in Paris, and of these
3l2, 1857 exercised the suffrage on the 23d
and oath of May. This is very full
proportion for a population of 1885,
274, which was the number of inhab-
itants In Paris in 1866. The same
proportion OF voters to population Is
observable in the returns from the
France. It will therefore be seen that
universal suffrage in that country
means very nearly In practice what 1t,
the word, imports in theory.
In all the cities and large towns the
Democratic element is strong, and the
Government was almost Invariably
outvoted by great maj critics. 1t was
Just the reverse in the rural districts.
In these the Government outvoted the
Democrats in still greater proportions,
running in some cases as high as 10 to
In favor of the Government. 1t is not
easy to trace the influences that pro-
duce these vast contrasts. Some say
1t is the greater influence of the clergy
in the rural districts, but it is more
probably the result Of isolation. Po-
Iitical agitation has more scope where
and when the object is resistance to a
powerful Government, men gather
courage and resolution from their mere
force OF numbers. When they are iso-
lated, as they are in the rural districts,
they have no such stimulus. II may
be, too, that the agricultural pOpula-
tions are more contented than the me-
chanics and workmen OF the the cities,
and at the same time less thoroughly
instructed in their political rights.
Although the new Chamber of Depu-
ties stand zlS tor the Government to "
against, it is said that the popular vote
will show but 1900, 900 for the Govern
ment to 8, 500, 600 in opposition. This is
the real point for the contemplation of
the Emperor. It cannot fail to produce
uneasiness in his mind, for at the first
election alter he declared the Empire"
he was sustained by 100000 OF votes
to 800 600 against him. His majority
then was nearly seven and a half mill
lions; now it is only half a million.