The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-10-26
FRANCE.

The Republican Victory - Counting the
Baliots-Charges of Fraud aud Intimida.
tion.
The Republicans OF France, says the
Chicago Tribune, although they have
secured a majority of 100 in the new
Chamber, are disappointed in the re-
suit. They hoped to fulfill the promise
OF Gambetta by increasing the memoir
able number of 1863 to 400. Their fail
ure to accomplish this result is said by
them to be due not to want of strength
with the people, but to a manipulation
of the ballots iii many districts by the
Government officials. They do not as
sert that President MacMahon has au-
thorized the frauds, but they demand
an investigation in order that RESPONSE
bility may be fixed where it belongs,
and that the injustice may be rectitied.
Several Republican newspapers have
pointed out the duty of the new Cham
Der to undertake such an investigation !;
no doubt the Left will fall i'll readily
with the idea when the session begins.
The cry of fraud, it should be under
stood, is not of the empty kind so COM
mon in America. The French electoral
system presents many more opportunl-
ties for fictitious returns than our own
does. The voting is in charge OF Gov
eminent officials the ballots are count
ed and the results declared by them.
They have wide discretion as to the
time they may consume in the discharge
of their duties. In America, Judges of
Election are enjoined to count the votes
before adjournment. The practice in
France is different. The canvass is
made at'leisure, and need not be CON-
pleted within forty-eight hours The
returns are docketed with the Govern
ment Bureau, and may be published or
not Mt the discretion of the officials in
charge. 1t is matter of record that the
frauds in election under Napoleon III.
were of the most fragrant description,
and, from what is known of the prelim-
mary measures adopted by the present
Government, there is no reason to sup
pose that it is more scrupulous in count
ing votes than any of it's predecessors.
In spite of fraud and intimidation, the
Republicans in France have won a
memorable victory. They retain 297
seats of the 1863 that voted the censure
of the Government, and have gained
seventeen more; they will probably ill
at least half of the fourteen vacancies,
bringing their total majority to l21. The
total Republican vote is believed to be
$50, 600 i'll excess of that of 1876. TAX
ing this estimate as basis of calculation,
the popular majority of the Republicans
must be more than 1000, 600.
A significant result of the elections is
the sudden rise of the Bonapartists to
influence At the close of the war they
were despised and rejected of all men.
They were represented in the Chamber
by barely dozen persons, and these
possessed neither credit nor personal
worth. When the Comte de Chambord
was solicited to become King, the Bona.
partist vote dwindled almost to nothing.
Since the failure of that enterprise it
has grown gradually, until now it is the
party of opposition to the republic The
minority is thus divided by the Temps
Bonapartists, 3d. MacMahonites, As;
Legitimists, Al Orleanists, IL. For all |
practical purposes, the MacMahonites
and Bonapartists are one, so that their
vote may be put at IA. This is more
than the nucleus of a party it is for
midable organization which, in view of |
the recent growth of Bonapartism, may
well excite the alarm of the Republi-
cans.