The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-10-25
FRANCE.
TIE Republican Vietory 4sConnting. the
FBalIots-Charges Of fraud ana Intinida-

3 TIE Republican viefory -Connting. the
Ballots Charges oft'faudl ana lntipnida-
tion.
The Republicans of France, says the
Chicago Tribune, although they have
secured q 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 1858 to 400 Their fail
ure to accomplish this result is said BY
them to be due not to o 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 frauls, but they demand
an investigation in order that RESPONSE
bilitv may be- fixed where it belongs,
and that tile injustice may be rectified.
Several Republican newspapers have
pointed out the duty Of the new Cham
Der to undertake such an investigation !;
no doubt the Left will fall in readily
with the ideawhen 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 gopportuni-
ties for fictitious returns than. our own
does. TheVoting 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. lin America, Judges of
Election are enjoined to count tue votes
before adjournment. The practice In
France is different The canvass is
made at leisure, and need not be com
pleted within forty-eight hours. The
returns are docketed with the Govern
ment Bureau, and may be published or
not at the discretion of the officials in
charge. 1t is a 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 its predecessors.
In spite of fraud and intimidation, the
Republicans in France have won a
memorable victory. They retain 297
seats of the 1858 that voted the censure
of the Government, and have gained
seventeen more they will probably fill
at ieast half of the fourteen vacancies,
bringing their total majority to 121. The
total Republican vote is believed to be
$50, 900 in excess Of that of 1876. TAX
ing this estimate as basis of calculation,
the popular majority of the Republicans
must be more than l 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 q 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.
BonapaLtists, go; MacMahonites, As;
Legitimists, A OrIeanists, II. For all
practical purposes, the MacMahonites
and Bonapartists are one, SO that their
vote may be put at LA. This is more
than the nucleus of a party it is a for
midable organization which, in view of
the recent growth of Bonapartisrn, may
well excite the alarm of the Repubi-
cans.