The National Republican., 1885-11-17

charge are not, It seems to me, difficult to
determine.
THE IL1TERATE VOTE.
In following French politics we must
never forget that the suffrage Is exercised
by q great mass of ignorant peasants and
workingmen VINO have been brought up un-
der paternal government. The French
peasant, provided all goes WELL is generally
satisfied with the existing government, but
let whirlwind come and uuroof his house
and tear up his vines; let n river overflow
his land; let a war take his children away
and increase his taxes, and he will be sure
to lay the fault to the government and vote
againstit II an election be near athand. Now
the presen' elections have taken place un-
der unfavOroble circumstances.
HARD TIMES FOR THE GAULs.
France has been suffering for more than
two years from an agricultural and COM
mercial depression that has sorcly tried her
people. The Tonquin expedition has cost
millions, hundreds of the French youth
have been killed, and the affair is not yet
over. All these things have been cleverly
exploited by the antl-republican coalition,
which has been very careful not to say to
the peasant that II wanted to change the
form Of government, but has simply APP
pcaled to him to turn out the men who have
caused the crisis In affairs, increased his
taxes, and taken away his sons. Another
question which has been worked by the con-
seryatives is the religious prosecutions. AL
though Paris Is skeptical, the country Is
still religious, and the threatened separa-
tlon Of church and state has been used as q
bugbenr to flighten timid men who, IL they
are not devout worshipers, have no desire
to openly break with the church. The d.
visions among the republicans have not been
so important factor in the result as Is
claimed, for the reactionaries have gained
Ill Nt,ote
there was only one list opposed TO them.
The republicans have been beaten in
twenty-five departments. They were united
In nineteen Of these twenty-five. Another
significant fact is that the reactionary gains
arc In the regions that have most suffered
by the agricultural and commercial depres-
sion.
THE REPUBLIC SAFE.
IL is clear, from careful examination
the figures, that It was not the form of gov
ernment that the dissatisfied electors wished
| TO change, for in most all the departments,
where the radicals had separate lists, 1t Is
| they who have gained, instead of the mon
archists. Besides, the conservatives were
careful in all their manifestoes, to say
| nothing about overturning the republic.
| The real meaning OF the elections Is that
| the people are tired Of the opportunist
| policy, and particularly of colonial expan-
| sion. They are dissatisfied with the hesl-
| tating, hectorlng policy which has been fol-
| lowed against the church, and those who
were for more radical and decisive measures
| gave their vetes to the reft, while the
others went to the right. 1t must not
he supposed that this temporary increase of
the conservative minority puts the French
republic IN danger. All the seats that the
reactionaries can possibly gain on the 18th
instant will still leave them in the minority,
and If the republicans can compromise
| among themselves, and unite upon n COM
mon policy, they will still be able to have
working majority of 1T5 to 200, which is q
| much larger one than they had after the
| 10th Of May, 1877, The unexpected increase
| in conservative seats has given them u
warning which at the present moment they
appear to heed, for on Sll sides they are
counselipg the formation of a single list in
all the departments where supplementary
elections are to be held. Those candi-
dates who have received the highest
number Of votes will run again, and
this time they will receive the united
support Of all factions of the party. If this
discipline can be maintained in the next
chamber the republican party will be able
to govern, and 1t is one OF the benefits OF
the conservative reaction of Sunday last
that IL has reminded certain French poll
ticians of an elementary truth, which in
their extreme partisanship they are apt to
ignore, that in union there is strength.
| DANIEL D'ARTHEZ.