The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-29
FRENCH POLITICS.
Ominous Warnings from the Leaders of the
Republican Peasantry.

Republican Peasantry.
PARIS, March 28.-The leader of the Republic
an peasant party has warned the Opportunist
deputies that strong reaction is taking place
among the French peasantry in all the prov
inces of the French republic against the govern
ment, because of undue influence exercised over
it by Prime Minister Ferry. This feeling of
hostility, he says, owes its origin principally to
the repugnance of the peasantry to waste the
strength of tho republic in improbable and un-
necessary foreign wars; and Immediately to the
apparently abortive and costly middle in Ton
qun This peasant leader advises the Oppor-
tunist deputies to seek and form an electoral
union with the French Radicals, and urges that
such union will be necessary in order to pre-
vent the elections in August next from resulting
unfavorably to the republic.
Olivier, since his temperance in public life,
has been advising his countrymen to return to a
ministerial constitution, similar to that which
existed in France under the second empire. He
argues that ministers who carry on strong aud
successful government should not be response
BILE, as now, to Parliament, but to single
authority the President of the republic, for in
stance Olivier is making many converts to his
doctrine, especially among the deputies.
The bill increasing the duties cereals and
cattle. although it has not yet passed the French
Senate, has, by its success in the Chamber of
Deputies and in the Senate committee, which
reported it favorably for consideration, had
the effect of inducing spectators to secure con-
troll Of the grain market. AS result of this,
flour has been raised in price generally through
out France three francs per sack. The bakers,
in Of prica
of bread two confines per kilo 1t is not difficult
to foresee the evil results which must follow.
The French people are not, as whole, rich.
They are poor, and they are extremely averse to
anything that savors Of extortion. The masses
cannot appreciate the causes that have brought
about this increase in the cost of their food.
Most of the people attribute it to the ambition
of the government to carry on foreign wars for
glory. Besides. trade is generally much de-
pressed throughout the republic, and never in
the present generation have so many skilled
workingmen and workingwomen been out of
employment. Hence it is that so many bread
riots are threatened in the large towns. In Ly
ons and Marseilles the condition of the popular
feeling against the increase in the price of bread
will be absolutely dangerous. The Municipal
Council of Marseiles recently felt compelled for
the public safety, to formally ask the bakers of
the city to reduce the price of bread. The
bakers refused to do this and went so far as to
threaten to close up their bakeries if any public
action was taken to ccerce them to lower prices.
AS people generally depend upon the bakers for
bread, the bakers deemed themselves to be prac
ticalk beyond control The Municipal Council,
however, threatened that if the bakers did not
lower prices to the old figures, the city would
organize and maintain cooperative bakeries.
The bakers remaining abdurate, notice has ac-
cordingly been given the public that the city of
Marseilles will be ready on and after the LIST of
next April to furnish the public with bread Of
all grades, equal to the best, at the prices which
it was obtained before the Chamber of Deputies
passed the bill increasing the duties on cereals.
The Senate to-day adopted in its entirety the
bill increasing the duties on cereals, and after
wards agreed to the bill raising the duties on
cattle